A RESPITE FROM DEATH.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3287, 10 April 1885, Page 3

A RESPITE FROM DEATH.

(The Tinvts, Feb. 25th.) The convict John Lee, now lying m Exeter gaol under sentence of death foi the murder of hie employer, Mies K»yßOj

! of the Glen, Babbacombe, was to have i been executed on Monday .morning. Berry, the executioner, arrived m tlio ■ city on Saturday, visited the goal for the ! purpose of inspecting the arrangements, and found everything to be m working order. On Monday morning at the time appointed the condemned man was led out to the place of execution, and it ap- ! peared. that his last momenta had arrived. The rope was adjusted, the last words of the Burial Service were uttered, and the bolt was drawn. But to the consternation of the officials the drop could not be made to act, and Lee had to be removed while something waa done to remedy the defect. Three times did all this have to be repeated, and at the end of half au hour it was decided to postpone the execution. The trouble was caused by the damp, resulting from the heavy 1 rains of Saturday and Sunday haying swelled the planks m the floor of the 1 drop. The non-appearance of the black flag on the gaol at the appointed time caused a great crowd to assemble outside; [ and there was a good deal of excitement when it became known that there had . been three unsuccessful attempts to hang ■ the prisoner. 1 Later m the day the whole circunii stances were reported to the Home Secre- • tnry by the Under-Sheriff of Devon, Mr 1 H. M. James, who at once proceeded to ■ London for" that purpose. After his interview, Mr James telegraphed that the 1 sentence on John Lee had been respited and would be commuted. As will be seen from our Parliamentary 1 report, Sir William Harcourt, m answer to Colonel Makins, stated that he had already signed a respite, to continue during Her Majesty's pleasure. The right . hon. gentleman also states that severe notice would be taken of those who were responsible m the matter. A correspondent says ;— The most remarkable circumstance m connection with l the affair was the firmness displayed by Lee ; but m this he only maintained the < demeanor exhibited by him from the ' time of his arrest. The agony he must ! have endured during the terrible half--1 hour m which the various attempts to I carry out the sentence of the law were \ being made was, however, seen m his ! corpse-like face when the white cap was : removed. Yet lie bore up, and it I was only on going back to his t cell that he gave any indication t of being overcome. On going up the • steps he stumbled, but was saved from • falling, and soon pulled himself together, t refusing to take the stimulant for which > the Governor had sent. The excitement > outside the gaol was intense, as the report 1 circulated that there had been some ' failure. The news of what had taken 1 place caused a revulsion of feeling m the 1 convict's favor, and a very geueral expression of opinion that after the ordeal he had undergone his life should be spared. The telegram from the UnderSheriff announcing that the Home Secretary had granted a respite waa followed by another message that the capital sentence would be commuted. A later telegram from Exeter states '. that the greatest excitement has pre- • vailed there throughout the day m coni nection with the failure of the attempted , execution of Lee, and the newspaper . offices have been besieged for the latest l news. The excitement abated somewhat I on the announcement that the Home > Secretary had granted a respite. i — — - — . —