Denton & Haughton Weekly News, and Audenshaw, Hooley Hill, and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1875-08-06 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TRIPLE EXECUTION AP DURHAM.  On Monday morning, at eight o'clock, three persons ' —a woman and two men—suffered the extreme penalty of the law within the walls of Durham Prison, making in all twelve persons who have been hanged. in the city or Durham since public execations were abolished. The three criminals who suffered this morning were: Elizabeth Pearson (28), marriel woman. who, having made every preparation for the accomplishment ,f her purpose, poisoned her uncle, James Watson, at Gain_ ford, near Darlington, who died on the 28th March last, by means of strychnine contained in Battle's vermin killer: Aichael Gilligan (22), found guilty of the wilful murder, at Darlington, on the 28th March last, of John Kficra,n, who was late on a Saturday night searched for by a party of seven Irishmen in the streets, rnd when found attacked and cruelly murdered, the condemned man being sworn to as the one who struck the fatal blow with scene heavy instrument he drew from his pocket; and William McHugh (36), a hawker, who was convicted of the wilful murder of Thomas , Mooney, at Barnard Castle, on the 11th April last, having, whilst Mooney was in a state of unconsciousness, thrown him into the river Tees, whilst others, the whole party being Irishmen, looked on and forbore to raise their hands in his defence. In this case Mc Hugh alleged his innocence at the trial, and the guilt of Brennan and Keenan, the two chief witnesses against him, and has continued to protest against the justness of his conviction. Gilligan, the other male convicted, has from the Ist emphatically denied that he committed the crime for which he has suffered. The woman Pearsoa during her trial, and ever after evinced a firmness and self-possession that is most unusual in ' such cases; and although at times she manifested a little nervousness, her appreciation of the dreadful position in which she was placed never beclouded her features. She did not deny the crime, but withheld any confession. On Saturday all three malefactors had final interviews with their relatives. As on the last occasion of an execution at Durham, representatives of the press were not admitted to the prison; and the officials, probably acting under instructions, would give no information whatever. A very large crowd assembled in the open space in front o ',lie gaol. At a quarter to eight o'clock .he bell began to toll, announcing that the preliminaries had begun, and at three minutes past eight the black flag was run up, all being then over. The procession was formed in the schoolroom, and from thence to the place of execution in the gaol yard. The woman walked first, attended by the chaplain; McHugh came next, aceompauied by Canon Consitt, Roman Catholic priest; and Gilligan last of all, attended by Father Rooney, also a clergyman of the Roman Catholic faith. All three quietly allowed themselves to be conducted to the scaffold, and died without a struggle.—lt the coroner's inquest, held two hours afterwards, the gaol offizials, when interrogated by jurymen as to whether the deceased had made any statements before suffering, persistently refused to give any information on that head. The usual formal verdicts were returned in each case.