The Sun. — 1861-08-28 (London, England)

EXECUTION FOR ATTE J 1 P TO MURDER  CHESTER, AUG. 27,  This morning Martin Doyle, aged 26, underwent the extreme penalty of the law in front of the citygaol. The culprit, it will be remembered, was convicted for attempting to murder one Jane Brogine, at Church Lawton, near Holmeschapel, in this county, on the 30th of May last. It is unnecessary to repeat the circumstances of the case, which were fully laid before the public in the report of the trial that appeared in The Sun of the 9th inst. Ever since he was sentenced by Mr. Justice Crompton the condemned criminal had to a certain extent exhibited symptoms of penitence and submission, but about 10 days ago a decided change occurred in his demeanour, and with the greatest contrition he frequently admitted the righteousness of his sentence and expressed his readiness to suffer its execution. The culprit's brother had an interview with him yesterday, and the woman to whom he was legally married aleo visited him. On neither occasion was there any extraordinary manifestation of feeling. According to the customary practice here, the Sheriff applied at midnight to the county authorities at the Castle for the wretched man's body, and immediately conveyed him in a cab to the city gaol, where for many years all executions have taken place. It is situate en thecity walls, which from an early hour were crowded with a great assemblage of spectators. The greater part of the crowd were kept from the old parapet by a strong barrier, as some doubts of the stability of the ancient stonework were entertained. Immediately after his arrival at the city gaol the culprit was attended by the Rev. Canon Corberry and the Rev. J. Hopkins, clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church (of which the criminal was a member), who have been unremitting in their attention to him, and whose ministrations he listened to with the greatest attention and respect. About half-past 5 o'clock, having partaken of some little refreshment, Doyle entered one of the courtyards, and in company with the Sheriff took sharp exercise for an hour, during which period he was in animated conversation. He was engaged in private devotion until a few minutes before 8, when Calcraft, who arrived at the gaol last evening, was introduced. When the convict mounted the scaffold and found he was in the presence of a concourse of some 1,600 or 1,700 people he wished to address a few words to the crowd. He was dissuaded however, by his spiritual advisers and the executioner. While Calcraft was adjusting the rope the wretched man uttered a few ejaculatory supplications. Having shaken hands with the clergymen the bolt was withdrawn and the criminal expired without a struggle. Seldom, if ever, has a case been detected which exhibited such ferocious brutality as characterised the culprit's deliberate attempt on the life of Brogine and it is to be hoped that the just execution of the sentence in the present instance will tend to repress crimes of this nature, for which unfortunately this country has lately become notorious. The unhappy victim of the deceased is still in very delicate health; she is residing with her friends in an adjoining county. A petition was drawn up and signed by a number of the Chester citizens, praying for a commutation of the sentence to penal servitude for life, but an unfavourable reply was yesterday received from the Home-office, and consequently the law took its course.