THE CONVICTION, CONFESSION, AND EXECUTION OF MULLER.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 224, 8 February 1865, Page 3

THE CONVICTION, CONFESSION, AND EXECUTION OF MULLER.

On the 27th October Franz Muller was arraigned at the bar of the Central Criminal Court, for the murder of Mr. Briggs, on the North London Railway, on the 9th July. Since the memorable trial of Courvoisier for the murder of Lord William Russell, in June, 1840, or that of William Palmer for the murder of Mr. Cook, in May, 1856, no occasion of the kind has excited a greater degree of public interest throughout the metropolis, or indeed throughout the country at large. A few minutes before ten o’clock Lord Chief Baron Pollock and Mr. Baron Martin entered the court, preceded by the Lord Mayor (Alderman Lawrence), Alderman and Sheriff Dakin, Aiderman and Sheriff Besloy, and the Under-Sheriffs, Mr. S. Davidson and Mr. Deputy De Jersey. The judges having taken their seats, the prisoner Muller was placed at the bar. He is a short and slightly-made young man, almost boyish in appearance, and with light brown hair. He was neatly dressed in a plain, brown-colored morning coat, which he wove buttoned on the chest. His manner was quiet, self-possessed, and respectful. The trial was necessarily a very protracted one. The jury retired to consider their verdict at a quarter to three o’clock, on the third day. THE VERDICT. The jury returned into court at a few minutes after three. There was a deep silence in the court, while Mr. Avory, the clerk, directed the names of the jury to be called over. The Foreman, in answer to the usual inquiry, said “ Guilty.” Directly the fatal word was pronounced, the Lord Chief Baron burst into a flood of tears. He placed his hands over his face, and rested his elbows on his desk, and a profound silence reigned throughout the court. After some moments of painful suspense, during which the prisoner stood unmoved in the dock, and it seemed doubtful what course would be adopted, the black cap was brought in. Mr. Avory, the chief clerk of the court, addressing the prisoner, asked him whether, having been convicted of murder, he had anything to say ?

Muller (with great composure)—My lord, I have nothing to say. , The Chief Baron slowly raised his head, made a sign to Baron Martin, which seemed to be mediately understood. Baron Martin put on the black cap, and proceeded to pass sentence. Addressing the prisoner, he said he had been convicted of the crime of wilful murder. It was no part of the duty of the court to express au opinion as to the verdict delivered by the jury. It was the province of the jury to decide upon the guilt or innocence of a prisoner, but it vas usual for judges to say when they concurred with the verdict of a jury. Ho was authorised by the Lord Chief Baron to say,— and he said it on his own part also,—that they were perfectly satisfied with the verdict which had been delivered. He merely said this to remove from the mind of the prisoner any hope he might entertain that he would live long in the world, but to show him that he would soon be removed from it by a violent death. He besought liira, therefore, to seek meanwhile what peace he could with his Maker. He should forbear to go into any particulars of the case, but this he would say, that if the facts had been gone into more minutely, it would have strengthened the case against the prisoner, would more materially have established his guilt. The learned baron mentioned one or two of two of the leading facts of the ease, and said that Muller having declared his intention of going to America, and that, attracted by the watch and chain of Mr Briggs, bo had committed the attack on him for the purpose of robbing him, in order to raise the money to pay his passage to America. The learned baron repeated that Muller must not expect to live much longer, and then sentenced him to death in the usual form. The long pent-up silence of all who had listened to this hope destroying sentence of the learned judge found expression in an audible and genera] “Amen !” to his concluding prayer for mercy on the condemned man. Muller struggled to conceal his emotion, and as he turned to leave the dock, asked the governor of the gaol if he might say a word to the court. The governor stated that the prisoner tyished to address the court, and once more all was hushed and silent. Muller advanced to the front of the dock, holding his hand to his face ; his lips moved once or twice, but no sound came forth, and at last he said, “ I am quite satisfied with the verdict. It is according to the law of the - country, but I have been convicted not upon a true, but a false statement.” The condemned man had great difficulty to give expression to these few words. He withdrew his hand from his face, waved it slightly towards the court as the expression of a farewell, bowed, and turned and left the dock in the custody of the gaolers. \ ' CONFESSION ON THE SCAFFOLD. The last scone in the terrible tragedy of the murder of ,Mr Briggs, and the fearful retribution of the law on the murderer, took place on Monday ; and it must_have been a great relief not alone to the jury, but to the public also, that Muller, literally at the last moment, confessed that the verdict of the jury was fully justified. A signal ha'i .g been given by the Governor, tlio prisoner was escorted by tho Sheriffs and UnderSheriffs to the foot of the scaffold, the Eev. Mr Davis, the ordinary, leading the way, and reading as he went some of the opening verses of the Burial Service.

At the little porch leading to the gallows the sheriffs and officers stopped. Dr. Cappel ascended it with the gaily man. The clergymen at once took their places on the little line of sawdust which had been laid to mark the outline of the drop which falls, and which without such a signal to denote its situation, might 'easily have been overlooked in the dusky black of the whole well-worn apparatus. Close after them, with a light natural step, came Mulhr. llis arms were pinioned close behind him; his face was very pale indeed, but stdl it wore an easy, and, if it could be said at such a time, even a cheerful expression, as much removed from mere bravado as it appeared to bo from fear. His whole bearing and aspect were natural. Like a soldier falling into the ranks, he took with a steady step his place beneath the beam, then, looking up, and seeing that he was not exactly beneath the proper spot whence the short black link of chain depended, he shifted a few inches, and then stood quite still. Dr. Cappel, addressing the dying man, said, “In a few moments, Muller, you will stand before God ; I ask you again, and for the last time, are you guilty or innocent?" He replied, “I am innocent.” Dr. Cappel said, “You are innocent?” repeating his own words in the form of a question.’ Muller answered, “ God Almighty knows what I have don*.” Dr. Cappel said, “ God Almighty knows what you have done!” again repeating the convict’s own words ; “does God know that you have done this particular deed?” Muller Replied, “Yes; I did it,” speaking in German, in which language the whole conversation was conducted. So greatly relieved was Dr. Cappel by the confession, that he rushed from the scaffold, exclaiming, “ Thank God! thank God!” and sank down in a chair, completely exhausted by his own emotion. After recovering, be repeated in English, in the presence of the Sheriffs and Under-Sheriffs and the representatives of the newspaper press, of whom there were four, what had just passed between him and the convict, precisely as it has been related above. From this it will be seen that the convict fenced with the questions as to his guilt down to the latest moment of his existence, and that it was not until the last ray of hope had fled that he confessed. The body, after hanging an hour, was cut.down, and in the course of the day it was buried in one of the passages of the jail devoted to that purpose.