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£ » 1 t," Full Text. "I SMOTHERED IT IN THE TR IN." OEAD WOMAN'S LIFE STORY. Mrs. Rhoda Willis (known as Leslie ames), the Splott murderess, was «xocuted at Cardiff Gaol at eight o'clock this morning. The executioners were the Brothers Pierpont. Her crime was the murder of a Fkyu- Her cr i me war do-Li,s infant given into her charge for adoption. The wretdhed woman made a statement which amounts to a clear confession of murder, and this will satisfy any doubt which may have existed as to the justice of the verdict of murder MRS. RHODA WILLIS (Known as Mrs. Leslie James), THE FIRST CONFESSION MtS. Will's first confessed to a fellow prisoner, who managed to get into conver- sa-tion with her in the prison, 800 said:- I thought once of drown.ing it in a bath, but afterwards decided to smother it. I squeezed it hard, and gome white ist-,Ifr oozed from its mouth. I then wrapped it up tightly, and hid it. I FULL CONFESSION Made to Mr Harold Lloyd In accordance with a peremptory sum- rnona received from the Governor at mid- night on Tuesday. Mr. Harold Lloyd arrived at tho prison a few minmitee before six o'clock this morning, having come from Lavernock. At the time there was present only one policeman and the Evening Express" representative. Shortly afterwards Inspector Burke arrived, and about half-a- dozen spectators were present. At lly i minutes to seven the chaplain (the Rev. Arthur Pugb) arrived on a bicycle and entered the priaon. Mr. Harold Lloyd came out of the prison, at seven minutes paet eight o'clock, bearing indications of deep mental distress. Interviewed by an Evening Express re- presentative, he said that, although the did not see the aotnal execution, he was more convinced than ever that the law at capital punishment was inihvtman and barbarous. What vfiSs the o'b;tsot erf the summons which you received from the condemned v,oman-P" it was to enable her to make a full con- 1\ fession of her guilt. When I got into the prison about ten minutes to six I bad to wait until More. Willis had been informed of my arrival. Aboinb 6.15 o clock I was I u6hered into the condemned ceil, and found Mrs. Wiilie nearly prostrate. Upon seeing- me she Completely Broke Down but socm aJterwards recovered sufficiently to thank me for having come, as she stwd, "in response to a dying woman's wish." "Upon aeking her," continued Mr. Lloyd, "what I couild do for her, she stated, Aral of all, thtut sh- VRLA I weitpr her will in two or three respects, end I then i-reut down and pirepaied a freiah deed, which was eagned by her aaid a<tteeftcd by prison officials. tshe then ete»ted tNt6t she had one important state- ment to make, and the terms of that state- ment are otaarfSy imprinted an my memory. ■She eaid I wish to ttSl you that I cannot go 00 my death with a cleat- conscience without telling you that I wilfiiMy kitted the child. I I Killed It in the train between Llanishen and Oar- diff. A sadden temptation came over me, a-nd I could not resist it. L particularly want those who tried me, and especially the judge, toknlOW that I was quite guilty, as I should not like to die with any possible chance of them think- ing that I was iMiooemt. It has been a great comfort to me to tell you this, and I can now die with a clear conscience. I Broke Down Again "She then," donoluded Mr. Lloyd, who was o.p n his way back to Penarth, "shook me by Ahe hand excitediy and again broke down. The interview ended at 7.10 o'clock, having lasted nearly half an hoUr. This complete confession bears out the truth of the former confession to a fellow prisoner, whic hthe "EveMRg- Express" was able to publish exclusively in ite first edition this morning. I THE EXECUTION I I Scene on the Scaffold I We are able to give absolutely authentic flet-ails of the events inside the piison walls. The condemned woman slept very reet- tesisly, awakening in fits and starte through- out the night; but she slept heavily between four and six o'clock, when ahe had to be awakened by the wardresses in attendance. Bhe was then t-old that Mr. Harold liloyd was in waiting, and she was greatly relied by the information. During the night she had repeatedly been WONDERING Whether He Would Come I In response to her -request. ixaving been dressed in her own ordinary clothes a, black costume—she said she was ready TO receive 'Mr. filoyd, who then entered and bad the interview related elsewhere. After the departure of Mr. Lloyd, a plain breakfast was brought into the cell, but, as might be Supposed, it was hardly touched by the poor woman, who continued In a Moat Agonising I framle of mind, in view of t'he last ebbing minutes of her life. Without delay ahe was, at 7.15 o clook. taken from the wohieil,s condemned oell (where sho had been incarcerated since the sentence) to the men's condemned cell, where an impro- vised altar had bee-n set up. The Holy Table Was embellished with beautiful flow-ro, and here the ohaplain (the Rev. Arthur Pugh), who felt the position most keenly, adminis- tered to his charge the Sacrament. No words can describe too graphically the pathos of this scene, the central figure being the miserable woman, soon to be Hurled Into Eternity kneeling penitently and Eupplic.at.ing to her Walter for His merciful acceptance of her repentance. At seven o'clock tmo Brothers Pierpont were awakened and given hreakfiast at 7,20 o'clock in the mess-room near the gateway. At ten minutes to Plight o clock the executioners, with set faces, calm, and methodical, entered the call, and there found their charge I Kneeling Revarnntix/ w "J brfore the altar and engaged in earnest prayer. When they toucned her on the arm she was startled, and rose slowly in a damd fasJIiryn. The look of terror that she bestowed upon her disturbed after sllt had mentally grasped the situation, and fathomed their identity, will assuredly never be effaced from the memory of those around. She stood up with lamb-like eubinifsivenees, for the bI"Others to pinion her arms, but it was evi- dont that who vrns suffering I The Most Excruciating ago"Y. At t},is time, those who were t.,akt, ^jlt in the funeral procession, we-re v^itiri^ in readiness in the corridor outside t,lic'  and a '?''