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LOCAL NEWS. I-"._._

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I , EXECUTION OF WILLIAM JACKSON…

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EXECUTION OF WILLIAM JACKSON AT i CHESTER. On the first committal of the prisoner to the Castle, very bitter feelings existed between him and his wife; but, through the interventioa of the Chaplain, a reconciliation was effected at an in- terview which tor>k place between them about a fortnight before the assizes. After this affecting meeting, Mrs Jackson returned with her two child, ren to Manchester. As the prisoner did not expect his trial to come on until next March, the announcement of the Winter Assize took him by surprise. • -Notwithstanding his usual appearance of tnical indifference the wretched man was fully- conscious of his awful position, and it ia believed has felt deep contrition for his crime, and sought for pardon through the merits of his Saviour. lIe had fully anticipated the sentence of denth, and wns no sooner removed from the dockin which bo received it than he acknowledged its justice He was a- ways most attentive to the ministrations of tile I chaplain, and grateful for them. Since hi, con- yiction, he was visited by several of the local clergy in kind compliance with the request of the chaplain, who were satisfied with the state of Lis mind ii-.i.er the dreadful circumstances in which they saw him. On '1 '1'\ \i.r j On Friday morning Mr. Thomas Wright, the visitor of condemned criminal!, arrived in Chester, i bringing with him the prisoner's children. He had expressed a wish to see them, but their mother having no means with which to bring them, they had been left behind. This mornintr, however, Mr. AV right brought them, and he at once introduced himself to the Rev. Air. Kilnez-, the chaplain. They repaired to the convict's cell, but Mr. Wright did not in any way attend ministerially, and, therefore, at such a late hour in the criminal's life, he in no way interfered with the chaplain's proceedings. At the conclusion of the chapel service on Fri- day morning, the chaplain, assisted by the chaplain of the city gaol, administered the sacrament to the wretched ciiminal; and in the afternoon his wife and children attended at the Castle to bid their lsng adieu. The scene was one of the most dica.J- fully affecting nature. The feelings of Mrs. Jack- son were excited to a fearful pitch, but the prisoner seemed almost as outwardly indifferent to the cir- cumstances around him as lie had been since his conviction. At the city gaol ovsry arrangement was com- pleted on Friday, and by 4 o'clock in the afternoon the apparatus was erected, and the fatal links were dangling over the platform. During the greater part of Friday numbers of idlers were lounging in front of the prison, watching the erection of the I terrible apparatus of death. At midnight, the Sheriff and his officer, with the gaoler and chief constable, arrived at the Castle to demind the body of the prisoner, in order to take him to execution. Notice was given to the pri- soner that the city nuthorities were waiting for him, and he imincdiatelv divested himself of his prison dress and put on his own clothes. The Chaplain hero, in the presence of several of the prison ofli.-ials, offered up p: ayer, and all pre- sent were deeply affected. After bidding adieu to the officials, he was placed in the cab standing at the Castle door, and at his own request was accompanied by oue of the ward- ers of the prison, the governor of the gaol,and by the Rev. Mr. Ulner. The cab was rapidly driven down through Stanley-place, and by 20 minutes past twelve o'clock the prisoner arrived at the city gaol. The door was instantly opened, and the prisoner almost ran up the walk and went with an elastic step up the stairs to a cell which is usually ap- propriated to the use of convicts, where he presen- ted a very slightly different appearance to that ex- hibitcd ou his trial. He looked rather pale and j | haggard. The chaplain at once entcied into re- ligious exercises and continued to read and prav until the prisoner in half an hour began to dose. He soon aftei wards requested to ilfresh- ment, and he partook of one thin slice of bread and buttrr, and a gJass of wine. After that he drank a glass of brandy and water, and smoked a short pipe, conversing the while about casual topics. Ho soon afterwards fell asleep and remained so for half an hour, when he awoke, and the Hov. M.r. Kilner, who was in the prison all night, .gain visi- ted him. At -1 o'clock he asked for some refreshment, and he heartily ate some bread, butter, bam, and beef, and paitook of some coffec. At half-past four o'lloel: the prisoner again fell asleep, ami snored soundly and seemingly comfortable luti1 the clock had struck six, when he awoke aud asked for more brandy and water, during the drinking of which he again sm. ked his pipe. The morning was dark, cold, and damp; hut Ions before 6 o'clock easrer spectators wen: asseni- j bled in front of the City Gaol. At a qautter ba- fore 8 o'clock the prisoner was r(i,.ii to the cha- pel, where portions of the burial service were read to the prisoner, who tiirough nit the proceedings was deeply affected, and se ireely a dry eye was to be teen. As s&on as the service was C,¡Hc!UI!CÚ a procession was formed to the pressroom, where Calcraft was introduced, and tne culprit was pini- oned in the manner employed at Marley's execu- tion last week. Not a muode did the prisoner move during the operation. With a firm step he ascended the drop, and Cilcraft ia an ins-ant drew down the enp and adjusted the rope. The chaplain th-n asked the culprit whether he died con!s.vng liis sins. lie said, "I do." The chaplain sm-.I, May the Lord Jesu3 receive your s-,it-it H bye, Jackson." and. shaking hands with him tired. Jackson cried three times, L id have mereV on zlie !