William Jackson, a man of 29, formerly a soldier, was
hanged on Tuesday in York Castle for the murder of his sister. He per- sisted in denying his guilt up to the morning of his execution, when he sent for the Governor, made a full confession, and then died with the utmost courage. His demeanour at the last made an impression in his favour, but on his trial he tried to accuse a witness of perjury, though, as he admitted to the Governor, she had told the truth ; and the murder was an almost motiveless atrocity. He was going to seek for work, when his sister, who was much attached to him, begged him to take her with him, and said, "Wherever thou goes, I will go with thee!" "S< I made no.more to do ; I opened my black bag and took out my razor, and cut my sister Lizzie's throat. She screamed out when the blood dew out. She dropped on the footpath, and. I lifted, her
off, She muttered, Oh, Will I think, and then I ran away." It was a bad murder, but it is impossible to forget that if Jackson had kicked his sister to death instead of cutting her throat— that is, had added torture to murder—he would have escaped with twelvemonths' imprisonment, at the outside.