Gallows Romance.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 20, 19 May 1909, Page 9

Gallows Romance.

‘THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG” MARRIES A DEVONSHIRE NURSE. To be able to as*nine the role of bridegroom after having on one occasion stood for an hour on the scaffold with the hangman's rope round his neck, expecting every moment to be Lis last, is the unique experience of John Lee, who is known to the world as “the man they could not hang.’’ Lee, whs was convicted in 1884 of the murder of Mis* Emma Keyse, at Babbacombe, in. Devonshire, was married quietly at Newton Abbots to Miss Jessie Augusta Bulleid, a goodlooking woman about thirty-five years of age, who has been a nurse at the local workhouse infirmary. The two had been teen in each other’s company for some little time past, and Newton Abbot was not unprepared for the wedding, though the date had been kept: ■ close secret. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. N. Oliver, the pastor of the eharch. The bride looked eharming in a travelling dress of blue serge, with white picture hat and brown furs. The wa» married In

a bowler hat and overcoat. After the ceremony the happy pair took Train far Durham, waerv «ae s«>»eyure>n» will be spent. The bride’s follow MSses at the workhouse innrmary are naturally greatly interested in the event. But the first intimation they had that Friday wae the wedding day, was the nonappearance of Miss Bulleid to take up her dirties. To avoid publicity, the marriage was by license, and only the Rev. N. Oliver, who officiated, the Registrar, and caretaker, were present. Report ef the ceremony, however, soon spread, anJ a big crowd gathered outside as the couple emerged from the building. They were beeieged with showers of confetti. Congratulations, too, from many in the crowd were very hearty. The story of Lee's marvellous —'-ape from the gallows is a familiar one. He was butler to Miss Keyse, a former maid ef honour to Queen Victoria, who- was found battered to death in her home. An attempt had been made to «et fire to the. house, and her body wa« considerably charred. Suspicion pointed to Lee. He had been seen outside his mistress’s door, bloodstains were found on him, a blood-stained knife was found in a drawer in his room, and it was ascertained that the oil in whieh Miss Keyse’s body had been soaked, had? been taken from a can which was in such a position that no one could have touched it without awaking Lee. Ono of the points against Lee wa« that he bore a grudge against his mistress. Lee was found “Guilty,” and sentenced to death, but three times the gallows refused to work. This remarkable occurrence gave rise to the belief among the superstitious that he wag innocent, and time Fate had so intervened to correct the error of the jury. It also had the effect of procuring a commutation of the death sentence to one of penal servitude for life. Lee was released front Portland, after serving twenty-two years of the sentence, on December 18, ISMI. Sir William Harcourt, in commuting the sentence, gave as his reason, “It would shock the feelings ef everyone if a man had four times to bear the pangs of imminent death.” Lee was only twentyone when convicted.