# Arne was tied round the and the bolt h". ing drawn, the drop fell, and ?n a sec od tk.- happy man ceased to exist, ic.-t a :!t.:U;:g"1 perceptible. The crowds, which wore immense, behaved in the most orderly manner, and the only interrup:.1 .r! that occurred was caused by some persons preach- ing so loudly as t) annoy the prisoner whilst at his devotions. After the body bad hung an hour it was cut down tmd depoitMI in the prison, prior to its removal back to the Castle for interment, and the multi- tude quietly dispersed on the termination of the terrible ordeal. During his imprisonment, Jacksan, comnitinict- tell his thoughts and feelings most freely b Mr. W. J. Berdessa, one of the warders in the castle, who has been in attendance upon him, and with whom he had been acquainted from boyhood as they were school-mates together. The culprit frequently talked to him about the circumstances connected with his crime and on Friday night, before his final removal to the city gaol, he made the follow- ing confession— A statement AYilliam Jackson marle to me, in his cell, previous to his removal to the City Gaol to be executed. "I was walking about for two days without food, and at night I slept under a hay-stack until 1 I began to feel poorly I then. went and told Mrs. Rogers, who keeps the Coach and Horses, in thud. bridge, how I was situated. She told me I could sleep by their fireside, as it would be better than alec-ping out of doors. I thanked her for her kind- ness. I bad not been there more than three day: when my sister's husband sent the two children to me; it was on the 27th of September; it was a very wet day it rained all day long; he lent them without shoes or stockings, in the rain, and told the girl w ho brought them to turn them into the house where I was stopping and leave them. I told the oirl she should not have brought them there, but to take them back, but she ran away I ran after her, but could not catch her; I had been drinking, so I was quite done over at the time. Mrs. R-gcrs said she could not have thorn there; I said I did not WAnt. her. My feelings were quite done over. I then went out of the house and went up to the garden, and saw the pit; a thought struck me—the children would be better there than j to be starved and knocked about, and the winter coming on. I then went back to Rogers' I (rot & 'm')U knife out ofthe jug on the sheif, and shar- a !im'l tn.:fe. out 0 t:w J'tbOil th" sheil, and shlíl'- pened it; it is a sm?tl knife Mrs. Rogers got of a nnhtlam:m; you will easily kiuw it, bec.n?a it is  the only one of the kind ia the house, and it has 1 h. 'j I mark's on the hand l e. I took the little girlaud i went up Eaton-road and across Iloldsm's tiel,l to the pit; I then cut her throat and throw her into the bole there was ?.me water in it; I am sura she was da. before I put h.r down she s?rug?led ¡ a Idle. I then wcat back and fetched the bov; ? I wok him the same road to the pit, and cet his throat; I then put him on the top of his sister, and covered them with some soil. I pulled threa ap- pleit off a tree and put them in my hat; I then k I) d t t' went ba?k to Rogers', and put the knifa in be jug and gave Mr<. Rogc!* the apples. And mMuy times did I cut my dinner with the s.?me knife afterwards. I could not rest day nor night. I have been to the pit many times al 10 aud I I i 'c'iuck at night, and three or four times a-day. Until I was taken, all my thoughts wa-e to give iwyself up, and hAPPY was the day I was taken, and more so when I was eoiidemued, M I knew it was a just reward lor all my sins. I hope it will be a warning to others to avoid coming to such a wretched end as me." Jackson likewise described the manner of the murders by saying—" I got the girl between my legs and cut her throat, her thumb was cut by her getting her arm loose while struggling; the little boy did not struggle in the loait. After the murder I had thoughts of remoying the bodies to another pliee." WiLHAM JAMBS BORDESSA, Warder Chester Calitle." harder Cheater C?tle." j The above particulars were partially corroborated j in a statement made to the chaplain after bis re- nioval to the City Gaol, but when asked as to the disposal of the knife, he said lie did not know what had become of it, as at the time of the murder he was not aware what he was °

I-MURDER AT BIRKENHEAD.

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