The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1868-01-03 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ALTON MURDERER.  The Alton murderer, Baker, was executed on Tuesday morning, at eight o'clock, at Winchester gaol, in the preof 5,000 people. He displayed great firmness, was pinioned without betraying the least emotion, and walked to the drop unaided. After Calcraft had put the cap on him and adjusted the rope, the prayers were prolonged for two minutes, during which Baker's knees began to tremble, and his hands were clutched. Wlien the drop fell he struggled slightly for a minute. At seven o'clock probably not more than 1,000 persons were assembled, and these were particularly quiet, not a song could be heard, not a ribald jest, nor the customary " chaff" which is heard In an execution crowd. From this time, however, to eight o'clock the crowd was rapidly augmented, till, when eight o'clock arrived, between 5,000 and 6,000 persons were assembled. There were a good number of women in the crowd. Many of the people bad come from Southampton, not a few having walked, and we actually discovered a man who had come from Newport (Isle of Wight), and brought two children, a boy and a girl, to see the sight. To the end the crowd was orderly, and their only expressions of dissatisfaction were vented against several street preachers, who continued singing and addressing the people from eight o'clock till they dispersed. There were also many tract distributors in the crowd. As soon as the drop had fallen, the crowd began to move off, and the purveyors of the "last dying speech and confession" commenced an active trade, bringing their vocal powers, and even a violin, into requisition to aid them in attracting attention. Since his conviction, Baker has made a verbal confession, fully admitting his crime, but maintaining that lie did not do it with the intent imputed to him—the violaof the child. He states that lie left the office about half-past one o'clock in the day, and, going to Flood Meadow, fell in with the children, who followed him up to the Hollow, in which they ran up and down for some halfpence that he gave to them. Two el the children voluntarily said that they must go home, upon which Fanny Adams, the deceased, ran up the Hollow away from them, and he followed her. He took her down under the hedge of the hop garden, and after going a few yards took her up in his arms. Then it was that the children going home heard her cry, and at this time it was that the murder was committed. lie cut off the head and took out the eyes with the small knife produced at the trial—he ne,er had any other, and took the eyes away in his hand He met the woman in the churchyard, and his hands being bloody at the time, he was surpiised that she did not see them and notice his tiepidation. He also saw the witness Noyes, and remembered putting his hands under his coat in order to conceal the blood on them. He most emphatically denied having used any other than the small knife found in his pocket, and which two or three days previously he had sharpered in order to make an erasure in the office. After this he went back to the office and to the pump, where he cleaned the knife and oiled it with a feather, being particularly careful to conceal, as far as possible, all stains. At ten minutes past five he went out again and back to the place of the murder. Then it was that he took off the arms and feet. He had one of the latter in his hand when one of the witnesses came up, and fearing that the foot would be seen he threw it over the hedge into the adjoining clover field. He \YRS not ten minutes doing . this—the foot came off in two minutes. lie repeated that he did not commit the crime with the intent imputed to him, and that he was under the influence of drink at the time.