that a butcher residing at Kirkby-Steven, having got up about five in
the morning, saw passing his house, two strangers, who appeared to have
walked a great distance, as they were evidently fatigued and foot-sore;
and on that account he took more notice of their persons than he would
otherwise have done. About two hours afterwards he went to a barber's
shop, and whilst he was there, the constable of Kirkby-Steven came in
with a hand-bill which had been sent from Worsley, containing a
description of the persons of the M'Keands, which he read to the people
in the barber's shop. On hearing it, the butcher immediately said, that
it corresponded exactly with the men he had seen passing his house some
time before; and as those persons appeared to have come a long way, he
had no doubt they were the men. Some conversation ensued about following
them; and at length the constable, and a publican named Farraday, a very
stout and resolute man, set out on horseback in pursuit of them, about
three hours after they had passed the butcher's shop. Monday being the
market-day at Kirkby-Steven, a number of people were coming towards the
town, and from them the constable and his companion learnt that the
objects of their pursuit were before them, on the road to Appleby. After
they had gone some miles, the horse which the publican rode became
unable to proceed, and he exchanged horses with the constable, who did
not appear quite so anxious to come in contact with the men. The
publican, however, pushed on, and when he got within about three miles
of Appleby, saw them before him on the road; Alexander, the taller,
walking first, and Michael about fifty yards behind him. After
scrutinising their persons a little, and satisfying himself that they
answered the description in the hand-bill, he rode forward to the next
public-house, which was a short distance, where he dismounted, and
waited the coming of Alexander, whom he immediately accosted, "You seem
to have walked a long way, sir. Will you take a glass of ale?" Alexander
unsuspectingly accepted the invitation, and walked into the house,
followed by Farraday, who immediately seized him, saying, "You are my
prisoner;" and at the same time he was laid hold of by two men who were
in attendance. Farraday then went to the door to apprehend Michael, who
was outside, when Alexander having recovered from the momentary surprise
which at first overpowered him, broke loose by a desperate effort from
the two men, and came rushing from the house. Farraday, on hearing the
two men in the house call out, "He is off," immediately turned round,
when he met Alexander coming out of the door, and instantly felled him
to the ground with a blow of his fist; and fortunate it was for himself,
that he was so prompt and decisive; for Alexander had, at that time, a
loaded pistol in his pocket; and there is little doubt that he would
have used it if he had had an opportunity. As soon as he was secured a
second time, and again handed over to the men, with an injunction to be
more careful of him, the publican again went out, to wait for Michael,
who came up immediately. With him, the publican did not make use of any
stratagem, but seized him at once by the collar. Michael raised a stick
which he carried, as if for the purpose of striking him; but before he
could execute his purpose, Farraday tripped up his heels, and threw him
upon the ground. A violent struggle then ensued, in which Michael
repeatedly kicked Farraday, and bit him severely upon the hand. He was,
however, finally overpowered, and being forced into the house, the two
brothers were tied together with a rope, and a chaise being sent for,
they were conveyed to Appleby.
The prisoners having been subsequently examined in the presence of
Blears, appeared to be greatly dejected and agitated, and they were
eventually committed to Lancaster Castle for trial.
It was not until the 17th August that they took their trial, and then
the facts which we have detailed having been stated in evidence, a
verdict of Guilty was returned. The defence set up was that the
prisoners were intoxicated, and that they never contemplated the
commission of murder; but the plea was unavailing, and sentence of death
was immediately passed.
During Friday night and Saturday morning after the trial, the Reverend
R. Rowley, the chaplain of the Castle, visited them, and found Michael
much altered in appearance. He persisted in his statement, that he was
not the man who stabbed Mrs. Blears, and declared that he knew nothing
of his brother's murderous intention until all was over. He requested
pens, ink, and paper, and wrote several letters to females of his
acquaintance, and during the forenoon he had interviews with two women.
After this the Reverend Divine exhorted him to prayer, but he seemed
reckless, and declared again that he was perfectly innocent, and ought
not to suffer, insinuating that his brother had alone perpetrated the
foul crime. In consequence of this some inquiries were made, and Mrs.
Blears was again questioned as to the identity of Michael; but she
persisted in declaring that he was the man that she met on the stairs
(while running to the assistance of the murdered woman), and that his
was the hand that wounded her.
