The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1839-08-06 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

EXECUTION AT NOTTINGHAM.  On Wednesday morning, the unfortunate man John Driver, who was convicted at the assizes for Nottingham, of the wilful murder of an old woman named Ann Hancock, at Caunton, expiated the offence with his life, on the new drop, in front of the County-hall. He had been sentenced to death without any hope of mercy being shown to him by Lord Abinger, one of the judges of the midland circuit; his crime was that of breaking into the house of• his victim, an old woman residing at the village of Caunton, in the county of Nottingham, and killing her by striking her on the head with a stick, strangling her with his bands, and suffocating her by stuffing with great violence a linen rag clown her throat. The stick was found in his own house, with blood and grey hairs on the end of it, and he and his mother, with whom he resided, apprehended ; but although there was nothing to fix any guilt upon the latter, yet there was no doubt of that of the former, as the deceased's watch and a quantity of money, and < variety of articles which could be sworn to, were found upon him. Previous to his trial, he, under supposition that it would save himself, stated that a man named Lawson committed the murder, while he (Driver) was down stairs robbing the house; and that be did not know of the murder till after he had left the house; but after his trial he denied that statement, and fully confessed that he had done the deed himself, though he denied that he had used the stick, or had it with him at the time ; greys hairs were, however, found upon it, and the public may suppose what they please, relative to it. He was a most illiterate character, a boorish countryman. Previous to the murder, he could neither read, write, or a spell a letter, and knew not u single prayer ; but since his condemnation he took to reading in a wonderful manner, made out whole sentences, and was never happier than when reading himself, or getting somebody to read for him. The Rev. W. J. Butler, the chaplain of the gaol, has been particularly attentive to him, impressing on his mind the necessity of preparing for a change ; and he on his part listened with the most profound attention, and acted up to the letter of his instructions. In the week before his execution, his mother went to the gaol to see him and bid him farewell ; and on the evening before his execution, several other relations took their final leave.  On the Tuesday night he slept very sound, got up at six o'clock in the morning, ate a hearty breakfast, and then proceeded to the chapel, where he heard the service with great attention. He afterwards requested the chaplain to write to his mother for him, which was done at his dictation; and then, all being ready, and the mail having brought no orders to stay the execution, he bade adieu, and shook hands with the felons, and then proceeded to the room where he was pinioned. Here another prayer was said, and then, in the most firm and collected manner, he moved towards the drop, accompanied by the under sheriff, deputy under sheriff, &c. On ascending the scaffold, a dense crowd of twenty thousand people met his eye, whom he addressed, but in so low in tone as scarcely to be heard. He begged of them to love God and mind their book, and above all, to keep good hours. Having concluded, the cap and knot were adjusted, and amid stifled screams fiona the vast crowd, the fatal bolt was withdrawn, and the soul of the murderer took its flight from this world for ever. After hanging an hour, his body was cut down, and in the afternoon buried within the precincts of the gaol. He died truly penitent.