THE BOTANY MURDERESS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 245, 10 January 1889, Page 3

THE BOTANY MURDERESS.

THE HANGMAN’S BUNGLE. Sydney, Jan. 8. The execution of Louisa Collins, the Botany murderess, was a terrible ending of the career of one of the most cold-blooded murderesses it would be possible to imagine. The trap did not work properly, and nearly a minute elapsed after the signal had been given before the fatal drop took place. The woman maintained the most callous disposition until the last, and did not, as was expected, make any confession. The hangman’s bungle has been the cause of much adverse criticism, and it is probable the end of the matter has not yet been heard.

The following petition was presented to the Governor of New South Wales iu favor of the condemned prisoner Louisa Collins:— “To his Excellency, &c., &0., &c. The petition of the undersigned female inhabitants of Sydney and its suburbs showeth, — That Louisa Collins is now a prisoner under sentence of death in Darliughurst Gaol for the murder of her husband, Michael Peter Collins. Your petitioners pray that mercy may be extended to the prisoner ou the following grounds:—!. That it is abhorrent to every feeling of humanity and a shook to the sentiments in this 19th century, both here aud in other English speaking communities, that a woman should suffer death at the hands of a hangman, and at the hands of one of the opposite sex, so long as imprisonment can be substituted. 2. That the prisoner having been tried three times for the same offence, but practically four times, is (your petitioners are informed) contrary to the practice in the mother-country. 3. That there is no positive proof of the prisoner’s guilt—it has rather been assumed upon suspicion only, supported by circumstantial evidence, 4. That the fact that three juries, consisting of 36 men of intelligence, were each in deliberation many hours and during ose night, and were unable to agree as to prisoner’s guilt, your petitioners consider it strong and convinoing proof that the case is not free from doubt, and your petitioners conceive to be good grounds for not inflicting the extreme penalty. 5. That innocent individuals have frequently been executed on circumstantial evidence, and your petitioners entertain a just horror nt the possibility of a mistake occurring by which a punishment can be inflicted irrevocable and irremediable. 6. That in the case of two women condemned to death at West Maitland for not alone having deliberately conspired to murder, but having murdered by poison the younger prisoner’s husband—a much more heinous case than that of Louisa Collins, and one in which their guilt was proved beyond doubt, yet these two prisoners had mercy extended to them—your petitioners can see no just ground why a similar mercy should not be extended to the prisoner Louisa Collins. 7. That no execution of a woman has taken place in New South Wales for the last 28 years ; aud your petitioners believe that the substitution of imprisonment would act as a greater deterrent. Your petitioners, therefore, pray that your Excellency will exercise your Royal prerogative of mercy in favor of Louisa Collins—a prerogative which is a sacred trust solely in your Excellency’s hands, and whioh your petitioners pray you will graciously be pleased to exercise.