The Blackpool Herald. — 1875-12-24 (Blackpool, Lancashire, England)

WITH \ THE CROWD OUTSIDE NEWGATE.  Outside Ntstvgate, on the morning of the shortest day of the year W 75, and- the shortest day in the life of Henry Wainw.right, brushmaker, lecturer, and murderer, writes a corresvondent, the sky is blue, the stars are twinkling, the n loon has not yet gone to rest, whilst yet it only wants one. hour of. the hour of doom for the criminal, whose crim .e has excited the curiosity of millions of people. Just n, "iw there are not a dozen people outside Newgate—not one Who had not a merely professional interest in tin death of the gay young Lothario of the East End of L ondon. Time was, and not many years ago, when the execution of a celebrated murderer was somewhat different. Then when the almost immovable gah 'ows were hung out in front of the Old Bailey, eeci ted thousands thronged every avenue, and the window. s of .the public-house opposite were let at £5O pt 'r morning to the invited " Tem.Noddy's," who look up creatuie as oee of the " joll on the legal death of a fellowNow people pass and re-past lest" events in their lives. without giving a single thought to the events of tht corning hour. Ludgate Hill only echoes to the tramp c .f horses bearing produce to the markets. Over the asi ihalte pavement of the street called Old Bailey smart t log carts .career along. A couple of policemen walk leisn rely up and down, and . only a few wayfarers stop for a orient, and look up at the grim edifice, ejaculating " poet devil." As half-past Seven approaches small crawls gat. lier, and, as if they started from the ground, before tbe doors are opened to , allow those who are to witness the 41l ath scene to pass in, five or six hundred people are gar. tug at the walls of the gaol, and speculating on the probe bilities as to the murderer confessing his crime. The y hawk about a pamphlet supposed to be written by Al ic, '3Day, giving the history of her life From the footlights to the prison cell,' which has en its front page a t luotation from "Wilhelm Meister?' The Wititechupel fo, k, who abound in the crowd, buy it up greed3y, and ga ,sip over the contents. Here is- a man who has livee lat Bow and knew Henry Wainwright al/ his ligetira, 9. He was "the prettieet boy in Bow," he says., •41tead'ithe most respectable man in Whitechnpel." ".1 know the old man," says another a" thank Gods he's dead."' "His son soon willnbe," adds eetAiird; nod a woman. exitrteses her opinion that "-Thomas ought to saving." Yet a mongst the crowd there-appears to be a great de ak of syn tpathv for the iying maL, ani among all the hun iteds, nit hough I heard expressions of horror at the clime, I beard nothing-but compassion for the eriminal. The mosaket avomen only in the- crowd were bittar in -.their denunciations. and even some- of those expreaeed -their opinicna that "that woman drove him to Br*. the gaol door, rourA which crowd sane fifty well-dressed poole, opens, and the pvileebed lbw enter tha Old Bailey. By this time day has broken, the stars still linger, and the mom. has gone; but we lose sight of ths blue sky and the pale stars altvgether as we enter the prison gates. Throliele a labyrinth of passaaes we are led to a yard where hea shed, under which is erected the gallows—a cross-barpainted. white. Below we know there is a pit, for from, the bar hangs a chain, and from the chain a. new rope-already nocsed with an iron ring. The ncoae, we are told by the policeman, is meant to fit round the criminal's neela While we-are waiting the clock begins to st..ike. and in another intaut the procession enters the yard, Wainwright walking with rather faltering stepst Ile rnomets the scaffold,3 and two minutes after eight o'alock the bolt is drawn, and he appears to die instantly. 1