EXECUTION OF CHENNEL AND CHALCRAFT.
G. Chennel, and W. Chalcraft, were executed yesterday morning, pursuant to their sentences, at a quarter past eleven, upon a temporary gallows, erected in Godalming Meadows. The culprits, since their conviction, have evinced uncommon apathy. Two Clergymen visited them the night they were convicted, and prayed with them a considerable time. Chennel remained during the whole time in a torpid state, and wished to avoid conversing with any one, especially upon the subject of the murders. During Wednesday night, Chennell slept seven hours, and seemed much composed. Chalcraft was feverish and uneasy, but slept sound for several hours. On Thursday, the Rev. Mr. Mann, the Ordinary of Horsemonger-lane Gaol; visited them, and remained with them a considerable time, entreating them, as the only reparation they could make to society, to relieve the minds of the people, by acknowledging their guilt of the murder for which they were so soon to suffer; and also, if they were guilty of the other murders at Petersfield, Farnham, and Reading, of which they were so strongly suspected. The culprits declared in the most positive terms (particularly Chalcraft) that they were “innocent as the child unborn of the murders of Mr. Chennel and Mary Wilson.”
On Thursday evening, the wife of G. Chennel, visited him with her child, a fine lad of about six years of age. The moment Chennel saw them he burst into tears, and embraced her most affectionately. They were left together in the cell for about 20 minutes, and when they parted, his wife was in a dreadful state of anguish; he did not seem to feel so much as when they met. He persisted to his wife that he was innocent of the crime for which he was to die. In a short time after a more afflicting scene took place, Chalcraft’s wife and six children presented themselves at the gaol door to take a last leave of the husband and father. The interview was overpowering to the spectators—such real distress and misery cannot be depicted. The agonizing shrieks of the mother, the heavy groans of the father, and the cries of the children, would have pierced any heart.—“Oh! My dear Will, tell me the truth; as a man who stands before God, and is going to die, if you are guilty of the murder pray, for God’s sake, don’t hide any thing, and have the weight of guilt upon your conscience when you are dying.” Chalcraft replied—“My dear, I am innocent of the murder, or I would confess it.”
Mrs. C. said to him, that she had been upbraided by her neighbours with washing the bloody cloaths; and you know; and God knows, that I never did.—Chalcraft answered, “They are cruel to you; I never did the murder, or had any hand in it, and you never saw any bloody cloaths.”—Chalcraft then admitted that he was at old Mr. Chennel’s on the night preceding the discovery of the murder, from a quarter past nine; but he still persisted that he had no knowledge of the murder.—Mrs. C. was about to leave the cell, when she presented the babe she held in her hand to Chalcraft to kiss; she then exclaimed, “Oh, God! To-morrow this child id just 12 months old, and your father then is to die. I hope God will be a father to my children.” They then embraced, and were separated by the gaolers.—Chennel asked the Rev. Mr. Mann, when he left him on Thursday night, to be kind enough to visit him as early as he could on the following morning. The Rev. Gentleman was with the criminals yesterday morning at six o’clock. Mr. Mann continued praying and reading hymns to them until half-past eight o’clock; they still persisted they were not guilty. Mr. Mann hesitated for a considerable time before he would administer the Sacrament to them. After some time spent in protestations of their innocence, the worthy Divine cautioned them in the most feeling and religious language, not to take sin to their souls by partaking of so divine an ordinance with a lie in their mouths. They continued to declare their innocence; and, after the Sacrament was administered, they were bound by ropes in the usual manner, and, at about half-past nine o’clock, they were led to the prison-door, and placed in a waggon, upon which was erected a platform, which they were to be launched from under the gallows. The procession from Guildford to Godalming, which is a distance of about four miles, was composed of Constables, Javelin Men, Under Sheriff, &c. In the waggon and platform were the criminals, sitting with their faces towards the horses. The Rev. Mr. Mann sat between them, reading prayers and hymns. The executioner sat facing them, with a naked sword in his hand. The Rev. Mr. West, of Stoke, sat on the right hand of the executioner, occasionally administering consolation to the criminals.—When the procession began to move Chennel once changed colour, but he soon became composed, and did not move a muscle during the remainder of the way; he was totally unaffected by the surrounding multitude; he kept his eyes fixed upon the platform all the time, until the moment he arrived under the gallows. Chalcraft, during the whole of the time, responded to the prayers of the Clergymen, and seemed sensibly affected with his awful situation. The procession arrived on the fatal spot about 11 o’clock; which is surrounded by hills, and thousands has assembled. When the platform was placed under the gallows, the Executioner asked Chennell to mount upon it, he sprung up with surprising vigour and boldness, and stood erect and firm, during the time the Executioner tied the rope round his neck. During that time a Gentleman, for whom Chalcraft had worked, was in deep conversation with him; Chalcraft had promised him (his own words) to “tell him the whole pedigree of the affair when he came to the place of execution.” The Gentleman intreated him to fulfil his promise; Chalcraft trembled very much, but recovering himself, he again protested his innocence of the murder.
When the procession was on the road, Mr. Mann earnestly intreated Chennel to make a confession, and told him that he had no right to expect mercy, unless he acknowledged his crimes, if it was only for the purpose of preventing innocent persons from suffering for the crimes which they had committed. He then put the question to Chennel in the most solemn manner, “Did you or did you not commit the murder, or assist at all in it?” Chennel lifted up his eyes, and said, in reply, “I never had any concern in the murder.” Chalcraft turned his head round, and looking at him very expressly, answered, “You did, George; you know you did!” When Chalcraft was desired to ascend the scaffold, he trembled very much, and looked anxiously around. It was thought he would have made a confession, but he only shook hands with a gentleman, and again repeated his asseveration of innocence. He then mounted the scaffold, and the rope being adjusted round his neck, the Rev. Mr. Mann ascended also, and held a conversation with them; he said, that they were now on the very verge of the grave, but it was not too late to make a full confession; and he earnestly entreated them, if they, as dying men, had any regard for their souls, not to die denying the truth. Chennel replied, “What I have asserted is the truth.” These were his last words.—Chalcraft was deeply engaged in prayer, and made no answer. Mr. Mann then prayed with them, and having left the fatal apparatus, they were launched into eternity. Chennel was a great deal convulsed, Chalcraft died almost instantly. After hanging an hour they were cut down, and their bodies given to Mr. Parsons, surgeon, at Godalming, for dissection. The anxiety of the Public was great; it was hoped they would have made a confession of their participation in the murders of a young man, named Searson, near Petersfield; of a Mr. Stilwell, who lived in Holt forest, near Farnham; and of a Roman Catholic Priest, who was murdered at Reading. It is a fact that Chennel and Chacraft were at each of the above places at the time the murders were committed; and in one case (the murder at Petersfield) very strong evidence has been adduced against them, and if they had not been found guilty upon the charge for which they suffered, they would have been tried upon that charge at the next assizes.