The Northern News. — 1898-07-02 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

NBO-1.8-MITRDMI.  EXECUTION- OF HORSFORD.  Walter Horsford (26), farmer, was executed at Cambridge County Gaol, at eight o'clock In Tuesday, for murdering his cousin, Mrs. Annie Holmes, a widow, aged 38, in January last, by administering strychnine. The representatives of the Press were admitted to the prison precincts at a quarter to eight, and were conducted by a circuitous route to an open yard, bounded on the one side by the permanent buildings, and on the other by the outer wall. Here was disclosed to view a newly bricked structure, bearing an almost perfect resemblince to small coach-house. It had been given a coat of light paint, and access to its folding doors was for the moment barred by a long wooden pole, resting at one extremity upon a staple and at the other upon a painter's ladder. The prison surgeon, Dr. Buckenham, accompanied by his assistant, Dlr. Lloyd Jones, and two other medical men, made an examination of the arrangements a few minutes before eight o'clock, when The Solemn Tones  of the prison bell fell first upon the ears of the spectators assembled in the public thoroughfare. The pinioning was expeditiously done, and at a minute before eight the procession was on its way to the scaffold. It consisted of the Under-Sheriff (Mr. F. F. Fowler), four warders, the Governor, the Rev. Mr. Christie (chaplain), and the culprit. As the group emerged from the exercising yard into the open, Horsford, who physically was a fine specimen of manhood, was seen to be walking firmly and without betraying any sign of emotion, exoept thst his face was slightly flushed. The Chaplain's voice giving utterance to the solemn words of the Litany alone broke the silence. The petitions, following one another in broken tones, "Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us, and receive his soul mercifully. Hear our prayers, and spare those who oonfess their sins, that by Thy great mercy they may be absolved," met with no response from the condemned man, who vvitli head erect, his blonde hair and beard, his tallness of stature and breadth of shoulders, giving him an aspect of singular youthfulness and ct remit h, passed with a firm and unwavering tread within the portals of the house of death. It is doubtful if ever a criminal at his last moment showed greater apparent coolness. Without a Shade of Hesitancy  he placed his felt claw together upon the drop, with his back to theleitectatora BiLlington. who was accompanied by his assistant, rapidly adjusted the straps to the feet and, stepping aside, pulled the lever. The heavy body disappeared, and 80 instantaneous was death that no movement of the rope betrayed the slightest struggle. On Monday Boraford handed a document, in his own handwriting, to the Governor of the gaol, the contents of which have not been permitted to transpire. The-9J4 was sealed in the culprit's presence, and is to be far., warded to the Home Office. Mr. A. J. Lyon, the county coroner, afterwards held an inquest on the body in the Shire Hall. Mr. Wm. Edward Burkenshaw, the Governor of the prison, who was present at the execution, said the sentence of the law was carried out humanely and expeditiously. Death -'as instantaneous. The prison surgeon gave similar evidence, and added that death was due to dislocation of the vertebrae. The jury expres,ed satisfaction with the evidence, and a formal verdict was returned. It is understood that Horsford was given a seven-feet drop. The Home Secretary is in poeseesion of a full confes-i'on by Walter Horaford of the murder of Annie Holmes for which he has been executed. In the warns document Horsford, it is said, confesses to the merrfor of another woman in similar circumstances. The statement that the sealed letter from Horsford, which was sent to the Home Secretary, contained • confession of another murder besides that of Mrs. Holmes probably has reference to the death of Fanny James, 21 years of age, on December 30, 1890. Miss James, who had been engaged to be married to Horsford, was seia.ed with spasms. and died in about a quarter of an hour. It is said to have been ascertained that on the very day of her death she received a letter from Horslord.