EXECUTION

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1698, 7 February 1862, Page 2

EXECUTION

OF COLOR SERGEANT JASi COLLINS, OF HEB MAJESTY S 65th REGIMENT. Thk hist dread sentence of the Law, was carried intoeffectonTbursday,3othJanuary,uponColor Serjeant James Collins, within the wa!Js of the Wellington Gaol, in conformity jation of tbe E^xecii|i(Jn^l 6? 1 8§8£whicb exacts that sentence i%lpi f>asse;d upo^^ny -peTr son. by the Supreme Court of the Goloii v> *Wft be carried into effect within the wahs or the enilosedyard of sqmeGkol or^omeptfteVett^losed placa. >ir p\ij | >. It wUibe re^em^ed iliat tie udfoVfunate man was -tril&d^K|for^?vHT^io6lio^^j^ußtice Johnston at th^Suprein^^Cdur^'Wellingtotti on the 3rd day of December lust, for tbe Wilful Murder : of Ensign William Alexander of Her Majesty's 65th Regiment, at YVanganui, and sentenced to death by hanging. After this conviction, some petitions were got up by tbe inhabitants of Wellington and the Hint in his behalf, and great exertions vyerealsQ.madjyjn bis farbur»%v, » tbe Bishop of WeltingtohV Me Rev.CA.;Stock» . and. the Rev; Mr. Hogg of Waiigatftti^n order .•> to ufert, if possijble, x the «xiremej penaltyccof the; - Lkw, and induce Mid Excellency tbe Governor, t4niitiga^ihfcs)sntence to:P^njil Servitude Cor Ljfe; TheW^el^itsi hoY^erj^ere unavaTliiig.'foE .1 idri^the' J «tK day of —January, a fe,plr > was received Stating that Hi? Excejlency deeply % * regretted that he did n&t,f(Ml3uJ^ed r inji^i* »;, , ferfng with flie^due i^eeujM^ptjiiij^M^T^.- l'*' : ' A question Was Also iii^edj " s as *<£* the 'proper^ . officer bj whom tho senifence.sbouldba carried into effect, whether ib^vdoiy.^^Vedloo^die:;- * Sheriff or on the Warden. ofjlb^Ga^qli and this .:i matter; lra ving been referredJ|aßHißiiHonor!Mr. s Justiq^; Johnston iteplyi warsfe-?- '•'■ cci ved Stom His -. Honor by- ;the • Mail> Steahler .* from Nelson, and - a .course- %u{jgested-'b7' r ; v which' the'difficuHyjnijlrhWe'' irfemdVejd^ndf i^fe6' Oi L i execution.carried into effect fgrth^iib^-TKi^s]^, : gestlon^'as i at dne^acteclttpoii^by Mr. Micaiah" Read, the Warden oFtbe/GaVJ^ a"nd Hfejairy rSC: « -Hilli Esq., ; .v?hb;bss^ ,^ Hngton, apd ; les.ufiied, bis duties^ ] -'ap JSlxptsit;?r .Ou -Wednesday rriorning it was finally atrange4i ■> tbat tbe execution should take place as aboveT^ The result "was immediately communicated "to :>; the unhappy man by 'Mr. -Read; on bis 'return^ to the.Gabl ; heeSpressedhnr.sfelfp^rfectl'j 'ready;^ to meet his fate, saying it was only '■ whathe' de 4iserved, and that he was anxious to haveitdopel, , with, as he wSs weary 'waiting so long expecting" every day to be the last. Oh ' Being informed that the execution would take place witbin^th^/ , walls of the Gaol, he expressed his gratification^ ' by saying that it was a :great» relief $^ his 'inii|id. s { to think that he should iio;t be exposed tp;' tßie I insults or jeers of a tbouglitless' croVdi' J The' ' / Bishop of Wellington andjtbeJ'Rer.fAV"Std6t, '(: who have been unremittingly iin their atten- •,;*'- dauce on ibeuuforniiiate j siucs*'be[.^as •-•''. been broHght to the Gaol, but "m'ore [particularly / since his conviction, were with bin; nearly^the whole of Wednesday. The. Bishop l of. Weh ] lington left about 9£ P.Mi. and rrequestedj the prisoner to endeavour ; if: possible .tolget'.'&t little slbep, as be was :yery much fatigued^ "After r- fl the Bishop bad left, be was visited by-tbeWaWf', den Mr. Read, who also persuaded him to try I and get a little rest, this be declined for the / present, saying, ll at Mr. Stock bad promised to-/ call again a pel as;he very much ;jwisbed ip a'ee./t y " hinij he would wait till Jie. had visited him, arid : then, if possible, he would do asdesired.