EXECUTION OF KELLY IN DARLINGHURST GAOL.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 627, 15 January 1872, Page 3

EXECUTION OF KELLY IN DARLINGHURST GAOL.

TEBEIBLE SCENE.

The last dread sentence of the law was carried out yesterday on Thomas Kelly, a prisoner who, while serving a sentence of seven years in Parramaijta gaol for robbery at Deniliquin in 1866, attempted to murder Mr Wm McLaren, superintendent of stone-masons in the gaol. The particulars of the crime as disclosed in the evidence adduced at the trial were to the effect, that at about five minutes past 9 on the morning of the 10th August last, a number of prisoners were breaking stones in one of the yards of the gaol. M'Laren picked "up a piece or two of stone and said, " This is too large, chaps, try and break them smaller." He then wheeled round to go away, when prisoner Kelly, who was known as a man of very violent temper, raised the hammer he was using and struck M'Laren a violent blow oq the head, felling him to the ground. Prisoner repeated the blow after poor M'Laren had fallen ; the second blow was administered cm his right cheek ; the blows were given by prisoner raising the hammer with both hands over his shoulder when striking. M'Laren said, 'Oh! my God,' after the first blow, and then fell. Two of the prisoners secured Kelly, and the warders came up and removed him. M'Laren's skull was broken in, and according to the testimony of Dr. Pringle he was for many weeks in danger of his life. Prisoner was tried for the attempt at murder, on the 13th November last, at the Central Criminal Court, by Sir Alfred Stepbenson; was found guilty, and sentensed to death. A few minutes past 9 yesterday morning prisoner Kelly, a man of about thirty years of age, five feet eight inches high, and of rather dogged expression, appeared, and in company with Father Carroll knelt down at the edge of the trapdoor, and prayed for some minutes. He seemed very pale, but answered the responses very audibly and kissed the crucifix. Prisoner then rose and said, " I wish to let these gentlemen present know that I die innocent, as innocent of the crime of attempting murder as the child unborn. M'Laren aggravated me; lam going to be hung for taking my own part." He was proceeding to speak further when the hangman Bull and his assistant Frank came forward to pinion him, his arms "being already corded. At that moment Kelly jumped forward and made a desperate attack on Bull, the hangman, and kicked him severely in a very vital part. Bull was obliged to retire, apparently _in great agony and incapacitated.from taking further part in the proceedings. Bull's assistant, an able-bodied young fellow, then jumped forward and tried to secure the prisoner, who thereupon caught hold of the clergyman, saying, 'I'll not be hung; Ido not deserve it.' After a desperate resistance, prisoner screaming and struggling violently, and shouting out that ho was dying for nothing, the cap was at length adjusted. Fears were then ex-f that the rope was too long. After instruction had been given by Captain , Chatfield and Mr fteed. the rope was altered, prisoner in the meantime being held down by several warders. The clergyman had retired apparently greatly overcome with emotion ; and the prisoner was at length pushed on to the trap-door, still lying, but struggling and screaming '-I'll not be hung." "When this somewhat difficult task had been performed by the warders, the bolt was soon withdrawn, and the prisoner swung from the beam. Through the struggles of the unhappy man before the trap-door was let down, the rope had become turned round, the knot twisting to the front, the noose not closing, but being several inches above the windpipe. For ten or twelve minutes the doomed man struggled, kicked, and breathed convulsively. Twice the assistant-executioner adjusted the rope, and attempted to pull the noose tighter, which was at length accomplished, and the struggles ceased about ten minutes after the drop had fallen. — Sydney Empire,