Joseph Wedlake and George White - a double hanging at Taunton.
Joseph Wedlake and George White - a double hanging at Taunton.
May 1883 was a busy month for William Marwood with nine executions to perform and shuttling back and forth between England, Scotland and Ireland to carry them out. On the 7th he hanged Thomas Garry at Lincoln followed the next day by Patrick Carey at Chester.
He was in Dublin on the 14th to hang Joseph Brady and presumably stayed there to execute Daniel Curley on the 18th before returning to Taunton on the 20th to hang Wedlake and White the following morning. Then it was up to Glasgow for the hanging of Henry Mullen and Martin Scott at Duke Street prison and then back to Dublin to execute Michael Fagan on the 28th of May.
The subjects of today’s execution had committed completely separate murders and both were condemned at the Somerset Lent Assizes before Baron Huddlestone.
30 year old Joseph Wedlake had battered a young man by the name of Mark Cox, to death on Ridgehill Street in Winford on the 7th of January 1883 in a fit of jealousy. He had mistaken 17 year old Cox for another young man named Thatcher, who was going out with his cousin with whom Wedlake wanted a relationship himself, although it seems he had never told her so.
On the night of the 7th which was a very dark winter’s night, he attacked Cox, knocking him down and taking a swing at his head with an axe, realising too late that he was about to kill the wrong man. Initially Wedlake’s brother was arrested but released when Joseph made a full confession.
27 year old George White was a labourer and was to die for the brutal murder of his estranged wife, Elizabeth (also given as Clara), at Henstridge, near Wincanton, on Wednesday the 28th of March 1883. On that day White called to see Elizabeth and they spent the day drinking. In the evening the couple quarreled and White set about Elizabeth and cut her throat. White and Elizabeth had been married for about ten months, but had separated after just six weeks.
Both men were tried at the Somerset Assizes before Baron Huddleston, held at Taunton. White pleaded guilty at trial on the 27th of April. Sergeant-Major Standbrook who had tried to rescue Elizabeth was awarded five pounds by the court for his courageous actions. Wedlake was convicted on the 30th of April. Petitions were got up for reprieves for both prisoners, but were rejected by the Home Secretary, Sir William Harcourt.
Marwood arrived at Taunton on Saturday the 19th of May having travelled from Dublin. He inspected the gallows which was housed in the military portion of the prison, having previously been in the prison van’s shed. This gallows was of a conventional design, with the beam supported by uprights and set over the trap doors. The whole thing was painted black.
It was reported that both men accepted their fate and preferred execution, rather than penal servitude for life.
Just before 8.00 a.m. on the morning of Monday the 21st of May they were led from their cells to the gallows. Wedlake was somewhat tearful but White coped better. The prison bell had begun tolling a few minutes earlier. Once on the drop Marwood pinioned their legs and the Rev. W. Howe continued reading the burial service. The drop fell at 8.00 a.m. and death was reported as “instantaneous” in both cases.
Some 200 people had gathered outside the prison to see the black flag hoisted which it was as soon as the drop fell and remained flying until 9.00 a.m. when the bodies were taken down and placed in “rough wooden” coffins. As was required by the Capital Punishment Act of 1868, declarations that the executions had been carried out were posted on the gate. One was signed by the governor, Mr. William Kiteley, the High Sheriff, Mr. Vincent Stuckey and the Rev. W. Howe and the other by the prison surgeon, Mr. Edward Hensman.
A formal inquest was held at 10.00 a.m. by the district coroner, Mr. W. Monkton. Mr. Kiteley identified the bodies to the coroner’s court and Mr. Hensman confirmed that fracture/dislocation of the vertebrae had occurred, with crushing of the spinal cord and that death “must have been virtually instantaneous”. It was noted that the faces of both men appeared to be “placid”.
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment