The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1875-04-02 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

EXECUTION AT STAFFORD.  On Tuesday morning the extreme penalty of the law was Nulled out in private at the Stafford County Gaol on John Stanton, who was convicted and sentenced to death at the last Aftizes for the wilful murder of Thomas Niold.  The facts connected with the murder have been frequently referred to in these columns—when the crime was first committed, on the 16th January last, on the occasion of the coroner's inquest, at the hearing before the magistrates, and at the late trial at the Assizes— and will be fresh in the public mind, so that it is unnecessary to give more than a brief narrative of them here. The prisoner, who was only 22 years of age, and his victim stood in relation to each other of nephew and uncle, the murdered man being the elder relative. They were both shoemakers at Stafford, working together, and the wife of the deceased appears to have executed some little offices for the prisoner's wife while she lay ill at the Infirmary, and for which it was expected that Stanton would pay. But a difference appears to have arisen between them as to this payment on the day of the murder, as both men, in company with others, were drinking at the Dog and Partridge, a public-house situated in a low part of the town. The subject was made the matter of angry discussion between the two men—so much SO that a scuffle ensued, although it would seem that no blows were struck. Stanton became so incensed at being asked for tho money, and with having been taunted, not only in regard to it, but with 14 deformity with which he was afflicted, that on the moment he formed the fell design of murdering his uncle. He left the public-house in great anger, and, after being away a few minutes only, returned and eat down, as if nothing unusual had occurred; he, however, refused to drink with his relative when the latter, it was said, in apparent good humour, asked him to do so. As appears by the sequel, the time that elapsed bethe prisoner leaving and his return to the Dog and Partridge was occupied in his going home, or at all events to the place where lie worked, and fetching a shoemaker's knife, which he concealed under his cwt. When he returned a man named Cope was sitting next to the deeemied, but getting up shortly after to light his pipe, the prisoner adroitly slipped into has place, and, calling for a quart of ale, while the landlord's back was turned he plunged the knife into his victim. This was just before nine o'clock at night, and Nield, who never spoke after, died early the next morning, as the post-morteni ex;uninaiion revealed, from the knife having taken effect in the heart. The prisoner as he left the public-house, presumably for the purpose of fetching the knife, was heard by several witnesses to say that he " would do it, whether in or out of the house," yet strange to say no one seems to have suspected him of being about to attempt murder. After the affair the prisoner left the public-hoase, but was almost immediately arrested. He made no secret of either his crime or intention, but shouted out with bravado to an acquaintance as he was being taken to gaol, "Used bye, Jack; you'll never see me any more. They have got me; I have committed murder." The prisoner also, when before the magistrates, confessed to having done the deed, and being "ready to suffer for it." The remainder of the story is soon told. Mr. &He, the learned counsel, who at the instigation of the learned judge (Mr. Justice Archibald), took up the prisoner's case, urged the jury to take the more lenient view of manslaughter; but the prisoner's conduct and intention were 80 self-evident that the jury could do no other than find him guilty of the capital charge. Ho seas accordingly sentenced to death, the learned judge holding out to the prisoner no hope whatever of a mitigation of his I sentence.  At lus trial, awl for some time since his condemnation, the prisoner exhibitcd great indifference to his fate; but during the last fortnight he appears to have paid great attention to the ministrations of the gaol chaplain, the Rev. W. P. Vincent, and the assistant chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Eastman, who have been unremmitting in their attention. No effort seems to have been made to obtain a commutation of the sentence on the unhappy man, who was thus left to his fate. Indeed, after the remarks of the learned Judge in pronouncing sentence, such a course would seem to bare been useless if not