MURDERER'S EXECUTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 19 December 1913, Page 5

MURDERER'S EXECUTION.

EXTRAORDINARY SCENES

A CROWD MARCHES TO MAN-

CHESTER

'Time*'— 'Sydney Sun' Special Cablet (Received Last Night, G o'clock.) LONDON, December 18.

Ernest Kelly, convicted of murdering a bookseller named Bardsley at Oldham on July 26tli, was hanged at Manchester.

There wero extraordinary scenes at Oldham over Kelly's execution. The decision that the law should take its course was given from the Town Hall window late at night. A crowd of ten thousand groaned its disapproval and anger. Someone shoulted "To Manchester to the rescue of Kelly!" The cry was taken up everywhere. A .crowd -trudged through the dreary suburbs, arriving at Manchester early in the morning. The clatter of clogs was heard for half a mile. Armed with sticks, crowbars, and stones, the crowd clattered through the streets to the Strangeways Gaol, breaking two miles of street lamps and the windows of the fire brigade station and of tramway cars. They found one hundred police stationed at the gates of the gaol. , The police apparently understood the crude sense of justice which had brought Oldham's young people to Manchester. A boy of fifteen climjp on to the walls between the police and read the notice proclaiming that Kelly was that morning to be hanged. He repeated the news to the crowd, which gradually worked itself angry. "Rescue might be possible," shouted someone, "Let's get him out!" Six hundred police 'had, in the meantime, arrived in taxi-cabs, and the crowd was driven quietly through the streets of Manchester. Five constables were slightly injured. * Crowds, cheering Kelly and shouting execrations on the Government, then started singing ragtime songs. The (crowds were reinforced- at daylight by . many Manchester people. There were ten . thousand people near the prison at eight o'clock. \ At . three minutes past eight the prison bell tolled, and the people muttering,, "He's Gone!" took off their hats.

CAUSE OF SYMPATHY

(Received December 18, 11 a.m.'') LONDON, December 17.

The sympathy with Kelly was due to the fact, that Edward Hilton, his accomplice, was reprieved. Mr McKenna explained < that Hilton was under eighteen years of age, and was mentally deficient.