The Lancaster Herald, and Town and County Advertiser. — 1831-01-22 (Lancaster, Lancashire, England)

EXECUTION OF COOPER AND COOKE, AT WINCHESTER, ON THE 15TH.—It had been generally known that a respite had arrived for all the condemned criminals, with the exception of James Thr.mas Cooper and Henry Cooke. This intelligence was communicated to them on Thursday last. Eldridge, who had made up his mind to suffer, was very much affected; the others had expected it, and did not suffer so much. Cooper and Cooke had not given up hopes of mercy till Thursday, since which time they had completely given way. The Rev. Mr. Zillwood, the chaplain of the prison, has paid them the most anxious attention : he was with them till a late hour last night. This morning, soon after six, the criminals got up, and the chaplain again attended them: they were absorbed in grief. Cooke cried aloud, but Cooper seemed to feel more inwardly. A short time before eight o'clock they were brought into the same room, and the chaplain having left them, the executioner entered to perform the duty of pinioning, Ate. This having been done, the chaplain went to the door of the room and commenced reading the burial service, the prison bell at the same instant beginning to toll. The melancholy procession then advanced, the chaplain going first, Cooke following and Cooper walking behind Cooke. As they proceeded to the drop, Cooke was sobbing aloud, and crying oOh that it should come to this !—Lord, have mercy upon me! Oh, have mercy upon me!" Ile staggered very much as he went along. Cooper's counted mince had a kind of yellow-blue, livid, death-like colour, and bore the appearance of the most distressing mental he looked into the yards on either side of him. It was supposed that it would have been necessary to have supported therk to the drop, they were so 'completely unnerved ; they, however, walked alone. On their arrival at the seafffild, the Rev. Chaplain shook hands with them. Cooper retained his hand within his grasp for nearly two minutes. Mr. Zillwood then continued reading the service, until, at a given signal, the drop fell, and they were launched into eternity. Cooke did not struggle, but the muscular action in Cooper continued from five to ten minutes. Cooper, last night, had declared his intention to address his fellow prisoners, but this morning he said he could not summon sufficient resolution. They both continually exchimed while on the scaffold, ~ Lord, have mercy on me! Lord, be merciful to me !" The prisoners were arranged in the yards on each side of the drop; on the right were those against whom sentence of death had been recorded under the Commission. Nearly the whole of them were crying, and many were obliged to support themselves against the wall. Holdaway WWI Trnt-hr,Dlgla out, asitis expected he will suffer on the sth of February. There was not a crowd of more than MO perscrs, and those chiefly boys. Some of the crowd declared they would willingly give a sovereign for a reprieve. The moment the drop fell MOSof them went away. The.special constables were in attendance at seven o'clock, and, in fact, composed the greater part of the crowd. Close under the scaffold, on some doors, were written in chalk-4, Murder for murder! Blood for blood!" _