? was ??t°'y mart* F"'?t c?m? two waj-?rs, fo?owcd by t,wo other pna'!n olFicials; then tJIe surplieed ch,ap, ai. n, rrecHiilg the opening sentences of the lBurial »jervic3: "I am the Eesun-ection ami the LiSe, ea-ith the Lord: he that behevcth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoso-over liveth and bolievtli in me shall never die," &c.-I,aiit,lful words ef hops, but the off which, float- ing through ttra suknee of the scene, was terribly ha,rrowing and significant of the immensity of the tragedy about to be omcted by IIlan, in his lClgal right, against a. defenoctlees, distrtiE^ed, but still attnaclire woman in the bloom of life. Immediately behind the chaplain came the condemned woman Sobbing Pitifully and supported on either side by Mr. D. Bruce the chief warder, and Mr. Eryant, tlie chief assistant-warder. A wardress was the next figure, and then followed the Governor CAIro H. B. LeMeraurier), the ITndsr-Sheriff CMr. A. T. Williams), Dr. J. D. Williame, and one or two subordinate officials. There was only a distance of twenty to thirty yards to traverse to the execution shed, and this the victim of the day walked steadily and with fair control over her emotions. Upon leaving the corridor ard entering the small open yard in which the. ehed is situate, she grave one Steady Appealing Look upwards, a-nd-a happy etnen^—just as she opened her lips to utter something under her breath, the sun shone out most brilliantly and reflected its ra-ys against her beautiful golden tresees of hair, which had at a.11 times attracted the attention of those whose duty it had been to Watch over her. This momen- Itary incident was notked by everyone, and the pat-hos of it was extrmnely affecting. The ■City-hall clock chimed the hour of doom a moment later. Mrs. Willis Walked firmly inside the ehed, without betraying any emotion, and stepped on to the trapdoor, where her feet were placed over a chalk mark. The cider Pierpont pinned her ahkles, whilst the younger placed a White cap a.nd the noose over her heard, and, jumping clear of the trap-door, pulled the lever. Everything worked smoothly, the bolt was shot, and, simultaneously with the movement of the contrivance, the convict, on the brink of eternity, muttefred in low tones her last Woirde: "Lord Jesus, Receive My Soul." All wag over without a hivh--a soul had been hurled to its root, and the law of tho land had been expiated. Dr. Williams want into the pit, and found that death had been practicadly inst-aja-1 Mr. MAGPHEKSON, The Liverpool marine engineer, who visited the condemned woman yesterday. [Western Mail Photo. taneous, and the usual official documents recording the due execution of the law were sign.e,d. It is estimated that not a minute and a. half elapsed between the exit from tiie cell and the shooting of the bolt. "Judgment of Death Close on half-past eight a bearded warder came out with the fateful official message in his hand. On seeing the e3.m.cras and kcdaks levelled at him he shrank back a step, but with a knowing glance at the reporters he popped some tacks in his mouth and proceeded to hairmner up the paper oil the door. With kindly consideration the police-inspec- tor gave the pressmen first glance, and then the crowd like eheep daehed pell-mell from tiha door. rrhis is all they saw.— Decdara,tion of Sheriff and ctbera. 31 Vict., Cap- 22. We, the undersigned, hereby declare the judgment of death was this day exacted on Leslie James in his Majesty's Prison of Cardiff in our presence, Dated this Wth day of August, 1907 (Signed) T. T. Williams (Under-ShcrifF)) Justice of the Peace. H. B. le MeBUrier, Governor flcf th eeaid prison. H. Pugh, CbaplaiiDi. SURGEON'S CERTIFICATE I Just after 8.30 the following certificate of the surgeon wae pewted on the gsiol doors: I, J. D. Williams, the surgeon of Majesty's Prison at Cardiff, hereby deolare that I this day examdnpd the body of Lcelie James, on wthoiii judgment of death was this day drtly executed in the said prison, and that on examination I found that the eaid Leslie Jamea w dead. Dated this 14th of AugTist, 1907. (Sieniaturej J. 1). WJXUJIAJIS.- MJB.

Outside the Prison I

PREVIOUS EXECUTIONS ATI CARDIFF!

Belfast Riots.I

Notes and Selections.

PROBABLE RUNNERS FOR TO-DAY'S…

"EVENING EXPRESS" FINALSj

NEWMARKET NOTES.I

Tips at a Qiartce.

REDCAR MEETING. I

OFFICIAL STARTING PRICES.…

OFFICIAL SCRATCHINGS. I

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DROWNED IN A BATH.I

PONTYPRIDD THEFT CHARGES.i

WATER POLO ROWDYISM. J

TOOK FOUR TO ESCORT HIM.-I

HAPPY RAILWAYMEN. j

Family Notices

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EXTRA JUDGE TO BE CHOSEN

T TRIBESM EN REPULSED WITH,…

I TERRIBLE ATROCITIES.

GENERAL BOOTH'S WELSH TOUR…

I REPORTED ROYAL TOUR IN WALES

SWANSEA DOCTOR & MR. JOHN…

FOOTBALL

IFATHER AND DAUGHTER.

DISLOCATED HIS NECK.

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