Denton Examiner, Audenshaw, Hooley Hill and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1877-04-07 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

DEER.  James Bannister was executed at eight o'clock on Monday morning within the precincts of Chester Castle for the murder of his wife at Hyde. under peculiarly brutal and unprovoked circumstances, on the 15th December. Bannireer had been drinking very heavily for some time, and quarrels frequently took place between him and his wife. On one occasion, after a quarrel, he said to a man u tmed liar rep, a weaver of Hyde, 4' Something tells me I shall have to kill her." About a quarter to five o'clock on the morning of the 15th D3cember, Mr and Mrs Grayson, with whom Bannister and his wife lived at Hyde, were awakened by hearing a moan. ' They saw a light in Bannister's room, and immediately afterwards they heard a sound as though a blew were given hire Grayson heard Banuister call out "Elijah" Grayson's name. He ran into the room, and found Mrs Bannister lying on the bed, with her face elvered with blood and her he crushed in. Her husband was lying alongside the bed, with his throat cat On looking round the wenn a hatchet wet found, es well as a chop :reale, stains I will. bl T ie hatchet ww rdinarily used for domestic purposes, and was kept in a cellar downstabs. Early on the same eight Bannister and his wife were heard engaged in an unusually friendly conversation, and from this the counsel for the defence argued that the crime must have been perpetrated in a paroxysm of frenzy or delirium tremens. After the conviction, he it as very 'attentive to the ministrations of the prison chaplain, but appeared to entertain a strong conviction, even up to Sunday last, that the endeavours of several gentlemen who have forwarded petitions to the Home Secretary en his behalf would be successful ; but on Sunday communications were received from the Home office stating that Mr Cross did not see any sufficient reasons for advising her Majesty to grant a commutation of the. sentence, The chaplain of the prison (the Rev J. M. Kilmer) was in attendance on the condemned man nearly the whole of Sunday and left him at night. Bannister retired to rest about two o'clock, and slept until half- past five, when be arose and dressed, and the chaplain agaiu joined him at a quarter-past six o'clock, and remained in prayer with him up to the time of execution. Breakfast was taken to him is his cell, but he declined to take any. About a quarter to eight o'clock the prison surgeon (Dr M'Eweu) administered a dose of sal volatile and water in accordance with the request of the prisoner, who asked to have a dose given him immediately before he went to the drop. He drank it very greedily- The procession went from the prison to the sciffuld, which was situated on a slope in the south eata corner o the yard, to the following order: 'lke chaplain front reading the funeral service. was prisoue. in his shirt sleeves, guarded by two warders on either eide and two warders in the rear, the governor of the gaol and Dr M'Ewen, the gaol surgeon, and then in the rear the high Sheriff of the county (Mr T. W. Broeklehurst), and the acting Under Sheriff (Mr Tatlock). The condemned man walked with a firm step and dad not appear at all distressed. The approach to the scaffold was down a very steep slope, and even in ordinary cases care woula have to be exercised t • avoid slipping, but Banuieter never once faltered, but stepped on to the scaffold and placed himself on the drop, Mulcted adjusted the noose, cap, and leg straps, and, motioning the clergyman to stand aside, pulled the bolt Death appeared to be instantaneous. Bannister was a little man, and the executioner gave him a Gift. drop.  11, THEM ARE ANY LADIES who have not yet tried the GiL EN VI /MD STANCH, they are respectfully solicited to give it a triaLand carefully follow oat the directions printed on every package, and if this is done they can say, like the Queen's Laundress it is the finest Starch they ever used. When you ask for GLENFIELD STANCH see that you get it, as inferior kinds are often auhitituted for the sake of extra profit.