Alexander M'Keand had long since prepared himself for the worst, and had
fixed his attention entirely upon religious exercises. Upon being
informed of the statements of his unhappy brother, he exclaimed, "Oh,
God, forgive him! he is guilty, and well he knows it; it was he who
stabbed Mrs. Blears below stairs, while I murdered the woman above in
the room, for which I hope God will forgive me--I was drunk when I did
it." He declined stating anything as to his motives, and it was judged
prudent not to disturb him by further questions. The wretched man
appeared to possess much determination and firmness of nerve, and
throughout the whole of the last awful scene was calm and penitent. He
declined seeing any person, and expressed a wish not to be disturbed by
any visitor whatsoever; and begged the reverend chaplain to have it made
known that it was his first crime, as it had been circulated that he had
been concerned in a murder and robberies before. On Sunday the unhappy
brothers met in the chapel for the first time since their condemnation,
but Michael averted his head, and seemed desirous of avoiding any
conversation or notice of Alexander. They were placed in a pew by
themselves.
At six o'clock on Monday morning the criminals were led to the chapel,
and received the sacrament, and remained at prayer for above an hour.
Alexander exclaimed, "Oh, God, have mercy on me," almost incessantly.
Michael was quite sullen, and seemed scarcely able to stand or walk. A
few minutes after seven o'clock, they were pinioned, and the under
sheriff and his officers entered the chapel and demanded the culprits.
Mr. Thomas Higgins, the governor, caused the M'Keands to advance to the
chapel door, and withdrew a few paces; the procession then moved from
the chapel to the place of execution, at the exterior of the
north-western part of the castle. Michael walked with a hesitating step,
and appeared dreadfully dismayed. Alexander was more collected, and his
lips appeared as if moving in silent prayer.
At half-past seven o'clock precisely, a window which opens on hinges as
a door, and which led immediately to the scaffold, opened, and the
moment of expiation had arrived--no bell tolled, nor was there any other
funeral rite to mark the approach of the murderers' death; all was
conducted with imposing silence, and not a murmur of pity appeared to
escape from the crowd. Everything being arranged, the caps were drawn
over the culprits eyes; the chaplain read a part of the burial-service,
the drop fell, and the wretched men were launched into eternity. After
their bodies had hung the usual time, they were cut down and delivered
over to the surgeons for dissection.
It would appear that these unfortunate brothers were born of poor
parents, and that they pursued the occupation of hawkers as affording a
means of procuring a living. Alexander was a hawker of tea, and was well
known in the neighbourhood of the place where the murder was committed.
His brother's district lay in another part of the county. Their mother
and sister lived at Byrom-place, Winton, and received a communication
from the culprits on the morning of the murder, through the medium of a
Mrs. Stewart, with whom they were all acquainted, informing them that
they were quite safe and had secured their escape, and accounting for
the murder by declaring that they had only acted in their own defence,
and that they had been attacked by Blears, the landlord.
A circumstance occurred about a week before the murder which may,
perhaps, throw some light upon the motives which dictated it. An action
had been brought against Alexander M'Keand some time before, for a debt
due to a man named Claworth, a farmer, residing near Eccles; in
consequence of which, he called upon the attorney who had brought it,
and offered to pay the debt if it could be proved to be due. The
attorney told him, that if he would call upon him on Saturday, he would
produce a witness who would prove the debt. He did call; and they
produced Blears, who distinctly stated that he had heard Alexander admit
that he owed the money. Alexander denied that he had made any such
admission, and, as we are informed, uttered some violent and threatening
language towards Blears.
It appears to be impossible to ascribe any other motive for the
commission of the murder than this; and even this anecdote can afford no
solution of the mystery why the servant-woman was first attacked, unless
their object was to dispose of the whole of the family, in order that
their identification as the murderers might be concealed.
CHARLES THOMAS WHITE.
EXECUTED FOR ARSON.
