The Sun. — 1858-08-11 (London, England)

EXECUTION FOR MURDER AND ARSON.  The full penalty of the law was carried into effect yesterday morning at 8 o'clock, at the Castle of Dorchester, on James Seale, in the presence of a large concourse of people. The wretched culprit was tried before Mr. Baron Channel' at Dorchester, on the 24th ult., for the wilful murder of a young woman, named Sarah Ann Grifly, at Stoke Abbotte, on the 30th of April last, and also for having set fire to the house in which this victim resided. The prisoner is a very young man, not having reached his 20th year, and had been working as a labourer for some time past in the vicinity. A person named Seale, no relation, kept a house, known as " Puckshorne House," a shcrt distance from Stoke Abbotts, and with him lived a woman named Griffy and her illegitma'e daughter, the deceased, who was aged 23 years. On the day of the murder deceased remarked to her mother that she had seen the prisoner lurking about the premises, and she was afraid his intentions were not proper. In the course of the day, when all the parties, who were farm labourers, were at work, excepting deceased, the prisoner entered the house, and after maltreating her, inflicted a most fearful gash in her tbroee, nearly five inches long, with a clasped cheese knife, on the hands, arms, and breast, then set fire to the house. The fire was extinguished, and the deceased was found dead on the floor of the room. The culprit being suspected, search was made for him, and he was found walking up a lane some distance from Puckshorne House, by a constable named Lavender. He was charged with the murder, and also with setting fire to the house, but he stoutly denied having been connected with either, tt being then late in the day, and he.sa!d he had not been there since nine iu the morning. There were large splashes of blood on his hands and clothes, and he bad evidently tried to conceal it, by besmearing the spots with mud. He was e taken into custody, and sentenced to death on the 24th ult., the evidence clearly bringing home the guilt to the culprit. Some exertions have been made to obtain a commutation of the sentence, but Mr. Secretary Walpole replied that, the whole circumstances having been token into consideration, no just cause could be seen for the alteration of his lordship's decision. Since the condemnation of the unfortunate man he lies been visited regularly by the Itty. 1). Clementson, tee ordinary of the gaol ; end although rather sullen at first, he at last listened with th:e yeate 'o 'he rev .7e-tie,•rx', eTtirrwilivi. some time he coutitiued to deny b.d au) &taut; .1., Jo with the atrocious crime, but he appeared to become aware of the awful position in which he stood, on being informed by the governor of the prison that the day of execution was finagy slttled ; and ultimately be made a full confeeeionof be wished to communicate, lie replied there executioner, was Having shaken his slbuelplt es fortotiie futurecilaplasiani nett expressed his deep peniteree, ava•ioit. At a few minutes after seven o'clock this morning, Mr. Lawrance, the governor, entered the cell, where lie found the wretched eshowna f the him.man in an abject state. On being asked if therewawas n was anything iting; but he wished to thank them hands rndthe introduced, and proceeded to perform the awful operation of pinioning, and as the time approached for the departure to the scaffold, the wretched mate engaged in prayer with the chaplain. At last the mournful procession was formed, and switkhindtlnte e" offitchiaeyls,hCaald r proceeded to the scaffold, where, all the prelitninaries having been completed, Seale was placed by the executioner under the fetal beam, and the bolt having been withdrawn, the drop fell, and, after a few brief eteuggles, death put an end to his 011ifVringe•