The Sun. — 1860-08-22 (London, England)

LISLE.  George Cass was executed at Carlisle gaol yesterday at noon, for the wilful murder of Ann Sewell, at Embleton on the 26th of March last. The circumstances of the case have before appeared in The isun. At the end of last week the prisoner made another statement, which, though of a somewhat unsatisfactory character, tends to clear up some doubts as to the manner in which the murder was committed, and what was the motive for such an atrocious clime. It will be remembered that in the prisoner's original statement he said that the girl had asked him to mend her clog ; he refused to do so, and she threw a knife at him; he threw it back at her, and it stuck in her throat, and then, after she had requested him to " put her away altogether," he went and inflicted the wounds which caused her death. He now states that a quarrel arose between him and the girl, in the kitchen, about a half-crown which he had lent her ; he rushed at her in a passion, and pursued her along the passage to the outer door, where he caught her. A scuffle ensued at the door, he then dragged her down the passage (which accounts for the streaks of blood found on the wall), and at the end of the passage, where the body was afterwards found, murdered his victim. Yesterday morning, three or four hours before the time of execution, groups of people—men, women, and children—assembled in front of the scaffold, which was erected at an angle of the gaol wall. Trains from the west, the district in which the murder W committed, brought a great number of people; but excursion trains from the town were run at cheap rates to induce as many persons as possible to be absent during the execution, and to these $ remarkably fine day served as an additional ill: ducernent. Soon after 11 o'clock the number 0I people in front of the gaol began to increase greatly; the windows commanding a view of the scaffold were occupied, and children of the tenderest years might be seen mingling in the crowd. At a quo, ter before 12 thousands had assembled. They dl vided themselves into two portions, one on each side of the scaffold, the scaffold having been s° placed behind a, projecting parapet of the gaol wail that•the gallows could not be well seen from the front. When the clock struck twelve a stillness seemed to come upon the .spectators; children who had been running about in the open space in, the centre ranged themselves with the crowd ; the, chapel bell began to toll, and amid the most pro-, found silence the criminal, accompanied by the• chaplain and the hangman Calcraft, ascended the, platform. The chaplain read the usual texts el Scripture, the hangman placed the white cap upon the head of the unfortunate criminal, and, having shaken hands with him, adjusted the rope and re: tired ; the chaplain also shook hands with him all left the platform. About five minutes past 12 the bolt was drawn, and the criminal was launched into eternity. At the same instant a loud moan passed through the whole crowd. The murderer struggled but for a few seconds, and the crowd then began to disperse immediately. While the body hung only the head and shoulders were visible frog the street. •