MRS. THOMPSON’S END.

Outside Holloway Gaol a crowd began to gather at about 7.30. The first arrival was a woman carrying placards on which were the words, “If these two are hung judge and jury are murderers also”; and “Murder cannot be abolished by murder.” She paraded in front of the prison, and was regarded with curiosity by other early arrivals. Early City workers who passed the prison gates stopped to read the formal notice posted stating that the execution would take place that morning. By a quarter-past eight, when fine rain was falling, about fifty persons had collected. As the time for the execution approached the police force was augmented, and shortly before nine o’clock the crowd had grown to several hundreds. There were a number of women in the crowd, but men predominated.

A service which was to have been held outside the prison by the League of Intercession was abandoned at the request of the police.

When, at 9.10, the chaplain came out of the prison. it was assumed that the execution had been carried out in order. At this time the crowd began to surge about the gates, and the mounted police had considerable difficulty in keeping them back. It was not until 9.33 that the official notice was posted outside the prison. It read:

We, the undersigned, hereby declare that the judgment of death was this day executed on Edith J. Thompson, in his Majesty’s prison at Holloway. – Hamilton Gepp, Under-sheriff; G. Murray, lain; J. H. Morton, Governor.

The inquest on Mrs Thompson was held at the prison by Dr. F. J. Waldo, the City coroner, and a jury of City men. Mrs Thompson’s father, mother, and sister were conducted to the mortuary, where they viewed the body of the dead woman. Dr. John Hall Morton, governor, testified that the execution was carried put without any hitch whatever. He said that when received at Holloway Mrs. Thompson was in good health. The jury returned a verdict that Mrs. Thompson had been duly executed in accordance with the law.