Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1892-10-15 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

EXECUTION OF THE WALWORTH MURDERER.  John James Banbury, aged 22, plasterer and house decorator, who was convicted, before Mr. Justice Collins, at the last sessions of the Central Criminal Court, and sentenced to death for the wilful murder of Annie Oakley, was hanged at 9 o'clocx on Tuesday morning in Wandsworth Gaol. Banbury had known his victim only two months, during which period he had been in the habit of visiting her at Walworth. She was but 19 years of ate, and had met Banbury casually, thus forming an acquaintance. On June 29th he called on the girl, and in an altercation which was the outcome of jealousy he fired on her from behind with a revolver, causing almost instant death. Three petitions, bearing nearly 2,000 signatures. were seat to the Home Secretary, in which it was urged, in addition to other grounds for a reprieve, that there was on Banbury's part an absence of premeditation to murder. By the direction of the Home Secretary a special medical inquiry was made last week as to the mental condition of the convict. The opinion of the medical experts was that the convict was not insane at the time nor when he committed the crime. On Monday a communication in reply to the petitions was sent to the effect that the Home Secretary had failed to find grounds to justify him in advising an interference with the course of the law. An intimation of this decision was received at Wandsworth Gaol late on Saturday night, after the condemned man had retired to rest. The decision was made known to him on Sunday morning. The convict expressed no great concern; in fact, he from the first entertained little hope that his life would be spared. The condemned man several times repeated that he had no recollection of what actually occurred between himself and the girl when the crime was committed. Banbury retired to bed about 7 o'clock on Monday evening, but he was very restless and slept little. Ile rose early on Tuesday morning, when the final preparations for the carrying out of the sentence were completed. The convict bore up with remarkable fortitude. He ate sparingly at breakfast. The Rev. Mr. Pigot entered the convict's cell soon after 8, and remained with him to the end. Banbury expressed deep remorse for his crime, and a hope of forgiveness. The passing bell began to toll at a quarter to 9. A few minutcs bemre 9 the prison officials, accompanied by Billington, executioner, proceeded to the cmdenined cell, where the process of pinioning the culprit was quietly and expeditiously performed. Banbury shook hands with the officials, thanking them for their kindness to him, before starting for the scaffold, which is situated within a few paces of the condemned cell, in a yard at the south-east corner of the prison. It was stated that the convict walked firmly to the scaffold. A drop of 6ft. was given. Death was said to have been instantaneous. A number of persons assembled to witness the hoisting of the black flag.  Two men, named Davidson and Skene, were suffocated in a watchman's box on the Queensferry-road, Edinburgh, on Monday night. It appears that they had lighted a fire in the box and shut the door. Th y were discovered on Tuesday morning in a sleeping Posture.