The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1866-04-14 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

EXECUTION OF THE BRIGHTON  MURDERER.  John William Leigh, aged 28, for the murder of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Haston, the landlady of the Jolly Fisherman public-house, at Brighton, was on Tuesday morning hanged at Lewes. The career of the culprit seems to have been a very extraordinary one. It appears that he is the illegitimate son of a gentleman, holding a very respectable position, who resided at Brighton, and who was a married man, and after his birth his father seemed to have made provision for him. His wife, however, who had become acquainted with the fact, and who had no children of her own, appears to have adopted the somewhat unusual course under the circumstances, of adopting the child, and he was brought up in Brighton in every comfort. His habits, however, appeared to be very wild and extravagant, and he was a constant source of trouble and uneasiness to the lady who had adopted him, and when he was little more than. 18 years of age he entered the royal navy, and served during the campaign in tha Crimea as a midshipman. After he left the royal navy he appears to have stayed for a short time in London, and he then went to China, and took service against the Imperialists, and during the struggles he received several severe wounds. After this it is said that he served for some time on board the celebrated Confederate cruiser the Alabama, and he was constantly relating the daring exploits in which he took a part while he was serving on board that vessel. A short time back a memorial was sent to Sir George Grey, praying for a respite of the culprit, on the ground that at the time the act was committed he was not in such a state of mind as to be criminally responsible. As is usual in all such cases, a communication was made by the Home Secretary to Chief Justice Erle, who tried the prisoner, upon the subject; and the opinion of the learned judge with reference to the prisoner was asked for, and it was understood that his lordship in reply, expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the verdict of the jury, and stated, at the same time, that the evidence that had been adduced on behalf of the prisoner had, in his opinion, entire failed to establish the defence of insanity. The answer sent by Sir George Grey to the memoralists, consequently, was that he could not see anything to justify him in interfering in any way with the course of the law. Since his conviction, he seems to have conducted himself exceedingly well. He has paid the greatest attentions to the exhortations of the Rev. Mr. Burnett, the chaplain of the prison, and, according to that gentleman's opinion, as far as can be judged from the prisoner's conduct and expressions, he was sincerely penitent for his crime, and he frequently stated that he considered his sentence a just one. The only persons who have visited him since his condemnation are his mother and a couple of boatmen from Brighton with whom he had been in the habit of associating during his residence at that place. The prisoner's wife, the sister of the unfortunate deceased, went to the gaol for the purpose of having an interview with the prisoner on Monday, but he refused to see her, as he said that it would unsettle him and disturb his last moments. The culprit attended divine service in the chapel of the prison on Tuesday morning at nine o'clock, and he appeared to pay great attention to the feeling discource that was delivered by the chaplain. He was then taken back to his cell, where lie remained with the chaplain until the time approached for the carrying out of the sentence of the law. A few minutes before twelve o'clock the executioner, Calcraft, made his appearance, but the culprit evinced very little emotion while the ceremony of pinioning was being performed. He walked to the scaffold with a firm step, and when the drop fell life appeared to be extinct after a very short struggle. There was a very considerable crowd to witness the execution, a great number of persons having come over from Brighton, where the prisoner was, of course, well known,  A