The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1858-05-04 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

EXECUTION OF LANI.  The last penalty of the aw was inflicted on Monday morning, at 8 o'clock, in front of tire gaol of Newgate, upon Giovanni Lani, a Sardinian, who was convicted at the last session at the C,estral Criminal Court of the murder of Heloin Thamin, • Frenchwoman, at • brothel in the Haymarket. The circumstances of the crime will be fresh in the recollection of the public. The prisoner was proved to have accompanied the wretched woman to her residence, and there was no doubt that he intended to rob her, and that during her efforta i 0 prevent him from carrying that intention into effeethe strangled her, and then decamped, taking with him t watch and some trumpery articles of jewelry, which he sold the next day, the whole proceeds not amounting to a couple of pounds. He was taken into custody Greenhithe, on board a vessel in which lie hod takin his passage for Montevideo, and if the officers hadonly been an hour or more Inter in their pursuit the rrisoner would in all probability have altogether esoapel the hands of justice. Both before and after his conviction the prisoner has received the most kind attention from Mr. Heath, the Consul-General of the Sardinian dominions, end it was through the instrumentalitr of that gentleman that he was provided with legal assistance at hie trial. Since his conviction Mr. Heath has interested himself in urging upon the intention of the authorities at the Homeoffice various matters which he considered likely to induce the Secretary of State to spare the life of the prisoner. Mr Heath saw the prisoner for the last time on Sunday, and he then expressed his gratitude to him for the kindness he had received at his hands.  Ever since his condemnation the prisoner has received the apiritual ansistance of Father Fiensi, a Roman Catholic priest attached to tle Sardinian Chapel, and on Monday morning, in consequence of the prisoner having expressed a wish to that effect, a second minister of that religion, Father Ran, was admitted to see him, and he and Father Fienii remained with him to the last moment.  A few minutes before 8 o'clock Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Lawrence, Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Allen, and the Under-Sheriffs, Messrs. Millard and Parker, proceeded to the cell of the prisoner, accompanied by Mr. Weatherhead, the Governor of Newgate ; Mr. Humphreys, the principal warder; and the usual officers of the prison. The culprit was seated when they entered; he appeared to be in a most dejected condition, and the near approach of death 'evidently struck him with the utmost terror. He cried bitterly, and the united efforts of the two ministers of religion who were present were hardly sufficient to calm him. The rev, gentlemen addressed some earnest exhortations to the culprit in a low tone in the Italian language, and Calcraft, the executioner, then proceeded to pinion him. While this operation was being performed the prisoner cried in a most piteous manner, and appeared hardly able to support himself; and when the prison bell suddenly tolled a perceptible shudderprased through his frame. The usual procession having been formed just before the'hour of 8, the culprit proceeded to the scaffold, accompanied by both his spiritual advisers. He seemed very weak, and it was necemary to assist him up the steps to the scaffold. The moment he was seen by the assembled crowd there was • torrid., yell, which was continued until the drop fell. Both the rev, gentlemen remained on the scaffold with the prisoner until the last moment, and they appeared to be very much affected by the painful task that devolved upein them. The prisoner was a remarkably muscular young man, and after the drop fell he appeared to struggle violently for at least a minute; his muscles then gradually relaxed, and all was over. _  The crowd that assembled was very much greater than any that has been present on a similar occasion for • considerable time, and it was the opinion of many that it was equal to the crowd that was in attendance when Courvoimer was executed for the murder of Lord William Russell. There were a good many women in the mob, and at some of the windows of the Old Bailey there ware seated several of the femme, gakintes of the Haymarket. At 9 o'clock the body was out down, and in the course of the day it was buried in one of the passages of the gaol devoted to that purpose, by the side of Christian Battler, the murderer of Thetis, the detective officer.