This unfortunate young man, who was executed at the early age of
twenty-three for the heinous crime of arson, was born of respectable
parents, and having received a good education, was brought up to the
business followed by his father--that of a bookseller. His father died
when he was yet young, but his mother continued to carry on the shop
which her late husband had opened at No. 265, High Holborn, near Red
Lion-street, with a view to its future occupation by his son. Young
White was respectably married at the early age of twenty-two, and then
he received a sum of 800_l._ to commence business on his own account,
besides a settlement on his wife of 1000_l._, producing 65_l._ a year,
and a further interest in 4000_l._, which would fall to him on the death
of his wife's mother. Although thus comfortably situated, however, he
was guilty of a crime of the most diabolical nature, which cost him his
life, and which had for its object the destruction of his own premises,
and a consequent fraud upon the Insurance Office.
It appears that the unhappy young man made three attempts to secure his
object; but although considerable injury was done on each occasion, he
failed in attaining the end which he had in view to the full extent of
his intention. The house in which he resided was too large for his
purposes, and a portion of it was therefore let off to a Mr. Lazarus,
whose family consisted of his grandmother, his sister, and a servant.
The prisoner also had a servant named Catherine Taylor, but he had no
family except his wife.
In the month of September 1823, a policy of insurance was effected by
the prisoner's mother in the British Fire Insurance Company, upon the
furniture and stock in the house, respectively for the sums of 400_l._
and 600_l._; but on the 30th of May 1826, young White, without any
assignable cause, increased the amount of the policy to 3500_l._ Within
two months after this, the house was discovered to be on fire; but Mr.
Lazarus having been alarmed, he jumped up, and on proceeding down
stairs, he found his servant in a position which induced him to suppose
that she was in some way a party to the wilful firing of the house. He
for the time concealed his suspicions, but on the morning of the 5th of
August the house was again discovered to be in flames. The girl was on
this occasion found by her master near the place where the fire had
commenced, almost entirely dressed; and his fears being now much
excited, Mr. Lazarus caused her to be taken into custody. She underwent
several examinations before the magistrates of Marlborough-street
Police-office; but the evidence adduced against her was of a nature so
inconclusive as to leave great doubts as to her guilt, and she was
discharged. Evidence was soon after this obtained which proved her
innocence, and the guilt of one of the persons at whose instance she was
conveyed before the magistrates, namely, Mr. White. The fire on this
occasion, it appears, happened between one and two o'clock in the
morning. Mr. Lazarus was at that time aroused from his sleep by a strong
sense of suffocation, and on rising from his bed, he ran down stairs,
and found that flames were issuing from a cupboard situated under the
stairs leading to the first floor. An alarm had already been given
outside the house, and some watchmen had assembled, and by their aid the
fire was extinguished. When tranquillity had been in some degree
restored, a search was made with a view to ascertain the cause of the
conflagration, and the remains of two links, partly consumed, were
discovered. White, on this, expressed his belief to Lazarus that the
servant of the latter had wilfully set the house on fire, and she was,
as we have already mentioned, given into custody. After her first
examination, Mr. White suggested that it would be useless to follow up
the prosecution, as he did not believe the girl had had the links; but
on his being questioned, he denied all knowledge of them himself. The
investigation of the case was intrusted to a very active and meritorious
officer named Furzeman, and after the examination of the girl, the
affair having been much talked of, it was at length discovered that a
person very like White himself had purchased some links at the house of
a Mr. Bradford, in Broad-street, St. Giles's. While the inquiry was
still proceeding, on Wednesday the 4th of October 1825, a third fire
broke out on the same premises. At this time the only persons sleeping
in the house were Mr. White and his wife, and their servant Catherine
Taylor. Mrs. White had retired to bed early in consequence of
indisposition, and the servant went to sleep in her mistress's room at
eleven o'clock at night, Mr. White then going to another apartment. At
about one o'clock, an alarm of fire was raised, and the stairs were
found to be in flames. Mrs. White suggested that some assistance should
be demanded from the street; but her husband refused to consent to such
a course, and conducted the two females to a trap-door in the roof of
the garret, through which they made their escape, abandoning the house
to its fate. The watch in the mean time had discovered the fire, and
bursting open the street-door, they succeeded in extinguishing the
flames. Further inquiries were now made, and upon the examination of the
girl Taylor, it was ascertained that she had found a considerable
quantity of turpentine, which was kept for her use, thrown over a
hearth-rug in the parlour a day or two before the fire; and other facts
were elicited, from which it became perfectly evident that the fire was
the effect of design and not of accident, and that very great pains had
been taken, by the distribution of combustibles in various parts of the
lower rooms of the house, to secure the complete destruction of the
premises. White was subsequently seen by Mr. Bradford, the oilman, in a
dress similar to that worn by the man by whom the links had been
purchased at his house, and then he immediately identified him as the
person to whom he had sold them. Mr. White was on this taken into
custody, and the circumstances above related having been proved in
evidence before the magistrates, he was committed to Newgate.
