The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1875-01-09 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

THE EXECUTION OF THE LISSON GROVE MURDERER.  In London, on Monday maiming, James Cranwell, who was committed at the last Sessions of the Central Criminal Court for the murder of a woman named Emma Bellamy, by beating her on the head with a shoemaker's hammer and cutting her throat, was executed within the gaol of Newgate. The prisoaer, who was a widower, had met the deceased casually in a publichouse about five weeks before the fatal occurrence; and although it appeared that In had previously been a sober, well-conducted man, the connection seemed to have led to a career of drink and dissipation. The deceased waste married women but separated from her husband: From whet the prisoner has stated and other information that has been obtained, it is believed that the prisoner, whe was a man of very excitable temperament, had been giving way to drink, to which he was unaccustomed, and that he became excitable to an uncontrollable degree, and while in this condition he attacked the unhappy woman and inflicted the injuries which caused her death. He says, however, that immediately after the act was committed remorse set in, and be deeply regretted what he had dons; and it is due to him to state that ever since he has been in custody he hat conducted hiniselt in a most becoming manner, anti has paid great attention to the exhortations of the Rev. Mr. Jonas, the Ordinary of Newgate. The prisoner went to bed early on Sunday night, but he slept-very little, and got up and dressed himself about six o'clock, and shortly afterwards he was visited by the Rev. Mr. Lloyd Jones, and also by the surgeon, Dr. Gibson, and Mr. Sydney Smith, the- goveruor, and the culprit thanked every one of these gentlemen for the kindness he had received from them during the period that he had been confined in the gaol. To the Ordinary he again frequently expressed a hope that he should be pardoned in another world. Mr. Alderman and Sheriff S. Ellis, Mr. Sheriff Shaw, and the under-sheriffs, Messrs. Elliott and Sedgwick, arrived at the prison shortly after half-past seven o'clock, and a little before eight Mr. Sydney Smith, the governor of Newgate, conducted them to the cell of the prisoner. He was quite calm and collected, although it was evident that it required an effort on his part to subdue his excitement. He thanked all the officers far the kindness he had received from them, and submitted to the operation of pinioning without saying a word, except to request the executioner, Marwood, of Lincoln, not to pinion hint too tightly. The prison bell at this moment began to toll, and the officials proceeded to the scaffold the Ordinary reading the burial service in en impressive manner. Since the last execution an entirely new apparatus has been constructed for the execution of criminals. Formerly a portion of the old soaffold had been utilised for the impose, and the culprit had to walk up a ladder and to mount several steps. This was obviously inconvenient, especially in the ease of a prisoner, who might faint or who required assistance, and the old scaffold has been done sway with and an entirely new one, level with the ground, erected, the floor being similar to a cellar flap, and when the drop falls the culprit is almost entirely hidden from view. While the executioner was placing the cap over the prisoner's face, lie asked him not to put it too much over his mouth, and in • very few seconds all was ready and the drop fell. The rope appeared to be of extra length, for after the platform had dropped nothing was visible but a portion of the rope, and the body of the culprit was entirely hidden from view. The prisoner was a tall fine man, mid lie appeared to struggle for two or three minutes before life was extinct. At the mom, It of the execution a black flag was hoisted at the or i ance of the gaol, and the usual certificate was signed by the sheriffs, the Governor and the surgeon of the prison notifying that the sentence of the law had been „ duty executed.  REGISTRATION Or