MARWOOD AND THE EXECUTION OF MYLES JOYCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6667, 31 March 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

MARWOOD AND THE EXECUTION OF MYLES JOYCE.

A C(ißUK.sroNi>i-;>iT of the Slidl'ield Tulourapli tlius describi-M an interview" lie has juat had with Marivood, th<> executioner, at his residence in Jiui ucaytie. The reporter says : —"1 pat the quaatroii plainly whether it was or wan not a fact that in the oa.se of .Myles Joyce there was «o far wrong that the rope had to be readjusted by the executioner s foot. " What hare you se"ii in the papers ?" he usktxl. I uhowed him the story an told in a semi-local publication. The passage was aa follows :—All the time Casey and Patrick Joyce remained immovable on the dr.-p, and eveu when the white cap waa drawn over their lieatU tlieir iirinutsa (]itl uofc ilt'.i'.-rfc thorn. \\ h<;ij Mylcfl Joyce underwent the same ordeal he paused a moment, but, as if to enable to restrain < himself, he again broke forth into words, aud i

eren as the lever was moved and the bolt was drawn ha waa still spoaking, and died with a protestation of his ianocence on his lips- The etrain upon the beam as the three men dropped was intense, and the dull thud and vibration of the eords waa distinctly heard a considerable distance off the apace. Beneath the drop wa3 all boxed in. so that the bodies instantly dropped out of view. They were scarcely down when Marwood was observed to catch the rope up which Myles Joyce was suspended, and to put down his f ;ot as if to disentangle or rearrange it. Thus he continued doing for a couple of minutes, and the operation, whatever it was, gave him some trouble, for once, he ejaculated distinctly enough to be heard by the reporter, "Bother the fellow." It turned out afterwards that the rope Kail in some way got involv-d with Joyce's arm, and that it was to free that limb that he used his foot and tugged at the rope " No, it's not true," said Marwood. " Those Iri.-h papers do tell such lies." And he went to a little "cupboard," which, it I do not mist ike had once been the oven of a kitchen range, and brought out a sheet of paper with a newspaper clipping newly pasted on. "Look there," he said, "that's a fact. You Fee it states that the jury at Galway wanted to see me, but that the coroner thought it was only curiosity, and would not allow me to be cilled." " Hut reporters aa a rule tell the truth," I interrupted, w.th a regard for the dignity of the pro'esaion. "And it is stated you did stoop down and did say, ' Bother the f-Low.' Is that true ?" The man looked a little coufused, but answered with mora promptness than I had expected, " Well, yes ; I believe f did say -c, You see the fellow was so troublesome. Neither the priest nor me could make him stand. And he threw himself about so, after hia arms were fixed, and the rope got umier hia wrist as it was lix-d across his hreait—you know when they sfcind patiently an 1 properly it always li a loose on their shoulder just before the drop—aud when I looked down the pit he was hanging crossways like. His head was a little to the side, owing to the rope being caught in his arm, aud lie did not hang straight and proper l.ke the other two. Hut he did not suffer anything, auy mora than the others. He was a

r wild, bad-looking fellow, ami kept jabbering , and talking. I cou.'dn't understand a word f of his ' lingo,' aud I don't think the priest i know much of it, for he seemed frightened. 3 But there was enough force of the rope on his neck to finish him in a very little timo. He was dead as soon as tho others, though _ the doctor said lie was 'strangulated.' I locked myself and I did see that his neck 1 was nut broken." I here ventured to menr tion to Marwood how tho St. Jmv s' Gazette ! had suggested that in such oas>s it would bo > bett-r to use a little chloroform. My hor-t , opened his eyes very wide indeed, and rer garded mo with ail air in which a certain Koupoon of disgust was distinctly perceptible. L li was r.3 much as to say, " ou ; you have - just told me admirably that a'-ory of tho r Warden of Gnlway, aud yott let yourself , down by the weak suggestion that it might , be better to use chlorotoMU." Ma wood, . however, only looked this. And he said with a line moral indignation, " No, n'-, that ; would never do; it's too like poisoning. No i chloroform, no chloroform ; 110, sir, let a man , meet his fate like a man. It's the rope I believe iu : thoic-'s nothing else frightens them Lke that. We musn't. have no poisoning brought into the business."