The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1882-09-16 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

THE EXECUTION OF HYNES.  Francis -Hynes, the young man, who at the recent Special Commission Court, held in Dublin, before Mr. Justice Lawson, was sentenced to death for the murder of a herdsman named Doloughty, was executed in Limerick Goal, on Monday morning, Great efforts had been made to secure a reprieve, and enormous pressure had been brought to bear on the Lord Lieutenant, considerable capital having been manufactured out of the alleged way in which the jurymen who had convicted Hynes had acted. But the man's guilt seemed clear, and it is hard to see why if murderers are to be banged at all his life ought to have been spared. It was evidently considered at head-quarters that he should be made an example of, in order to awe the lawless ruffians who ' have taught themselves that murder is, under certain conditions, not only excusable, but laudable. If it were so considered, who will dare to say that an error of judgment was fallen into ? Yet, there are a large number of persons who have alre idy elevated Hynes to the height of a martyr. The precise grounds on which they have done this it would be difficult to indicate. They do not openly contend that the mm was innocent, though they do say that the jury who condemned him drank too much overnight, and really, if the man was clearly guilty, the state of the jury who convicted him is a matter of no importance whatever. Therefore, the sympathy, the obtrusive and ostentatious 13% mpathy, which has been displayed concerning him affords one more proof as to the unsatisfactory state of public feeling in Ireland. The poor wretch appears to have met his doom with fortitude. "He slept well," says a contemporary, "throughout Sunday night until he was awakened at an early hour yesterday morning to receive the visit of the chaplain, who celebrated mass in the prison chapel, at which Hynes was present. He partook of a moderate breakfast, and at half-past seven was visited in his cell by the subsheriff of County Clare, the governor of the prison, and the attendant warders, and informed that the hour for his exccution was fast approaching. At this moment the unfortunate man was engaged in prayer with the chaplain, and he received the summons with composure. A procession soon afterwards was formed from the condemned cell through the open yard which leads through another portion of the building to the gallows. This was headed by the jail officials, Hynes following leaning on the arm of the chaplain, and reciting the prayers for the dying, which he did in an audible voice. When the procession reached inside the doorway of the compartment which led out to the gallows Marwood appeared, and at once commenced to place tne pinioning straps around Hynes's feet and arms, an ordeal which the condemned man bore with perfect calmness. The procession then again moved on, the culprit being still accompanied by the chaplain, but now followed by Mar- ' wood as well as by the sheriff and the ' jail officials. As he ascended the broad ladaer which led to the gallows, he cast , a glance at the looped rope, and having stood for a few moments in further prayer with the chaplain he kissed the crucifix held in front of him by the reverend gentleman, and then kissed the chaplain himself. All preliminaries being by this time completed, the white cap was adjusted by Marwood, who directly afterwards drew the bolt, and after a few struggles Hynes was dead. The black flag was immediately raised over the jail, and the bell was tolled as the drop fell. A large crowd had assembled outside the prison, and prayers were offered by many of those present for the repose of the condemned man's soul. Tt is not known whether Hynes has made any statement relative to the crime for publication, and it is regarded as probable that if he offered any statement at all it was to the chaplain only. It is understood that certainly up to Sunday Hynes denied any complicity in the murder for which he has suffered death."