THE BANNERCROSS MURDER.
Convicted of having in November, 1879 murdered Arthur Dyson, near Sheffield, Charles Peace, suffered the extreme penalty of the law eight o’clock on Tuesday morning. The execution took place at Armley Prison, where he has been confined since sentence had been passed upon him three weeks ago by Mr. Justice Lopes at the Leeds Assizes. The peculiar circumstances of the “Bannercross Murder,” the notoriety and strange career of the convict, as well as his subsequent confession of another murder for which an innocent youth suffers penal servitude were all facts which intensified to extreme pitch the public interest and excitement concerning the last dread scene of the murderer’s life.
Had this case happened in the days of public executions, there can be no doubt that even a greater crowd than usual would have assembled to witness the awful end; but under the less brutalising system recent years no vulgar rabble is permitted to witness the death throes of the criminal. this instance the only persons admitted from the unofficial and outside world were four representatives of the press, one on behalf the Leeds newspapers, one from the Sheffield press, and the remaining two from London, to represent respectively the Press Association and the Central News.
Elsewhere, in more than one recent came only officials have been present spectators; but, after the shocking mishap which added to the horror of the last occasion of the kind in Leeds when the rope broke it was thought well by the Sheriff that number of independent eye-witness should have the opportunity publishing some account of the matter.
Todmorden & District News – Friday 28 February 1879 © BNA