At the sessions held at the Old Bailey on the 31st of October, the
prisoner was indicted for the offence with which he stood charged, and
the jury returned a verdict that he was guilty. His defence consisted
only of a denial of the facts alleged against him, and he heard the
finding of the jury delivered without much emotion. At the conclusion of
the session he received sentence of death, in common with the other
capital convicts; and he then urged upon the court the improbability of
the charge, and suggested that his condition was such as to render it
most unlikely that for the profit which he should derive, he should
commit so diabolical an offence. The unfortunate man subsequently made
representations to government, with a view to procure a commutation of
his sentence; but although considerable exertions were made in his
favour, an order for his execution on the 2nd of January 1827 was
received at Newgate on the 20th of December. The wretched man, who had
been constantly attended in jail by his young wife, was dreadfully
affected at receiving the fatal intelligence.
The subsequent conduct of the convict was such as ill befitted his awful
situation. The bare contemplation of the moment of execution completely
unmanned him, and instead of applying himself to religious exercises, he
sat day after day brooding over his past life, and occasionally starting
upon his feet, bitterly inveighed against his sentence. He had from the
time of his trial persisted in denying his guilt; but at length he
confessed that he was rightly charged and convicted, pleading in excuse
that he was of unsound mind at the time. On his finding that his
execution was inevitable, he had recourse to many ingenious measures to
procure his escape, and it was discovered that he had some powerful
auxiliaries, both among his fellow-prisoners, and his friends without
the jail. Ground for suspicion of the design was first given by an
intercepted letter; and at this time the prisoner occupied a cell which,
from its position, was most favourable for his project. It was situated
close to the outer wall of the prison, and could he but have removed the
iron bars of the window, he might easily have reached the parapet, by
means of a rope ladder, and descended into Newgate street. A ladder was
actually made of black sewing-thread, firmly and curiously wattled,
which must have been the work of very considerable time: but the
difficulty of removing the window-bars was found by the prisoner to be
insurmountable without the aid of instruments. It is almost needless to
say, that on the discovery of the scheme, the most minute watch was kept
over the movements of the prisoner and his coadjutors. Frequent and
anxious inquiries were observed to be made by White for a pair of shoes,
which did not appear to be wanted; and when they arrived, they were
examined; and spring saws, capable of cutting through iron bars without
making any noise, were found sewed up between the upper and lower soles.
The wretched man was now made acquainted with the frustration of his
plans, and he at once admitted his intention, and spoke of the
practicability of his scheme with much pride and satisfaction.
