Page:ChroniclesofEarlyMelbournevol.1.pdf/441

turnkey, named Griffin, selected four prisoners yvho belonged to the same country and creed as the condemned culprit to assist in the construction of the gallows, and they refused to do so. Their names were AVhelan, Crawley, Mitchell, and Connors (the latter an intimate friend of Connell's), and, on bein^ brought before Mr. James Smith, the Visiting Magistrate, for disobedience, he sentenced them each to fifty lashes on the morning of (and just after) the execution. AVhen this became known m u c h public indignation was aroused; some of the newspapers inveighed bitterly against such harshness, and the punishment yvas remitted by Captain Lonsdale. I was aftenvards informed, upon reliable authority, that the Acting Superintendent was influenced a good deal by the perusal of a letter signed " Verax," published in the Herald, and of yvhich I was the writer. In the early sunny morning groups of people began to wend their way towards the gaol, and at 7.30 a detachment of military marched up, and were stationed in the front or end yard, and all the available police yvere distributed outside. T h e prisoner professed the R o m a n Catholic faith, and yvas spiritually advised by the Rev. Father Therry. T h e prisoner, w h o passed a restless night, was up early, and partook sparingly of breakfast. At half-past eight the Sheriff m a d e his formal demand, and Connell accordingly went forth from the condemned cell, holding a crucifix in one hand, accompanied by Father Therry, and followed by the sheriff, gaoler, and several turnkeys. Traversing the corridor and into the yard, both priest and penitent recited a litany, and the manner of the latter was such as to apparently indicate m u c h sincerity, whilst his responses were uttered with deep fervour. O n coming into the presence of the apparatus of death he looked up, and, preceded by the hangman, moving firmly forward, unhelped and unshrinking, ascended the ladder on to the scaffold, and, folloyved by the priest and a turnkey, stood firmly under the waving rope. T h e m o m e n t he was seen by the h u m a n gathering outside he yvas greeted with a loud hoarse burst of commiseration. Grasping the crucifix in his hand, he gazed mournfully upon the couple of thousand up looking h u m a n faces, and, turning to Father Therry, asked to have the crucifix suspended from his neck, which was done. Connell then, yvith eyes glancing high over the heads of the people out into the green forest, exclaimed, in an unfaltering voice : " I never intended to kill the man, or any other man. I a m more sorry for taking his life than for losing m y o w n ; I a m sorry for it from the bottom of m y heart, and I pray to G o d for a favourable judgment." H e then kissed the turnkey (one Sullivan, w h o had been kind to him whilst in prison), and shook hands with priest and executioner. T h e rope was next placed round Connell's neck, and knotted, and, as the cap was being drawn over his head, the poor wretch endeavoured ineffectually with one of his shackled hands to button his coat. All this time his bearing evidenced nerve in a wonderful degree. T h e bolt was drawn, but as the drop fell the rope-knot shifted under the culprit's chin, and for some eight minutes he seemingly suffered excruciating torture during a process of death by strangulation. During the terrible struggle, his hard smothered efforts to breathe were distinctly heard by the dozen persons present in the treadmill-yard, and, had not the "fall" been a long one, the horrible spectacle would no doubt have been further protracted. T h e mishap was said to have been brought about by two causes, viz. : — R o p e of the proper thickness was unobtainable in Melbourne, and consequently coir had to be used; and next, though the executioner had been an attache of the Sheriff's department in Sydney, he had never been more than a "hanging" assistant, and the present was thefirstoperation performed by him. O n e of the newspaper representatives, becoming very indignant at Harris's bungling, told the old fellow a bit of his mind as he leaped from the ladder and looked up at the swinging corpse; but Jack took it very coolly, hinted to the other something about the propriety of people minding their o w n business, that perfection in any art yvas not attained at once, and he would take care and do it better the next time. T h e body yvas handed over to a friend of the deceased, w h o took it ayvay in a coffin, "waked" it that night in Collingwood, and had it interred early next morning. Connell was 28 years of age, loyv-sized, stout-made, and a native of the County Cork, Ireland. H e arrived in Melbourne as a "Bounty Immigrant" in 1842, and had no relative in Australia. H e was industriously disposed, and very inoffensive whilst sober; but when intoxicated, passionate and pugnacious. A few days before his execution Connell placed in the hands of the Rev. Mr. Therry a written paper setting forth what he declared to be a truthful narrative of the circumstances which led to the murder. It was published the morning after in the Herald, and was a minute recapitulation of a series of public-house