The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1859-01-11 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

THE EXMOOR FOREST MURDER.  TAUNTON, Friday. This morning, at 9 o'clock, William Burgess underwent the extreme penalty of the law in front of the Somerset county gaol, in this town. The crime fur which the wretched criminal forfeited his life was one of extreme turpitude amt enormity. The victim of the murder was Burgess's own child, a little girl about six years of age, whose support, it would seem from the evidence adduced at the trial before Mr. Justice Bylass, had become irksome to him. His other children were grown up and able to provide fur themselves, but fur the youngest, Anna Maria, he hail to pay a sum of 2s. fid. a week fur her board to the woman in whose house he lodged. On a Sunday morning in July last, under pretence of taking the little creature to live with a sister at Porlock, Burgess and his daughter left the cottage at Exmoor at which he resided.. He himself returned home in the aftenmon without the girl, who was never afterwards seen alive. Early in August he left Exmoor, stating that he was going to seek work elrewhere. Soon after he hail left it was found that the child had never tlltla taken to Porleek ; search was made, and SOUIC of the clothes she wore were found partially burnt at a Lindy spot oil Exmoor, and other circumstances were discovered which led to the suspicion that a foul murder had been cumulate...l Ile father was traced by Superintendent Jeffs, of the Somerset county constabulary, to Swansea, and on being apprehended the wretched man confessed his guilt. }finding subsequently, however, that the body of the child had not been discovered, Burgess maintained a stolid demeanour, and seems for a time to have hoped to escape conviction. Circumstances transpired in the meantime which pointed to the probability of the body having been thrown down the shaft of an old mine, called Wheal Eliza Mine, at which the prisoner was formerly employed, but the working of which had ceased for sone years, and which had become lined with water te the depth of nearly 220 feet. At great labour and expense the magistracy of Somersetshire mused the water to Ise pumped out. I /perations for Oust peel...se were COUP menced on the 14th of October, and the work was completed on the 2nd of December. At the bottom of the shaft the body of the murdered child was found. The garments in which it was wrapped, with a long chain of other circumstances, conclusively fixed the guilt of the murder upon the father, while the surgical evidence showed that her life must have been taken after the infliction ef much brutal violence. For a crime so atrocious Burgess's life was justly forfeited, and, as already stated, the sentence of the law was carried into effect this morning. On the day after his conviction, at the prisoner's request, he was visited by the Rev. Mr. Thornton, clergyman of the parish in which he resided, and subsequently by the Rev. W. H. Clarke, curate of St. Mary's. Taunton, who has also seen the prisoner on several occasions during the last three or four ,lays. Ile appeared to pay great attent to the counsel of these rev. gentlemen, as well as to that of the Itev. F. Hoare. the chaplain. Te all of them he admitted his guilt, but said that he committed the crime through drink, and that he deserved to suffer. Up to the very morning of his execution, however, Burgess continued to express a desire to destroy himself, and, having made one attempt upon Isis life before his committal, he was perpetually watched to prevent the possibility of his committing suicide. On Wednesday week Burgess had an interview with one of his daughters and with his brother. His eldest daughter also saw him on Sunday week. These meetings were very affecting, and were subsequently referred to by Burgess with more emotion than he hail displayed on any other topic. At 8 o'clock not more than a couple of hundred persons 14 assembled in front of the gaol, but the numbers ' numdly increased until, shortly before the time appointed for the execution, there were several thousands congregated in the grumulsattachtd to the new Shire-hall, which command a full view of the scaffold. Among the crowd were an unusual number of women and children, and many agricultural labourers, who appeared to have come a wielderable distance. With very few exceptions, the spectators exhibited a serious demeanour well becoming so solemn an occasion. Just before the gaol clock struck 9 the bell announces! that the procession to the scaffold had started, and within a minute or two one of the warders, followed by the chaplain, the convict, and the executioner, ascended. The prisoner walked to his doom with surpriaing firmness. While the conclusion of the burial-service was read Culeraft adjusted the rope, and the officials having departed, the bolt was withdrawn. An audible sensation ran through the crowd as the wretched man fell, and after struggling cenculsively for several seconds he ceased to exist. The body, after hinging the usual time, was cut limy'', and, in pursuance of the terms of the sentence, was afterwards interred within the precincts of the gaol. The multitude who witnessed the execution dispersed almost immediately after Burgers was dead. The culprit did not say a word upon the scaffold, aml made nu request previously to being led to eats:utter!.