The Potteries Examiner : — 1875-04-03 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

EXECUTION OF THE STAFFORD MURDERER. Yesterday morning the sentence of death passed on John Stanton, who was convicted at the Lent Assizes on a charge of wilfully murdering his uncle, Thomas Nield, at Stafford, was carried out within the precincts of the County Gaol. The occurrence having taken place no recently renders a lengthy repitition of the circumstances unnecessary. briefly they are as follows :—On a Saturday afternoon in danuaq Nield and Stanton were drinking at the Dog and Partridge, and after being there some hours, they quarrelled about private matters, and angry words passed so fieely that Stanton left the house, returning in a few minutes with a shoemaker's knife. With this be stabbed Nield, who died in a few hours. Although he pleaded "Not guilty' at the trial, he never really denied having committed the act, baton several occasions admitted it. Since his condemnation the culprit has paid the utmost attention to the ministrations of the chaplain, and both in his conversation and by letters to his friends has manifested a genuine sorrow, with complete re. signation; his only expressed anxiety having been lest his bodily weaknces should not enable him to bear up at the last trying moment. Whoa a youth he was injured in the hip nod as a result his right leg was a little shorter than the left, so that be walked lame, and added to this he had evidently 'felled off' during his confinement. On Monday he was visited by his father and mother, the latter having come from Wolverhampton to see him. It seems that his parents have not lived together for some years. Three other persons also saw him on the same occasion, and to them he expressed the deepest contrition. During Monday night he awoke several times ; on each occasion the assistant chaplain (Rev. Mr. Eastman) was at hand to minister consola tion to him. After his lust sleep he engaged in devotion until about six o'clock when he partook of breakfast. The hangman, an amateur, who, it is said, was picked up at the last moment somewhere in South Staffordshire, was introduced shortlyafterseven o'clock. For some reason the strictest scoresy has been maintained as to his name. It is, however, known that on his arrival in the town he was in such a wretched plight that a suit of clothes was purchased for him so that he might appear decently. The prisoner submitted to the pinioning quietly, andshortly before eight o'clock the cortege started for the scaffold. The Gaol Committee having a few days ago passed a resolution limiting the attendance, the procession was very small compared with former instances. Besides the culprit and the hangman it consisting of the Acting Sheriff (Mr. Blakistou), the Deputy Chief Constable (Mr. °swell), the Deputy Governor of the Gaol (Mr. Mountford), Inspector Hackney, the chief warder, and stew minor officials. Both chaplains were in attendance also, and as they started for the cell and walked to the drop the BurMl Service was read. Stanton walked up without help, but he was very pale, and as be stood under the beam with his face turned towards the rising sun he was the picture of despair. The last ,words beard from him, just before the drop fell, were, .God be marof at to 'a sinner." The white cap having been adjusted on his head, and everything else made ready, the bolt was drawn, and Stanton almost disappeared out of sight. He was a man of light frame, and evidently diii not die without much suffering, as.was visible on her features after being cut down. Outside the gaol a large concourse of people had assembled, and as eight o'clock approached, they massed themselves near the spot where the scaffold was supposed tabs erected, for the purpose of hearing the drop fall. Tracts on variOtts , subjects were dictrihnted among the bystanders.