The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1878-08-03 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EXECUTION AT CHELMSFORD.  Charles Joseph Revell, a gardener, was executed on Monday morning at eight o'clock within the walls of the late county gaol for Essex, at Chelmsford, now, under the new Prisons Act, styled her Majesty's prison, for the wilful murder of his wife, Eliza Revell, by cutting her throat at Waltham Abbey. The prisoner was tried before Lord Justice Thesiger at the fate assizes for the county of Essex, and it was the first case in which the paintul duty has devolved upon that learned judge to pass a sentence of death since his elevation to the judicial bench. The evidence clearly established the guilt of the prisoner, and the offence was one of a very heinous character. Toe prisoner was employed as a gardener by a gentleman in the neighbourhood where he resided, and was earning good wages, but he appeared to have squandered nearly all the money he earned in drink, and his wife was compelled to go out to work at a jute mill to provide means for the support of her family, consisting of two children. On the Saturday previous to the fatal deed being perpetrated, he had not only spent all his own money, but had obtained 3s. from his wife, and her endeavours to get this money back from him led to the fatal quarrel which ended in her death. The two went on the Sunday to dine with their father and mother, and upon the deceased insisting that the prisoner should give her the 33., and that ic should not be spent in drink, he knocked her down, and then ran out- of the house, followed by the deceased. The prisoner made use of violent threats as to what he would do if she persisted in following hin, but the deceased declared she would not go away until he returned her the 35., and they were seen walking through the forest :in an excited state, the prisoner being at the time in a state of semiintoxication. The wretched woman was never again seen alive, but on the following morning her body was discovered in the forest, with her throat cut almost from ear to ear. The prisoner was at once suspected of the crime, but although when he was first apprehended he made several statements that were tantamount to an admission that he had committed the murder, he subsequently endeavoured to make out that the deceased had committed suicide, and on the morning of his trial he expressed a confident assurance that he would be acquitted, as he said there was nothing but circumstantiil evidence against him, and that the jury would not convict him in the absence of positive proof that he was guilty of the murder. The facts, however, were so clear that no doubt could he entertained of his guilt, and the case was of such an aggravated character that it appears no efforts have been made from any quarter to obtain a copmutation of the sentence of death.  Since his conviction the prisoner seems to have conducted him-elf very well, and he has admitted the justice of hi g sentence. He was visited on Wednesday in last week by the mother of the deceased woman and his two children. On Sunday night he went to bed at nine o'clock and slept till half-past five. He would not take any breakfast, but at his special request the Rev. Mr. Lumley, the chaplain of the gaol, administered the Holy Sacrament to the culprit, who said that that should be his last meal. He walked to the scaffold with a firm step. The prisoner fell a distance of five feet, and his toes touched the ground. He appeared to struggle very little. Captain Bridworth, the high sheriff of the county, Mr. Gepp, the under sheriff, Captain ArGarraway, the governor of the goal, and Mr. Cooke, the surgeon, were the only persons, except the warders and Marvvood, the executioner, who were present at the execution.