Widnes Examiner. — 1896-06-13 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE TRIPLE EXECUNON.  FOWLER, MILSOM, AND SEAMAN HANGED AT NEWGATE. THEIR LAST MOMENTS.  Three of the four murderers sentenced to death at the last sittings of the Central Criminal Court by Mr. Justlce flawkins,were executed on Tuesday morning at Newgate Prison. Henry Fowler, thirty-one, and Albert Milsom, thirty-three,were executed for the murder of Mr. Henry Smith at Nluswell Lodge in February last ; and William Seaman,forty-six, a diver, for the murder of John Goodman Levy and Mrs. Gale in Wititechapel. There were present at the execution Colonel Miltnan, the Governor of Newgate ; Mr. Ruston, Uncler-Sneriff of Middlesex ; Mr. Metcalfe,Under-Sheriff of London; Major Campbell, Deputy-Governor of Holloway ; Dr. Pitcairn and Dr. Scott,the medical officers of the gaol ; and the Revs. G. P. Merrick and A. K. Ramsay, chaplains. There was also a strong extra force of warders on duty in anticipation of further violent " scenes." Billington was the executioner, and he was assisted by Wilkinson. of Bolton. The sheriffs decided to exclude the Press, and the authorities at Newgate have been very reticent as to what took place in the condemned cells since the trial. It is stated, however, that when Colonel Milman and the undersheriffs went to Fowler's cell with the executioners on Tuesday morning, the culprit appeared quite prepared for their coining, and having shaken hands with Mr.' Billington. he submitted quietly to the pinioning. Seaman and Milsom were next visited,and a procession was then formed,Fowler leading, and Milsom corning last, the three doomed men, who marched in stolid silence, being surrounded by warders. When the chalk line marked on the drop in the corner of the shed to indicate a plump line with the rope above was pointed out to Fowler as his position to stand he quickly advanced, bringing his feet down heavily in the place indicated. While Billington was strapping his legs together the culprit threw his head back and gazed about him with evident interest. Before Milsom had entered the shed the white cap had been drawn over Fowler's head and his bared neck, and the mese of the rope adju ted. Meanwhile Wilkinson had prepared Sstamau in a like manner, and Milsom was prepared fs r a drop in the space of a few seconds. Billington tilting a cursory survey of all the arrangements, stepped aside, touched the lever, and. the floor gave way, the chaplain meanwhile reciting the Burial Service. Tne following is the official statement made by the two under-sheriffs as to what toiak place: —" There was no scene on the scaffold oetween the prisoners Fowler and Milsom. Fowler declined to make ' any statement whatever. Milsom said. lam perfectly innocent. lam not guilty of the crime.' Seaman, who volunteered no statement, was asked if he wished to say anything. He replied, No, sir ; I have nothing whatever to say.'" There was a great crowd outside the prison as early as seven o'clock on Tuesday incirning„ and it grew to such large proportions before nine o'clock,that the police had some difficulty in regulating the traffic. The p bhichouses in the vicinity were crowded, and appeared to be doing a roaring trade, In fact very few of those present seemed to pay much attention to the solemnity of the scene which was being enacted inside the gaol. There was a good deal of chaff and rough horseplay, and the whole scene led to the reflection as to whether Newgate was the best or most seemly place to carry out the extreme lanalty of the law. The abolition of public executions has not, even after the lapse of more than a quarter of a century. done away with the morbid interest which people take in great criminals. At a quarter to nine the bell of St. Sepulchre's began to tell,and this added to the excitement of the crowd. Then the chapel bell within the gaol began to toll, and at five minutes to nine there were speculations as to whether another "scrap" was going on at the gallows between Fowler and Milso:n. The former seemed to be almost regarded as a hero.but the remarks about the latter were emphatically not fit for publication. Slowly the minutes wore away, and the crowd grew silent when St.Sepulchre's clock began to strike the hour. Almost before the echoes of the last stroke had died away, a square of black bunting was seen slowly ascending the pole over the prison. This was an intimation that t%e law had been vindicated,and a hoarse roar of cheering from the crowd seemed to drown the noise of the traffic for a moment. Then the people rushed away about their business.