The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-06-02 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

EXECUTION OF THOMAS TEMPLETON.  (From the Scottish Guardian of Thursday.) This wretched man suffered the extreme penalty of the law, yesterday morning, at the usual place of execution in front of the jail. (Glasgow.) It will be remembered that Templeton was tried on the 7th current by Lords Meadowbank and Cockburn, and found guilty of murdering his wife, Margaret Robertson,. on the night between the Bth and 9th February, 1840, by dashing her head against a wall or floor, and inflicting several blows on her head and other parts of her person. Since his condemnation, the unfortunate demeaned himself in a manner that became his situation, and received the visits of Dr. Smyth, of St. George's, Mr. Fisher, the chaplain of the prison, and some worthy members of the eldership, not only without reluctance, but with every symptom of gratitude; and whether these gentlemen were present, or the prisoner was alone, the Bible was rarely opt of his hands. Considerable efforts were used to obtain a mitigation of sentence ; first, by an unanimons petition from the jury ; second, by a numerously signed petition from the inhabitants ; and third, by an appeal from the magistrates. All of these, however, were ineffectual ; and indeed the convict never entertained any serious hope of mercy, and thus he setearnestly about preparing himself for the great change which so soon awaited him.  On the evening previous to execution, Templeton was waited upon by his son (a young married tradesman in the city), his brother, and three sisters, for the purpose of taking their last farewell. The scene was a very distressing one, but the convict bore it with greater firmness than his relatives, and even told them to depart, that he might be allowed every spare moment that remained to him on this side the  grave fOr thought and devotion. Mr. Jamieson Willis, and Mr. David Hossack, elder, remained with the prisoner during the night. At two o'clock he lay down, but was restless, and slept little; at four he got up, was shortly afterwards shaved and changed in dress by the jailor and his assistants, and from that time till the period of his execution was spent in devotional exercises. Mr. Fisher was early in attendance. and Dr. Smyth came to the condemned cell about half-past six, and found tbe state of mind of the doomed man all that could be expected under the circumstances—he alone looked for mercy through the blood of the Divine Saviour.  A few minutes before eight o'clock, Bailies Small, Kidston, Robertson, and Mitchell, entered the Court-hall; and immediately thereafter, the convict was brought up, his arms having been previously pinioned. He displayed a great degree of placid firmness, and only remained a minute or so in the hall, until the doors leading to the outside of the building and the approach to the scaffold could be thrown open. It has been usual to present the prisoner with a glass of wine in the hall, but on this occasion the custom was departed from at Templeton's request, who wished all these ceremonies to beconcluded before leaving the cell. He was accompanied up the stairs of the platform by Dr. Smyth and Mr. Fisher; both gentlemen were much affected, especially the former ; and after a brit f but solemn prayer by the Doctor, and when farewell had been taken of the wretched man, he was resigned into the hands of the executioner. After the cap had been drawn, Templeton remained about three minutes apparently engaged in inward prayer, when be threw the signal from him, and the drop instantly fell. His struggles were neither violent nor protracted. There were about 20,000 people witnessing the execution, a great part of whom were females.  Templeton was in his 54th year, and had been twice married. His first wife was a wretchedly dissipated being, and was burned to death some years ago from the effects of intemperance. His body was buried yesterday afternoon in one of the squares in the centre of the prison.