The Sun. — 1845-01-27 (London, England)

THE HALMENEND MURDER  EXECUTION OF DOWNING AND POWYS. STAFFORD, SATURDAY AFTBRNOON.—A communication having been received this morning by the authorities, that the decision of the judges had been against the prisoners, the Sheriffs fixed twelve o'clock to-day for their execution. At an early hour the Rev. Chaplain visited the unhappy men, and continued with them up to the period when the fatal bolt was drawn. At elevea o'clock the wretched men received the Holy Sacrament, and paid the most mrrked attention to every part of that impressive service, making the responses with apparently much fervour. In the course of the morning Downing said, in reply to a question put by the Rev. Gentleman, " I have spoke the truth—it is a hard thing to suffer for other folks' deeds ; and the lad and me is as free as the Bible of this." He afterwards said, in the course of conversation, " If we suffer, we shall suffer wrongful ; we could na' help what folks said agen us, or the jury bringing us guilty; but we are as innocent as a child unborn ;" and Powys, in reply to the Rev. Gentleman, said, " I am innocent of it." After the unhappy men were pinioned, the chaplain asked them whether either of them had any request to make with respect to their relatives ? They both desired him to inform their friends that they hoped they would prepare to meet them in Heaven, and that they would lead a good life ; that they were going out of the world innocent, and were not afraid to die. Precisely at twelve o'clock the tolling of the prison bell announced that the melancholy procession was moving towards the place of execution. The culprits, who had undergone no apparent alteration since their trial, walked with a firm and unfaltering step. On reaching the lodge, Powys, who saw Mr. Superintendent Bergen, requested him to shake hands with him, and said, emphatically, " God bless you! It's hard to die innocent ; but I can forgive you." Downing ascended the drop with a hasty step, and placed himself immediately under the fatal beam, and whilst the executioner was adjusting the rope, he said—" Gentlemen, here is two chaps going to be murdered. We are going to die as innocent as a child unborn. We are free from it." Powys then ascended the scaffold, and whilst the executioner was putting the rope round his neck, he said to him, " I want to say something ; don't put the rope so tight—l can't breathe." The chaplain then shook hands with Downing, and exhorted him, in the most solemn manner, to tell the whole truth, as he was about to leave the world ; to which Downing replied, " I am not guilty ; lam as innocent as a child unborn. The Lord in Heaven knows we are, and we shall be with him in a very short time." The chaplain having also shaken hands with Powys, and repeated the exhortation, Powys said, " We are going to die for a thing we know nothing about, and I hope the Lord in Heaven will protect us." He added, "'We are going to suffer for that which we are innocent of ;" to which Downing rejoined, " Yes, and it will be known before twelve months who is the guilty person, and they will be no better off than we are." Powys said, " We have had our lives sworn away ; but I can forgive." Downing further said, "I hope it will come out, and that the country will know that we are innocent, and our friends will be cleared of it. The Lord knows that we are going to suffer for a thing that we never did." He also said he was going to die for injuring a man he never injured in his life, and the man never injured him. After the caps had been drawn over their faces, and whilst the chaplain was proceeding with the burial service, both the criminals praying aloud, apparently with great fervour, that their souls might be saved. Whilst they were engaged in prayer the drop fell, and the world closed upon them for ever. Downing ceased at once to live, but Powys was greatly convulsed, and struggled for several minutes.