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THE EXECUTION
OF 'i'H h:
KOJOWUP MURDERERS,
This morning 'Williani 'Watkins and John
Maroney suffered the extreme penalty of
the law for the barbarous murder of James
'Watson, of which crime they had been
convicted at the last Criminal Sessions of
the Supreme Court. It will no doubt be
remembered that, when the sentences passed
upon the condemned men were taken into
consideration by the Executive Council, the
Governor and his advisers spared neither
time nor pains in carefully and anxiously
enquiring into the matter with, what
might be termed, almost the acmS of the
rigidity of stolid impartiality ; but the
result was the confirmation of the verdict
arrived at by the Jury before whom the case
was tried. After the condemned men were
informed that there was no possibility of
their being reprieved, they altered very
considerably in their demeanour; for while
both of them devoted the -whole of their
available time to the practice of those
religious exercises which their spiritual
advisers recommended as being most suited
to their awful condition, Maroney Tngfnfa.fn.
ed a quiet, confident, and even cheerful
demeanour, while 'Watkins exhibited a con
siderable amount of nervous agitation. The
former prisoner was assiduously attended
by the Eev. Father MarteUi and also by
some devoted members of the charitable
Order of the Sisters of Mercy; and the
Very Eev. Dean Gegg w«us in constant
attendance upon Watkins, who was a
member of the Anglican communion. Dur
ing the course of his confinement Maroney
persistently adhered to the statement he
had made to Mr. Sab-Inspector Eowe, to
the effect that he had ' no hand or part'
in the murder except that^he had assisted
at the burning of the body, but added that
his fellow prisoner had, after the commis
sion of the crime, promised him, Maroney,
that he would never mention any names,
not- even if he died; this promise, as it will
be seen, 'Watkins never broke. Yesterday
Watkins mude a long statement to one of
his- friends who visited him, which was after
wards written out and placed in the hands
of Dean Gegg. In this confession he
distinctly stated that not he but somebody
else had shot Watson, and that one of the
witnesses who had given evidence at the
trial was the person who had chopped the
body of the murdered man into pieces ; but
he stoutly averred that he had nothing to
do with the murder at alL This, in effect,
was all that was said by the prisoner upon
the subject. Last evening they both
retired to rest, and Maroney slept soundly
all night, awaking about five o'clock this
morning, and when his breakfast was
brought to him he made a hearty meal.
When Watkins retired to bed he- requested
to be roused at three o'clock in the morn
ing, and upon a person going into his cell
at that hour to wake him he found that the
prisoner had already risen. Watkins then
devoted the whole of his time to reading the
Bible and to prayer until six o'clock, when
Dean Gegg visited him, and remained with
him for an hour. His breakfast he was
unable to eat, taking mearly a mouthful of
food. At seven o'clock Father MarteUi
visited- Maroney, ami at twenty minutes
to eight .two- Sisters of -Mercy also
called, upon hint. At seven minutes to
eight the? immtgwna.Tr entered the cell Wat
kins occupied and: proceeded to pinion
him, the operation being- conducted in
perfect sxtence. The prisoner was then
led out into- the corridor, and, preceded by
the Dean reading- the opening sentence of
the Anglican Burial Service, he marched on
to the execution-yard- When- the doomed
man had taken his place on, the drop the
executioner drew the cap over his head and
adjusted the fataS noose round; has neck, but
at the request of the Dean the- noose was
loosened in order to- enable the prisoner to
speak. The Dean then laid Ms right hand
on the prisoner's shoulder^ aaid, said,
' Watkins, I have to aafcif you sfcHl adhere to
the statement you made to us yesterday, to
the effect that Maroney spoke falsely when
he said that you had shot Watson ?' To
this question Watkins replied in a. loud, firm,
and distinct voice, ' I do-. Sir 1' The Dean
then shook T»fm by the* hand, and said,
« May the Lord have mercy upon yoursoul.'
The executioner then drew the -bolt, and
the unhappy man was launched into eternity.
Death appeared to be almost instantaneous,
as only a slight quivering of the lower limbs
was perceptible after ins tail. Just as the
poor wretch stood on the drop be turned his
head to take his last look at the heavens
above him; when
It seemed as that mild and clear bine sky
Smiled upon all things far and nigh*
On oil save the wretch condemned to- die.
After having been allowed to hang- for
rather more than half-an-honr the body was
cut down, and -was laid, in the coffin provided
for that purpose. The drop was then re
adjusted, a new rope was fastened to the
gallows beam, and at a quarter to nine the
dismal sound of the prison bell again
'tolling* a living man's knell' was to be
heard. Those standing in the execution
yard soon, heard the footsteps of the second
mournful procession approaching the fatal
spot, when, taming round, they saw
From forth that open door,
They come ; he steps that threshhold o'er.
Who shall never step o'er threshhold more.
Mark the glances of that wild despairing- eye.
Now turned on the crowd, now bent on the sky,
As though it were searching in doubt and fear,
The path of the spirit's unknown career.
Those pinioned arms — those hands that n'er
Shall be lifted again, not even in prayer.
Father MarteUi then took his place on
the scaffold, reading the last prayers for a
soul at the point of death ; while the execu
tioner adjusted the rope around Maroney's
neck. When this had been done the Sheriff
said, 'Maroney, is there anything yon
wish to say ?' «* No, Sir,' replied the poor
wretch, ' no further than this. I wish to
thank you for your kindness to me while I
have been here, and I want you to pray for
my souL I thank all the officers for the
Mnd way they have treated me, and I beg
them to pray for me. And ? '
At this point the Sheriff gave the fatal
signal, when
The bolt was drawn r and the spirit had gone ;
For weal or for woe was known bnt to One
O God ! 'twas a fearsome sight, ah me !
A deed to shudder at, not to see.
A few spasmodic muscular contractions,
and all was over. By the death of these two
men 'the land had been cleared from the
pollution of blood;' a most foul murder
had been avenged; and the exacting require
ments of human justice had been satisfied.
An inquest was held upon the two bodies
afterwards, the Jury being composed of
Messrs. H. E. Strickland, A. Silvester, and
J. C Chipper; when the verdict, usual in
such cases, was returned, to the effect that
the deceased men. had suffered death in
accordance with law.
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