On the fatal morning the prisoner was conducted from his cell to the
press-room by the sheriffs' assistants, when he declared that he was
quite prepared, and had but one request to make before he died. Some
hesitation was exhibited in answering him, when he said, that he had a
wish that his arms should not be bound with ropes, but with a
handkerchief, which he had prepared for that purpose. A short conference
took place between the sheriff (Winchester) and the governor of the
jail, and his request was acceded to; but he soon exhibited the design
with which he had made it. Upon the executioner proceeding to pinion his
hands, he made an effort, by keeping his wrists asunder, and by raising
his left hand on a level with his right wrist, to procure the cord to be
as slack as possible; but his object being seen, some assistance was
procured, and his hands were firmly tied together, notwithstanding his
struggling. The worthy ordinary remonstrated with him upon the
impropriety of such conduct; but his only answer was, that he was hurt
by the cords with which he was bound. Upon the handkerchief, which he
had produced, being placed round his arms, it was found to be too small,
and a second was taken from his pocket, to add to it. He complained that
his eyes would be uncovered, if this were used for the purpose proposed;
and his intention to procure the liberation of his arms being at length
clearly visible, he was pinioned with a cord in the customary manner. On
this he became much affected, and wept bitterly. At length the
procession moved on to the scaffold, and the wretched man mounted the
platform at twenty minutes past eight, with a faltering and unsteady
step. On the executioner and his assistant now approaching him in such a
way as to convince him of their firmness, he became dreadfully agitated,
and he raised his arms and extended his chest, as if desirous to burst
the cords. In the attempt he loosened the bandages round his wrists; and
on the cap being drawn over his face, his terror seemed to increase. No
sooner had the executioner left him, than he suddenly raised his arms,
and by a violent movement pushed off the cap; and accompanying this act
with a motion of the body, he made a strong effort to liberate his neck
from the halter. Two assistant executioners were now called; and having
approached the unhappy man, they held him, while the cap was again
placed over his face and tied with a handkerchief. The miserable wretch
during the whole of this time was struggling with the most determined
violence, and the scene excited the strongest expressions of horror
among the crowd. Upon his being again left, he advanced from the spot on
which he had been placed, until he had got his feet nearly off the drop,
and had rested them on the firm part of the platform; and almost at the
same moment he succeeded in tearing the handkerchief from his eyes. The
outraged feelings of the assembled populace were still to be excited by
a more frightful exhibition than they had yet witnessed. The accustomed
signal having been given, the drop sunk; but the wretched man, instead
of falling with it, suddenly jumped upon the platform, and seizing the
cord round his throat with his hands, which he had sufficiently loosened
by the violence of his struggles, he made an effort to prolong that life
to which he seemed to be so strongly attached. At this moment the
spectacle was horrifying in the extreme. The convict was partly
suspended, and partly resting on the platform. During his exertions, his
tongue had been forced from his mouth, and the convulsions of his body
and the contortions of his face were truly appalling. The cries from the
crowd were of a frightful description, and they continued until the
executioner had forced the wretched man's hand from the cord, and having
removed his feet from the platform, had suffered his whole weight to be
sustained by the rope. The distortions of his countenance could even now
be seen by the crowd, and as he remained suspended with his face
uncovered, the spectacle was terrific. The hangman at length terminated
his sufferings by hanging to his legs, and the unhappy wretch was seen
to struggle no more.
A woman named Amelia Roberts was executed with White, and her conduct
and demeanour formed a striking contrast to that of her fellow
sufferer.
WILLIAM BURT.
EXECUTED FOR THE MURDER OF HIS INFANT SON.
The trial of this melancholy case took place at Lewes on the Home
Circuit, on Friday the 5th January 1827.
The prisoner at this time was only twenty-eight years of age, and the
indictment alleged that he had been guilty of the wilful murder of his
son, Isaac Burt, by stabbing him with a shoemaker's knife, at Brighton,
on the 22nd of August, in the preceding year.
From the evidence adduced to sustain the prosecution, it appeared that
the prisoner was married to his wife, a fine young woman, in July 1825.
He then became a toll-collector at Long Ditton; but his wife and he did
not live happily together, and at Christmas in the same year he
quarrelled with her and cruelly beat her with a poker. From that time
she did not live with him, although repeatedly solicited by him so to
do. At the end of May, the child whose murder led to the present
indictment was born, and the mother went to Ditchelling workhouse,
taking the infant with her. On the 20th of August the poor woman went to
live at the house of Mrs. Young at Brighton. Two days subsequently the
prisoner called to see her; he was refused admission, but forced his way
to the room in which she was with her child, and in a paroxysm of rage
stabbed her repeatedly with a knife, and also inflicted several mortal
wounds on the child which was in her arms. She rushed out of the house
with her murdered babe, and the prisoner was secured.
The prisoner, in his defence, stated that his marriage with his wife was
one arising from pure love. Shortly afterwards, however, she became cool
in her demeanour, and admitted that she did not like him, but that her
affections were fixed on another object, a naval officer, whom she had
known before. She subsequently left him; and tortured by jealousy, which
was confirmed by a letter he detected her writing, commencing with the
words "My dear," he determined to wound her in such a way as to render
her disagreeable in the eyes of her lover. For this purpose he went to
her on the 22nd of August, but he declared that he had not the slightest
intention to kill his child.
The jury nevertheless returned a verdict of Guilty, and the wretched
prisoner was sentenced to be executed at Horsham on the following
Monday.