The Blackpool Herald. — 1875-12-03 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

THE TERCENTENARY OF THE KENDAL CORPORATION. On Saturday evening a Public meeting was held in the Town Hall for the purpose of presenting to the Mayor and Corporation a Mayor's chain of office, with which the present Mayor, George Foster Braithwaite, will be invested. There was a The Lord Chief Justice summed up the evidence large attendance, the Mayor presiding. On Tues- -in the Wainwright case on Wednesday. The Court day, was witnessed one of the, most memorable was densely thronged, and a crowd struggled for events that ever took place. in the county of West- every inch of room in the approaches. His Lordship morland, which was the celebration of the tercen- fixed the attention of the jury upon the all-importenary of the Kendal Corporation. The town was taut :presumption of law that the persoin found in en fete : and gaily decorated. The whole of the .possession of the'remains was the Murderer," unless decorations were effected by local tradesmen, and the contrary could be shown. Henry Wainwright reflected great credit on their artistic &ill and die, had been found in possession of the body of a crimination. Triumphal arches spanned the prin- woman who had, been murdered, and he had offered cipal streets, surrounded by appropriate figures and no satisfactory explanation. With reference to the mottoes embletnatical of the antiquity and loyalty ease against Thomas Wainwright, it may be inferred of the borough. About ten o'clock in the forenoon from the- summin xi) that, in the opinion of the some thousand school children sang the National Judge, the younger prisoner was not implicated in Anthem in the Market-place, after which they the actual muider,-and had no knowledge of the deed were each presented 'by the Mayor with a medal,- until after it had been committed. The jury, after • commemorative of the event. Shortly after one I being absent a littleynorethan an hour, found. Henry o'clock the Corporation left the residence of the Wainwright guilty of the murder and Thomas guilty Mayor, and a procession was formed, consisting of of being an accessory after the fact. His Lordship the members of the Town Council, corporateofficials, in addressing the elder prisoner, said—l have gentlemen of the town andneighbourheod,Yeomanry only to warn you against any delusive expectation Civalry, and Volunteers, the friendly societies, of mercy. So long as the law exists which says trade societies, and Good Templars, whichproceeded that he who takes the life of a fellow-creature with through the principal streets to the Green, Higher a forethought ,malice shall answer for it with his Beastbanks, where several memorial trees- were own, this is a Case to which it would be impossible planted by the Mayor. Several brass 'bands ac- that mercy could be extended. Prepare, therefore, companied the. precession. After the procession for the execution of the law. I have now only to the varioue friendly and trade societies dined to- pass upon y9u the dread sentence of the law, which gether at their respective lodges. During the is that you tie taken hence to the place from whSnce afternoon a tea was given to the aged people in the you came ad thence to 'a legally-appointed place of National School-room. At four o'clock the Mayor execution, where you will be hanged by the neck, and Corporation an I some of the gentlemen of the 'until youare.dead, and that your body be afterwards town dined at the Town-hall, the walls of wjfich buried within the precincts of the gaol in which were adorned by.paintings of the various Maydrs of you-were last confined.; and may the Lord have Kendal. In the evening the houses and shops in 'mercy on your soul. ,The final prayer uttered by the town were illuminated, and there was a grand. the Lord Chief Justice was followed by a loud and display of fireworks: The whole of the proceedings fervent "Amen," which arose from all parts of the passed off in the most satisfactory manner. ' cella as the Trisoner was removed . from the dock • and walked with a firm step away.—The.Lord Chief Justice then proceeded to pas, sentence upon the younger prisoner, whom he ordered to undergo 7 years penal servitude. The Court ordered a gratuity of £3O to be paid to the witness Stokes, to whom the discovery of the: murder , was primarily attributable.  „