The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1876-08-16 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

LIVERPOOL.  On Monday morning, at eight o'clock, another double execution—the third within two years—took place at Kirkdale Gaol, Liverpool, the culprits being William Fish, the Blackburn murderer, and Richard Thompson, a Liverpool stonemason. Fish's crime was• committed on the 28th March, and was of so brutal a nature as to cause a deep sensation throughout the country. The murder for which the other prisoner suffered was that of a labourer in Liverpool, named John Henry Blundell, by stabbing, and was entirely unprovoked. Nevertheless, a petition was got up on his behalf, and, after being signed by a number of persons, including several clergymen, was forwarded to the Home Secretary. Mr. Cross, however, intimated that aftor full consideration of the memorial and the circumstances of the murder, he was unable to discover sufficient grounds to justify him in advising interference with the due course of the law. Both prisoners listened with patience and earnestness to the administrations of the Rev. Mr. Pigott, Protestant chaplain, and appeared to resign themselves to their fate. Fish was particularly docile, owing, perhaps, to his deficiency of mental power. As the clock struck eight, the culprits and the prison officials came out of the pioning rouin in a short and solemn procession. Fisia was very weak, and mounted the steps of the ,scaffold with difficulty, notwithstanding the assistance of the warders. Thompson, who was a man of 21, and of great physique and power, was more composed and firmer, but nothing approaching to bravado was observable in his demean mr. The two men were placed under the beam by Marwood, the executioner, the nooses were adjusted, the caps drawn over the faces, and the legs pinioned, during which provss—an apparently long and tedious one—the culprits both uttered short and rapid sentences of prayer. Then the executioner stepped back, and they wore left standing apart for one moment, when, with a loud shock, the bolt was drawn, and, the prisoners fed. In the case of. Thompson a fall of about six feet was given, but Fish's rope was nearly a foot longer, he being a lighter man. Death was instantaneous In each case, no movement beyond the uALaI convulsive tremor. Both prisoners slept pretty well during the night, and, after a light breakfast, received the Holy,Oommunion from the chaplain. A large number of persons had assembled outside the gaol, although they could see nothing of what was passing within. I black flag was run up immediately after the execution. After hanging an hour the bodies were cut down, and an inquest was held by Mr. C. E. Driffield, coroner. Major Leggett, the governor, and Dr. Hendry, acting surgeon, gave evidence, and the latter gentleman in reply to the Coroner, said the use of the long drop made death instantaneous, by caning a dislocation of the vertebras. Some further questions were put as to the nature of death by suffocation and dislocation, and the Coroner remarked that he had arrived at the canclusion that the use of the long drop was not a strict carrying out of the sentence of the law, which provided that the prisoners must be "hung by the neck" until he died. He requested the Governer to communicate this to the authorities.