Weekly News. — 1892-07-28 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

EXECUTION OF THE WILTS MURDERER.  John Gurd was executed at Devizes on Tuesday for the murder of Henry Richards, at Melksham, on April 9th, and Police-Sergeant Moulden, near , Warminster, on April 12th. The circumstances of the crimes for which Gard has paid the extreme penalty of the law were of a melancholy and shocking character. He was engaged to Florence Adams, and the banns had been published, but the match was broken off by the young lady, who was a niece of Richards. Believing the latter was the principal mover in inducing the girl to break off the engagement, Gurd shot Richards dead, and then made his escape. Three days later Supt. Perrett, accompanied by Sergt Moulden, and two constables, accosted Richards, who fired two shots from a revolver, the second striking Moulden, who expired shortly afterwards. Prisoner, when in the cell said he shot the sergeant in trying to escape, thinking if lie could get home and get some clothes he might avoid capture. The condemned man walked firmly to the scaffold, and submitted himself to the operations of pinioning without remark. The culprit was 29 years cf age, and weighed 9 stone. Billington, the executioner, allowed a drop of 6ft 10in. The Rev. A. Devas, gaol chaplain, read the burial service, but prisoner made no response. Death took place within a minute of the fall of the drop, but, according to the medical evidence at the subsequent inquest, the deceased's neck was not broken, by reason of the thickness of its muscles. The convict, since his condemnation, had behaved very quietly. He bad slept well, and betrayed no particular emotion. He listened attentively to the ministrations of the chaplain, and expressed contrition for his crimes. The following is the text of a letter written by the condemned man Gurd, before his execution, to his aunt:—  Devizes Prison. My dear Aunt,—Just a few words to wish you all goodbye for ever, till we meet again in heaven. It is very kind of you to take so much interest in me. lam afraid lam not worthy of it, but lam indeed thankful for few kind words which you have said to me. I hope you are all well, and if you could do anything for to cheer up my poor mother under this severe trial I should indeed be thankful to you. Yes, I am ready to die, I have left it all with Jesus, for the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us rom all sin. I take them words as my answer, and Ido not fear death. May Goi give me strength to go through it. Of course I deserve it all, but to sit.in my cell here and wait for death is very trying indeed,and no one knows what I have passed through but myself and God. Of 'course, I try to bear up as well as possible, but underneath it all there lies a broken heart. The young lady I was to have married has been to see me twice, and I think is now gone to Chatham with her friends. May she do well, and I hope to meet her again in Heaven where there are none to part us. For now lam about to die I love her as well as ever. I shall never write to you again, but I hope to meet you in Heaven some day. Please remember me to all my friends, and if I have brought disgrace on our family, I hope one and all will forgive me and try to forget me as soon as possible. Now I think I must say good-bye to one and all, and believe me to be yours affectionately, Joan Gras. P.B.—Kindly remember me to anyone that asks after me, and say to them I die happy, and at peace with all.  Renter telegraphs from Pittsburgh that a private of the 10th Regiment who shouted " Three cheers for the assassin" when he learned of the atPack on the manager of the Carnegie mills, and refused to retract, was, by the order of his colonel, strung up by his thumbs for thirty minutes, subsequently shaved on one side of his head, and then with the usual degradation " drummed " out of camp. This punishment has been approved by the general commanding the forces. Hugh O'Donnell, one of the chief leaders in the recent strike riots, has been released on bail of 10,000 dollars.