The Sun. — 1841-12-21 (London, England)

EXECUTION OF JOB J. WARD. The awful punishment of death was yesterday morning inflicted on Job John Ward, who was convicted at the last November Sessions of the Central Criminal Court of the wilful murder of Timothy Ested, an infant, aged only one year and nine months. The wretched culprit, who was in the prime of life, his age being only 28 years, has ever since his condemnation suffered the most acute mental anguish, and on Sunday, during the condemned sermon, he fainted away in the chapel of Newgate, and the service was suspended for nearly a quarter of an hour in consequence. The same thing had occurred at his condemnation, and we understand that during the brief interval which has since elapsed, fits of a similar nature have been of frequent recurrence. From all these circumstances it had been feared that his strength of nerve would have failed him in his last awful moments. Such, however, was not the case.  Shortly before eight o'clock the Rev. Ordinary, the Sheriffs, and other officers were in attendance upon the prisoner in his cell. The prisoner was seated on a form, and Mr. Sheriff Magnay sat by his side. Mr. Carver asked him whether he admitted the justice of his sentence, and he replied, " Oh dear, yes." Mr. Sheriff Magnay then asked him whether he would now wish to state anything as to the manner in which the child was killed; he replied that the child was lying in the bed and he struck it with his fist twice; he added, that when he did so, he had not the least idea or intention to kill it, and he concluded by declaring positively that he never made use of the hammer. The Sheriff then asked him whether it was true that he was intoxicated at the time, to which he replied that he was, and heat the same time said he hoped that all working men would refrain from drink, for that had been the means of placing him in his present dreadful situation. Upon another occasion he told the Ordinary that it was drink which put the idea of striking the child into his head, and that be wished liquor had been a guinea a quart on that day, as it would have prevented the unfortunate occurrence taking place. The Sheriff then asked the prisoner whether it was not possible that the head of the child might have come in contact with the chair or the bed-post, but he replied that that could not be, and again repeated, that the only injury inflicted upon the child were the blows with his fist, adding that at the time he had not the slightest intention of killing it, but as those blows were the cause of death, he acknowledged that he was justly charged with the murder, and was, therefore, liable to the punilmient he was about to suffer. When the prisoner was pinioned he expressed a wish to shake hands with the Sheriffs and the Ordinary, and having done so, he exclaimed " God bless you, I thank ycu all for your kindness."  The usual hour, eight o'clock, having arrived the cul prit was led to the scaffold, with the usual procession. He appeared very faint, and was supported by one of the turnkeys and Mr. Holding, one of the surgeons. The appearance of the wretched man on the scaffold was the signal for a burst of cheers, mingled with groans, from the assembled crowd. He appeared to struggle for about a minute before life was extinct.  At nine o'clock the body was cut down, and was interred last evening, by the side of Blakesley.