A MURDERER'S FATE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 629, 20 December 1913, Page 5

A MURDERER'S FATE.

ANGRY MOB'S RESENTMENT,

LondoD, Thursday,

Extraordinary scenes were witnessed at Oldham when the Government's decision refusing a reprieve to Ernest Kelly, for the murder of Bardaley, a bookseller, of Oldham on July 26th, was given from the Town Hall window late on Tuesday night. The crowd of over 10,000 groaned with disappointment and anger. "To Manchester and rescue Kelly," someone shouted. The cry was takon up by everyone, an 3 the crowd at once trudged off through the dreary suburbs, arriving at Manchester in the early morning. The clatter of the clogs of the crowd could be heard for half a mile. Three flares, stolen en route, were carried.

As the mob proceeded, sticks, crowbars, and stones were seized as weapons. They clattered through the streets to Strangeways Gaol, breaking two miles of street lamps and the windows of the fire station and many tramway cars. They found 100 police at the gates of the gaol. The police apparently understood the crudt. sense of justice which had brought Oldham's young people to Manchester. One boy of 15 walked up to the walls between the police and read the notice proclaiming that Kelly would that morning be hanged. He repeated the news to the crowd, which gradually worked itself into a still more angry mood. "Rescue might be possible," shouted someone; "Set's get him out " Six hundred police had meantime arrived in taxicabs, and the crowd was driven quietly through the Manchester streets.

Five constables werß slightly injured. The crowds kept shouting cheers for Kelly and execrations on the heads of the Government. They were reinforced at daylight by many Manchester people. Over 10,000 people were near the prison at eight o'clock, the hour fixed for the execution. At three minutes past the prison bell tolled, and the people then quietly took themselves off.