The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1870-08-06 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE HORRIBLE SCENE AT AN EXECUTION.  Andrew Carr was executed at Richmond Bridewell, Dublin, on Thursday in last week, for the murder of his paramour. The Very Rev. Mgr. Meagher having shaken hands with the convict in bidding him farewell, said "Keep your trust in God, and this day you will be with your Lord Jesus in Paradise." The dying man bowed his head reverently, and then turned to the Rev. Mr. Anthony and continued to pray with him. The executioner now ascended the stairs with his face covered with black crape, and, throwing off hie coat, commenced his odious duties, and as he pinioned the arms of the convict it was at mice to be seen that "the finisher lif the law" had never been at hard work as his hands were very small and white, like those per. sons who live without much manual labour. When the pinion straps were adjusted, the convict walked out on the drop, and di not display the slightest nervousness or emotion as he prayed with Father Anthony while the ankle straps were being heckled. The rope having been adjusted, and a white cap having been pulled over the head and face if the convict, the chaplain, who stood by him to the last, bid him an affectionate farewell : and, as the noisy bell of the pri. son was ringing, the bolt was drawn by the executioner. and the drop fell. Down came the wretched man, and when the rope stretched with a kind of burring sound, the headless body of him who but a few seconds before was full of vigorous life rolled over in the bloody shingle with which the yard was covered, and soon after the head, encased in the gore-saturated cap which covered it, fell from the noose beside the lifeless corpse, from the neck of which protruded the lacerated muscles and bleeding vessels which had been wrenched asunder in the terrible fall. Unspeakable horror was depicted in every face, and no quick and appalling was the fearful circumstance that for a con. siderable time no person moved from the place where they had been standing, and as the empty noose of the rope swung to and fro in the morning breeze Andrew Carr had passed away for ever from hie crimes and his sorrows. Ali who had been present save those whose duties compelled them to remain took their departure at once from the prison. After a considerable time had elapsed the pinioned and bloodlees trunk was removed from the pool of gore in which it had lain to the deadhouse, where the cap containing the head of the convict was also removed to await an inquest, to beheld at twelve o'clock. At the impusst which followed the governor of the prison deposed that the surgeon of the prison was re. sponeible for the length of the rope used. It was used against the governor's own opinion. A witness after the drop fell observed the recoil of the rope, and believing some accident had occurred, went and looked into the trap, and saw the body 13 ing in the yard beneath decapitated. The head was lying several feet from it, and tha blood was pouring in torrents from the head and trunk. The surgeon, Dr. Minchen, de. posed that he feared the rope was fastened too tight round the neck, and this gave greater force to the falL He would not attribute the accident to the thinness of the rope, although the head was as cleanly severed as if by a knife, but he rather attributed it to the tightness of the fastening. There was no disease of the , neck. The machinery was in perfect working order. The chaplain depoied that the prisoner complained of , the tightness of the rope, saving, "\'il you strangle or choke me before my time !" The jury returned a verdict that the mishap was the result of accident.  The steamers of the Great Eastern Railway Company have brought back from the Cultinent large numbers of tourists whom the war hie fright nowt home to their nai titre land. The steamers of the same company have also conveyed tithe Continent several parties of Prussians, about 500 in all. They left in high spirits.