Blandford, Wimborne and Poole Telegram. — 1875-04-30 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

THE BRISTO4 EXECUTION—A MELANCHOLY cuINCIDENCE. . .  The following are partieulars of the execution at at Bristol on Monday :—The culprit, William Hole, was a bargeowner, and occupied a respectable- positioli in life. He and his wife had fur many years been teetotallers and members of a Baptist chapel, and lived very comfortable together until about six years ago, when, through a fatal accident happening to their only child, both took to thinking heavily, and from that time quarrels between theta were frequent. On the evening of the e7th of August last both husband and wife went out drinking. Coming home intoxicated at near midnight, Hole found his wife also drunk sitting on the doorstep. Going indoors he called her in after him, and she refused to go in. He asked her a second time and a third to go in, and she swore she would nut go into the house that night. Thai exasperated Hole, who, fetched a carving knife plunged it into his wife's throat, inflicting two deep wounds Irons which she died. When charged by the police with the crime, Hole said it was all through the drink, and when sentenced he said. "If mu to die for it, I know nothing about it. Great efforts had been made to obtain a commutation of the sentence, but without avail, the Home Secretary's reply to a petition signed by 4000 persons being that the law must take its course. The condemned man knew nothing of these efforts, and seemed to realise his fearful position. He occasionally displayed great agitation, and his rest at night was much disturbed. Ile paid great intention to the ministrations of the prison chaplain, and seemed to be reconciled to his fate. He was visited on Sunday for the first time by his brother and his brother's wife, who remained with him fur some time, and from whom the partiug was of a most distressing character. The culprit passed the rest of the day for the most part in religious exercises. The spectators numbered cult about a dozen officials. The culprit quietly submitted to be pinioned, and seemed quite calm. He stood firm under the faml noose, and appeared to be following the prayers of the chaplain with his lips. The drop was tive feet, and Hole died instantaneously. He weighed 16 stone, and it was feared by some that the rope would snap With such a heavy body, but it stood the strain well. A very painful impression was produced in Bristol by the execution, and this feeling was intensified by the sudden death, at five minutes to eight o'clock, of Mr. Merchant, who was one of the principal witnesses against Hole at his trial. Mr. Marchant was landlord of the Castle of Comfort publichouse, where Hole spent a good deal of his time, and he was deeply pained at being compelled to give evidence against his own triend. This is the first private execution which has taken plat", in Bristol. Many thousands of people assembled outside the walls of the gaol to see the black flag hoisted. Twenty six years ago, Sarah Thomas was publicly executed here for the murder of her Mistress.  In a sermon, on Sunday, at Weaste, the Bishop of Manchester made some condemnatory remarks on the subject of rallies for charitable objects. It is stated that Dr. Von Bulow, the great pianist, has sustaiqed a loss amounting to thousands of pounds through the sudden failure of an English agent.