Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1878-10-19 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

EXECUTION OF SMITHERS.  Thomas Smithers, a cook, aged 31, was executed within the Wandsworth Home of Correction, for the murder of a woman with whom he had cohabited at Batterses,named Amy Judge. The prisoner wee tried at the lad session of the Central Criminal Court, and the circumstances will be fresh in the recollection of our readers. The deceased woman was about the same age as the prisoner, and she appeared to have led a most disreputable life previous to her connection with the prisoner. She had been originally married to a man named Judge, who woo sentenced to two years' hard labour, after several previous convictions. While he was undergoing his sentence, the deceased appeared to have become connected with a man named Hunt, and lived with him for a considerable time, but Hunt ultimately left this country, and went to New Zealand. The deceased and the prisoner then became acquainted, and went to live at Bettemea. Shortly before the murder Hunt returned to England, and he appeared to have met the deceased accidentally, and she took him to her reeidence at Battersea, and introduced him to the prisoner as 'an old friend." A proposition was made that the deceased and the prieoner and Hunt should go on • visit to a sister of Hunt's, who lived at the east end of the town. The prisoner was evidently much annoyed at the propoeiton, but he went with the deceased and Hunt to a railway station in London, and returned, saying to the deceased'emother that he was out wanted, but he would have his revenge. Hunt and the deceased did not return until the following day, when the prisoner attacked deceased with a knife and inflicted a number of deadly wounds upon her which caused her almost immediate death. The prisoner succeeded in getting away for the time, but on the following day he went to the Leman-street Police-station and gave himself up, stating that he wee the man who bed committed the murder at Battersea. The defence set up for him at his trial was that he w 8.9 insane at the time the act was committed; but this failed. Since his conviction the prisoner hue been visited by two medical men, by direction of the Secretary of State, with a view to ascertain the state of his mind, and their report was no doubt unfavourable to the suggestion that the prisoner was not responsible for his seta The prisoner bad behaved very well since his conviction, and he has all along admitted the justice of his sentence and repeatedly expressed his sorrow for the crime, and Hr. Gilbert, the chaplain of the prison, visited him soon after seven o'clock on the morning of the execution, and remained with him till the last moment Shortly before nine o'clock a precession, headed by the undersheriff, Captain Colvile, the governor of the prison, tel owed by several warders, proceeded fr +nt the cell wnere the prisoner was confined to the place of execution. The prisoner was pinioned by Harwood shortly before he arrived at the scaffold, and he walked the whole distance, which was rather considerable, with firmness. The chaplain read the Burial Service, and the prisoner responded audibly. Just as he was about to utter the words "Lord, have mercy upon me," after he had pronounced tho word "Lord,' the drop fell, and the prisoner dropped at least a distance of six feet, evidently receiving a fearful shock; death appeared to tak. place in a very short period. Although nothing but the black flag could be seen, at least 1000 persons were ueembled outside the prison at the moment %Me execution.