This morning Elizabeth Herring referring, who was convicted last Friday at the Old-Bailey of the wilful murder of her husband, (who plied as a waterman at Wapping-stairs) by stabbing him with a case-knife in the throat, in a quarrel while they were at dinner at a public-house in King-street, Wapping, was carried on a sledge, drawn by four horses, from Newgate to Tyburn. She confessed that her husband died by the wound she gave him in her passion, to which she was very subject; but declared she had no intention of murdering him, and seemed to be entirely resigned to her unhappy fate.
The method of executing this unfortunate woman was as follows: She was placed on a stool something more than two feet high, and a chain being placed under her arms, the rope round her neck was made fast to two spikes, which being driven through a post against which she stood, when her devotions were ended, the stool was taken from under her, and she was soon strangled. When she had hung about fifteen minutes, the rope was burnt, and she sunk till the chain supported her, forcing her hands up to a level with her face, and the flames being furious she was soon consumed.
The crowd was so immensely great, that it was a long time before the faggots could be placed for execution.
It was computed that there were above 20,000 people to see this melancholy spectacle, many of whom were much hurt, and some trodden to death in gratifying a barbarous curiosity.
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