^Mr: S Stock called about midnight, and afler he had i, *;■ left," tbe prisoner nSadean effiirttosleepbutdid.V 1 ' not ; succeed, but remained .earnestly; crying U» God to forgive him ami b;>ve mercy on bis poor, / .^ Soul. 1 : At his request Mr. liead, the .Warden of')ibe'Q'kol visited him at 3 AsM., and was with hinj:,T unirl 5 A.M.; be >vas weeping most bitterly, and ..> praying to God to'forgive him. Al 5 A.M., Sir. 4 Read informed himthat:he must leuve, his du'. j - .' ties requiring bis attendance elsewhere,* upon] which, he burst into teaTf, and seizing Mr. Read. ~j t by the hand, shook it most earnestly and v affec- *. lionately for some. time, and. wished him fare- , well for ever. ' He thanked him for the kind manner in which be had been treated ever since his confinement in . .the./.G'aolj . - and expressed a hope that they should meetin<T Heaven ;at 5i AM.,' the Bishop of Welling- j tou and the Rev. Arthur Slock arrived and ad- \ ministered the Sacniin'ent of itbe Lord's. Supper. / ■ Henry St. Hill, Esq., and Dr. Johnston, thbs . Medical Officer of the Gaol, arrived about 7f\ A.M., .and at 8 A.M. the prisoner was informed- I that the time Was come. He submitted- to the J process of pinioning with very great composure,* - aud aftervvaids walked to the gallows with.a firjb.. -V step, indeed he appeared more resigned to bis fatej and less affected than any of the spectator's.. He,, was attevdjCd to the Scaffold liy the Bishop "of Welling'ioii* and the Rev. Arthur Stock.,. Qpf*.. leaving the cell, Mr.. Stock commenced read ing/ the . burial, service of the Church of Eng-j, -• land, commeiTcing, " I am, the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord." The rope was soon adjusted, and on the.signal. being given, the " drop fell, and he was launched into eternity, •- -- In addition to the ministers of religion, the only persons present were Henry St. Hill, Esq., „ Sheriff; Alexander 'Johnston, .Medical Officer to the Gaol ; Micaiab : Read-, 'Warden of the Goal ; James Donaldson, Turnkey; Inspector Atcheson, Serjeant Mill ward, and . isev etkl otheX members of : the '-. Wellington ~ avmed - pp|ic©7^ After hanging the usual time,'tbe body waVciit down and placed in the coffin, to await the Coroner's inquest. - • - ' The following certificate and declaration was drawn up and signed in conformity with the Execution Act : — ; ■.".., I, Alexander Johnston, the medical -officer itt'.. attendance at the execution of James Collins at the Gaol at "Wellington, do 'hereby certify: and-, declare that I have this day witnessed the~ exetcution of the said James Collins at the said Gaol, A : and: I do further declare that the saicLJamga. Col-. . -Una— tTOTsr-tn— pOTSOance of tne- sentence of. the ,- Supreme Court, hanged by the neck until his body was dead. „;,,., - • 'Given* "under my hand this thirtieth day of January, in the year 1802, at the Gaol at Wei — •lington. . . , ..." f Alexander Johnston, M.R.C.S., Provincial Surgeon, Wellington; We do hereby testify and declare that we hava this day been present when the extreme penalty of the law was carried into execution on the body", of James Collins, convicted at the Criminal". Session of the Supreme Court, held at Wellington, on the 3rd day of December last, and sentenced^ to death, and that the said James Collins was in pursuance of the said sentence hanged by the* 1 ' neck until his body was. dead, • ■ Dated this /thirtieth day oT January, in the- , year 186 2, in the Gaol, at Wellington. . Henry St. Hill, Sheriff.: : y'- • ; C . Mjcaiah Read, Warden of the Gael. • • > James DoNALDSON^Turnkey. :; _ - ■-- — ; Frederick ATCHEsc-N,rlnspectbr of^Police. : \ , Chakles Milv>wabi>, Serjeant of Police. .""- .--. &c. : . ■.;•■> -•■' . ' .... > V/-^