AN OLD CRIME.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6433, 3 February 1908, Page 6

AN OLD CRIME.

RECALLED BY TEE CAMDEN TOWN TRIAL. THE MAN THEY COULDN’T HANG. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, December 20. It is something of a coincidence that the acquittal of Wood should synchronize with the release of John Leo, “the Babbicombe murderer,” whoso conviction at the Devon Assizes two-and-twenty years ago led up to one of tho most awful execution scenes recorded since hanging became the homicides!’ lot. Tho story of John Leo’s escape from tho hangman’s noose is one of the most thr—ng in the annals of crime. So strange was it that hundreds of people al! over the country wore convinced that Providence had interposed to prevent tho execution of an innocent mail. Tho crime for which Lee was sentenced to death may bo told in a few words. On the morning of November loth. V 1 Miss .Keyes, a well-to-do maiden ladS. -was found murdered in tho din-ing-room of her house at Babbicombe, and her butler, John Lee, was arrested and put upon his trial for murder. On tho morning of November 15th tho servants of ‘The Glen,” Miss Keyes’s house, were roused by the smell of firo. One of the servants made her way downstairs and mot Leo in the hall. Her sister visited her mistress's room, but Miss Keyes was not there. She went downstairs, and was conducted by Lee through tho smoko. On her nightdress, where Lee nad touched her, wore found marks of blood. A popl of blood was seen in tho hall, where the murder had evidently been committed. The body had then been dragged into the din-ing-room. A lot of old papers had been placed around the body, saturated with oil, and fired. Tho evidence against Lee was entirely circumstantial, but was so strong that little doubt was loft as to the prisoner’s guilt. Lee’s execution was hxod for Monday, February 23rd, 1885, at 8 o’clock in the morning. At two minutes to 8 o’clock tho procession was formed at the door of the condemned cell. Tho chief warder led the way, followed by the chaplain and tho schoolmaster. Led, pinioned, am walking between two warders, followed behind. Berry, the executioner, followed tho convict. Ensued a dreadful scone. As tho chaplain, in impressive tones, recited the concluding portion of the service used at executions, the condemned man was placed on the drop and the white cap drawn over his face. The governor, undor-sherifl, doctor, and warders stood facing the scaffold. Tho chapel boll was tolling. Two warders were on the roof of the gateway in readiness to hoist tile black flag, hs soon as the chaplain had said the Grace Berry pulled tho lever and tried to release tho bolts for the drop to fall. There was no response. A shiver passed through the circle of onlookers. Berry and tho warders stamped upon the drop. It would not work. All this while, when minutes seemed like years, John Lee stood erect and apparently unmoved, save when his bedy was shaken by the stamping of feet upon the trap through which he should have passed to eternity. Sixminutes elapsed; the boards gave way a little to the violent stamping and tho prisoner’s weight, and Lee had the sensation of being slowly strangled, -ut the bolts wore still immovable, ,ml the drop clung persistently to the surface. Leo made no sound. He was taken off the scaffold, while the engineers and warders sawed round tho woodwork. The drop was tried again, »ud tins time seemed to work satisfacorily. Lee was again placed upon tho scaffold. Tho chaplain repeated tho service tho second time, and a second time the bolts refused tovact. Berry pulled tho lever backwards and forwards with all tho force at his command, but all to no purpose. Tho onlookers were by this time wrought up 1 to a pitch of the most intense excitement and tho chaplain was on the point of fainting. Lee was taken to tho basement of the prison. He seemed to be in a cataleptic condition, he spoke to no one and looked upon tho scene with a vacant gaze. In a few more minutes the w-retchcd man was summoned for the third time to tho ccaffold and for the third time thf.( terrible ordeal was gone through with the convict, and for the third'time tho chaplain recited the burial service, ii hat follows is best told in the chaplain’s own words:—

“The lever was pulled again and again. A great noise was heard, which sounded like the falling of the drop, but to my horror, when I turned my eyes up' n the scaffold I saw the poor convict standing upon the drop as I had seen him twice before. Three ‘ernes they had tried to take away hi* life. This seemed to mo enough, and that I ought to interfere. The sur geos advised mo to slop the execution end I r fused to stay any longer. Th<" under- horiff thereupon ordered Lee ti he taken hack to the prison. He wa? remoi ed to his cell in' presence I I stayed with him. for some tr e. until, in fact, ho had recovered in soiro measure from the mental shock. He inquired when they were going to hang him, as he wanted to be executed. ‘Not to-day,’ I said; 'we must wait the Home Secretary’s decision!’”

During that same interview with the

chaplain, Leo told the latter of a dream lie had had on the night previous to liis attempted execution. He had related this dream to the two wardors who had charge of him, adding, •So 1 i.hall not bo hanged to-day.” in. tins dream ).ce saw himself being pinioned, taken out of his cell, and led; clown through the reception cell to tho scaffold. He saw himself placed on tho drop, which would not work, and thou taken back to his cell because they could not carry out tho sentence ol Uie law. Tho principal officers of.™ 1 ® pi iso 11 hold u. meeting and decided-, to petition tho Homo Eocretary for ft commutation of ilic capital sentence o*l the ground that hoc had passe through enough agony already. JHomo, Secretary fully agreed with tf, recommendation, and Dvq -went in. penal servitude for life.