Northern Times. — 1860-01-03 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

EXECUTION AT YORK.  Chas. Normington, a collier from Leeds, aged 18 years, who was convicted at the recent assizes at York, before Mr. Justice Wightman, of the murder of an old man named Broughton, on-the 6th of August last, at Round--I hay, near Leeds, was executed on the drop behind ,the Castle, at York, on Saturday last. The fall particular; of the murder recently appeared in the report of the: of- the prisoner. It will be remembered thatr, Richard Broughton, who was 67 years of age, resided at the village of Roundhay, near Leeds, was proceeding on a footpath across some fields to the latter town, on -the afternoon of Saturday, the 6th of August,. when about 5 o'clock he was assailed by one or two men, and was knocked down and robbed of his watch, that his skull was fractured by the blows be -haa received from a thick bludgeon or hedgestake, and that he died on the' -following day. In a short time after the murder of .Broughton circumstances led to the apprehension of Normington, by Mr. English, the chief constable of Leeds, on the charge of the murder—a charge which was clearly brought home to the prisoner, which he; indeed, after his conviction, confessed. He, howeverr stated.first that there was another man with him at the time of the murder„ who did not strike the blows which caused Broughton's death, but who got half the p.mceeds of the robbery -- namely, about 25., half the money for which Normington pledged the watch. After his conviction Normington gave a description. of his alleged accomplice, and stated what his accomplice said his name was, and where he lived, but the police have failed in discovering Inch a man., After he was placed in the condemned cell the unfortunate man appeared very penitent, and paid deep attention to the religious instructions of the chaplain of the prison. He was not able either to read or. writer but he procured some friendly hand in prison to write several letters for him, one to his father, one to his mother, and one or two to other relatives, acknowledging 'his sins, expressing his hopes of salvation through Christ,: and urging those- to ' whom the letters were addressed to lead a religious life. lie also urged his father, who is a collier. or labourer, to be reconciled to his mother, for they have been parted for some years—and to ,their neglect of their son his sad fate. may in part be attributed. Though the culprit was young, being, as is stated above, only eighteen years of age, no effort was made to obtain a commutation of his sentence, the shocking circuin. stances under which the murder had been committed depriving the murderer of almost all sympathy from his fellow men. On the night before his execution Normington desired one of the turnkeys to read him the history of Joseph and his brethren, and after that request had been complied with he knelt down a,nd engaged for some moments in silent prayer. He afterwards desired the officer to write a letter on his behalf to Mr. English, the chief constable of Leeds, who has had one or two interviews with the unfortunate man since his trial. The letter was written at Nermington's dictation, and in it he admitted having had an impartial trial, and stated that he was then very contented in his mind, and much happier than on the day that he was arraigned before the jury. He also expresseda wish that Mr.-English would search for the other man, whom he (Normington) implicated as au accessory to the murder, the letter stating—" I. hope yOu will look after the other man, and try to find him." The convict calmly submitted to his fate, and died after a few convulsive struggles after the bolt had been drawn, a few minutes past twelve o'clock at noon. The last words he was heard to say were, "Lord have mercy upon me !" The executioner was a man named Thomas Askern, of Maltby, near Rotheram, who has before discharged similar painful duties at York Castle. About 7,000 spectators were present. The weather was dull and wet.  SERIOUS Ae,ll, LA' r.—Ou Thursday, at Gatherley, near Castle Howard, in Yorkshire, a dreadful accident befel Mr. Coulson, an extensive farmer there. A thrashing machine was in use on the farm, and was on the point of being stopped. Mr. Coulson had occasion to step near the feeder, but the frost having caused the boards to be slippery, he lost his 'footing, and fell with his right leg into the drum. The foot and lower part of the leg was fearfully crushed and broken up. The limb has since been amputated. THE Nw