The Potteries Examiner : — 1880-03-27 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

EXECUTION OF A MURDERER.  John Wingfield, aged 34, was executed on Monday, at eight o'clock, within the prison of Newgate, for the murder of his wife, Mary Wingfield. They had been married for about ten years and had several children, but the deceased, who was about the same  age as the prisoner and who was described all being a very pretty woman, left him a few months ago and went to lodge in the house of a female friend at "' . . .  Kilburn, the prisoner himself residing in the same G I The Guelph papers state that the Duke of Cumber- neighbourhood. She refused to return to live with land has not sanctioned the betrothal of the Princess him. On meeting her in the street in the middle of the Frederica of Hanover to Baron von Pawel Ram- day he, in a frenzied state, rushed at her, knocked her mingen. down, and stabbed her repeatedly i's the presence of . . _ .  It is stated that the Pope, in accord vrith Cardinal i several bpitanders, who were afraid to interfere. Nina, has intimated his resolve not to countenance ! The only motive assigned for the murder was jeaany measures which may be taken in Prance against lousy, and the culprit appears to have been infuriated the Jesuits. at hearing that his wife had been to a mimic hall with The pointsman through whose carelessness a a young man. There was no doubt, however, that collision occuned on one of the German railways the deceased was a well-conducted and industrious at Halle, involving the loss of six or eight lives, woman. The prisoner never entertained any hope hunted himself immediatety after the oceurence, that the sentence of death would not be carried out, preferring death to the five or six years imprison- and he has repeatedly expressed his sorrow for the mew which the German law inflicts on such dreadful act he committed, saying he was driven to offenders. it by jealousy, and that he could not control himself. .._- - -  ...... Application was made on Monday at the Old He was visited on Fliday by two of his sisters and Bailey to postpone the trial of the West of England three of his children, who took their farewell of him. Bank directors to the April Sessions. The Recorder Ever since his conviction he appears to have paid granted the application. great attention to the ordinary, the Rev. Loyd Jones, The Duchess of Marlborough, writing to the Lord who believes that he was sincerely penitent. At Mayor of London. says there is still dire destitution, half-past seven in the morning Under Sheriffs CrawInd gmat nosici and ff.ood sood. The fund fora and Wragg arrived at the gaol, and at a few to tOl.:001' minutes before they went to the prisoners's cell, wnere Marwood, the executioner, was in attendanft and performed the ceremony of pinioning. The prisoner prayed most earnestly, and during the whole of the Brogress from elle cell to the scaffold, he con' tinuedexclaiming, "0 God, have mercy upon me. God have mercy upon me." He repeated those words the whole time the executioner was performing the operation of placing the cap over his faoe and adjusting the rope, and it may be said that he died with words praying for mercy on his lips. Ile had a drop of eight feet three inches, and Dr. Gibson, the surgeon of the gaol, expressed his opinion that death unn instantaneous. The black flag was hoisted outside the gaol, and 'he other formalities gone through at the moment the execution took place.