Beverley and East Riding Telegraph. — 1896-02-29 (Beverley, Humberside, England)

LONDON CAB MURDER  EXECUTION OF CHIPPERFIELD._  Alfred Chipperfield was executed at 8 o'clock On Tuesday morning at Newgate, London, for the murder of his wife in a cab at Islington. A large crowd assembled to witness the hoisting of the black flag. The murder was committed shortly after 8 o'clock in the evening in a four-wheeled cab, which was being driven from Euston Station to Annette-place, Islington, where Chipperfield's father lived, two days after the parties had been married. Chipperfield, whilst a clerk to a firm of merchants in Bermondsey, made the acquaintance of his wife, then a barmaid at the Ham and Teazle public-house, and the correspondence which passed between them tended to show that he was fondly attached to her. His employers gave him cheques to pay into their banking account a few days prior to the murder, and be absconded with £l5, taking the girl with him to Ireland, where he married her on December 16th. At the time of the tragedy the deceased was heard to scream in the cab, and, when a bystander came up, she was trying to get out of the cab with her throat cut in a terrible manner. Chipperfield was found seated in the cab with his throat cut also. The wife died almost instantly. His relatives have been unremitting in their endeavour to secure a reprieve, and to this end a petition, numerously signed, was forwarded to the Home Secretary. The farewell interview between the convict, his father, sister, and brother was of a most painful character. Chipperfield declared to the last that he had no recollection of what actually occurred on the night of the trag. 'v. He took exercise in one of the yards allotted L c,edeinned prisoners yesterday morning and aft,.:Joon, retiring to rest rather later than usual. C .nstant attention has been bestowed on the convict by the gaol chaplain, whose kindness he seemed to appreciate deeply. The chaplain remained some time with the convict on Monday night, and was again in attendance at 7 o'clock next morning. Chipperfield's health has been fairly good, but he has lost some weight during his incarceration. He passed a restless night. When called at half-past 6 he hastily arose, attiring himself in the clothes which he wore at the trial. He partook scantily of the breakfast supplied. The preparations for the execution were completed on Monday afternoon by Billington, the hangman, in the presence of the Under-Sheriff and the Governor of the goal. At a few minutes before 8 o'clock Colonel Milman and the Under-Sheriff entered the condemned cell, where Billington and his assistant expeditiously performed the operation of pinioning Chippertield's arms. The convict offered no resistance. He seemed quite resigned to his fate, and showed remarkable fortitude during this trynogg/Eckel. He had to traverse only a few paces before reaching the scaffold which is situated in a shed at the north-west corner of one of the yards of the prison. The convict made no audible responses to the chaplain. Having taken his place on the drop, Billington quickly adjusted the noose around the neck of the convict, and, the final preparations completed, he stepped back and pulled the lever and the drop fell. Death was stated to have been in.tantaneons.