Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1869-09-10 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EXECUTION AT WINCHESTER.  On Monday morning, at eight o'cloeir, the final sentence of the law was carried into effect inside the county prison on William Dixon, who WAS condemned to death on the 16th ult, for the wilful murder of Corporal William Brett. Dixou's general conduct since his conviction has been orderly, and he has been most attentive to all the instructions given to him. He was, however, exceedingly reserved. On Sunday lie received the holy communion, and afterwards wrote the followiwe statement :—"1, William Dixon, lIONV lying under sentence of death for the wilful murder of Corporal Brett, beg to state that my sentence is ajust one for the lion ible deed I committed, and for which lam very strry. It is my earnest wish to seek forg;veness from the friends of Corporal Brett for the injury I have so unwarrantably inflicted on him as well as on them by my must wicked act. It is too late now for me to expect any answer to this request, but I lo e they may tell my God they have forgiven me, tilso that my neglect to God, and my wretched love of drink, as well as my evil passions, should have led to such a deed. Surely if soldiers, and especially young soldiers, could know what misery and wretchedness • follow such conduct as mine they would never allow their passiogs to be their master, and continue sueh a coarse of drink and other vices as have been my ruin and the cause of my taking a fellow creature's life and also a comrade's, who deserved a better fate, and whose brother was my intimate friend and companion. I now feel I can make no adequate satisfaction for my sin rind great crime. I fear it is almost useless to hope my fate will prove a warning to ninny of my comrades and companions in the regiment I beloeg to. I only wish they knew what I have gone through since I committed the mime. Perhaps then they would not be so likely to imitate my example in that or any other respect. My present anxiety and sorrow has many causes. I have sinned against God all my life. I have wickedly and unjustifiably deprived a fellow Cr, attire of life, and involved his friends as well as my own in grief and misery. I feel I dare hardly expect any forgive Less from man or mercy from God, but for his great love in Christ Jesus, and my hope is solely in that Saviour. Had I learned to know more of Him years ago, I might have escaped this shameful end, and had a snore satisfactory hope in a dying hour. I hope God may have mercy on me for Chriat's BA°, and I wish that my death may prove a terror and a warning to people, and especially to soldieis, who are going on as I once used to do. I should be thankfnl if this should meet the eyes of Corporal Brett's brot her and friends, and the eyes of the men in my regiment. —Signed, in the presence of the governor, the chaplain, and the schoolmaster, Wm. DIxoN." On Monday morning the bell rang at five, and at six the chaplain, the Rev. Foster Rogeis, visited the convict and remained with him to the last. Shortly before eight. Calcraft was taken to the room where the culprit was, and the process of pinioning was at once proceeded with. The procession to the drop was then formed. The scaffold had been erected ill the yard at the back of the prison, and over the convict's burial ground. Dixon died almost instantaneously. A black flag was hoisted on the prison gate, and remained there for an hour, but not more than 50 persons were outside the gate.  Sir Trevor Wheeler, who served at Waterloo, died on Monday morning, at Leamington. The deceased Baronet was born in 1792.  A window of painted glass has been placed in the vestry of Illingworth Church, near Halifax. The cost Inns been defrayed among the woiking classes in attendance on the church.  We regret to annormce the sudden death of Mr. Hotchkiss,a very energetic and able landscape painter, a native of the State of New York, which took place on the 18th ultimo, and was due to the rupture of a blood vessel in his lungs. This artist was 35 years of age.