Runcorn and Widnes Examiner. — 1870-12-31 (Runcorn, Cheshire, England)

THE EXAMINER, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1870.  EXECUTION AT MANCHESTER  On Monday, Patrick Durr underwent the extreme sentence of the law at the New County Prison, Strangeways, for the murder of his wife, Catharine Durr. Edward Greatley, who was condemned at the same time, has been respited, by order of the. Home Secretary. It will be remembered that Patrick Darr, who is a labourer, murdei ed his wife, in Red Bank, by strangling her with a rope. At the best life could have had but few pleasures for him, while the last few montlis of his career must have been a period of unbroken suffering and darkening despair. First, he lost his work; then, to make bad worse, he began drinking—though how the means were found is a mystery; and, worst of all, his wife was a woman of intemperate habits. It was after the ill-starred couple had been drinking at a beerhoise together that the murder was committed. The couple had a quarrel, though not a particularly violent one, on reaching home, touching some missing article, which the husband declared had followed everything else to the pawnshop; and then he went down stairs for a piede of rope, with which he deliberately strangled his wife, in presence of their son a lad of 14, who was too terrified to interfere with the chance of saving his mother's life. There was no one present except the few official persons whose melancholy duty it was to witness the proceeding. Precisely as the prison bell tolled eight o'clock, the procession started from the condemned cell to the scaffold, which was, close to. the west wing of the prison. The unfortunate man stepped under the beam and bore himself with great firmness. Looking at the high exterior wall of the prison, he exclaimed with a loud, firm Voice, "I believe my boys are outside there. I want to speak a word to them." Calcraft told him he could not speak to them. He said, "Oh, yes, I can. They are listening to me outside." Then, raising his voice, he said, "My dear boys, don't fret," repeating the words— This is a debt to nature due; I must go to the earth That gave me birth, And so must both of you. He then submitted himself to the haud o Caloraft, who was rather slow in completing his melancholy task. During the operation, the unhappy man continually ejaculated in a fervent voice, Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me." The bolt was drawn, and after a few struggles the culprit ceased to exist. He showed great cheerfulness and resignation, and expressed his repentance of the act for which he has suffered.  left the church. The rector and his party made no further move that night, nor was any attempt made on Sunday morning to replace -the decorations. At Sunday morning's service, everything went on quietly until the interval before lithe comm nion service, when the procession started, headed by a large brazen cross and a large banner of the "Madonna and Child." The procession had hardly started from the vestry, when Mr. Andrews met it in the middle of the aisle, and, in a loud voice said, " I will not allow this." Great consternation was , the consequence. The cross-bearer strode boldly on, endeavouring to push Mr. Andrews aside, and Mr. Milton, the rector's -warden, got between the cross-bearer and Mr. Andrews, and tried to force a w y for the processi m. -Mr. Andrews was firm, and the prosessiou was stayed in its further progress. A violent hustling took place, the rival parties each struggling for mastery. Some of the congregation mounted on the seats, and a voice shouted "This is a summons from the Orange lodges." The large banner of the Virgin Mary was torn down in the struggle, and Mr. Hulton, the rector's warden, called for the police, who were all this time outside the church. Two young men were taken into custody, and, although a large amount of bail was offered, the police refused to accept it. Owing to these disturbances there was no service in the evening. At the Manchester police court, on Monday, William Robert Bradbury and Matthew Johnson were charged with causing a disturbance in the church of St. John the Baptist, Hnlme, on Christmits-day. The evidence showed that the prisoners had taken an active part in the attack on the choir—Bradbury especially—and he was fined a and costs, or, in default, two months' imprisonment. Johnson was fined £3 and costs, or, in default, one month's imprisonment