Extracted from Morpeth Herald on 1 April 1876.
On the Tuesday morning at 8am George Hunter, a miner aged 23 underwent the extreme penalty of law within the walls of Morpeth Goal in accordance with the sentence of death passed by Baron Bramwell at the last assizes for the county for the murder of William Wood at Dinnington. This was the second execution that has taken place within the walls of the prison in less than 3 months when Richard Charlton, was hung for the murder of his wife on the 23 December 1875. George’s hanging was the second since the introduction of the Act for executions being performed in prisons was passed. The last public execution took place on 17 March 1847 when James Welsh and George Matthews were hanged for murder.
George Hunter and the murder victim William Wood were both miners, the former working at Burradon Colliery and the later Dinnington Colliery. They were on friendly terms at about 2pm on 9 December they together with two other miners called Thomas Arnott and Robert Scouler went on a shooting expedition. Hunter, Arnott and Scouler all had guns, Wood didn’t. Things were friendly all afternoon. At 5pm they went into Carr Gate public house in Dinnington and were later joined by two other men Sampson Mead and Thomas Thorn. The Landlady Mrs Bell served them 7 or 8 pints and when they left they were sober “As far as she could judge”. Apparently Scouler was teetotal and drank no beer. They were all friendly and amused themselves by drawing puzzles.
Shortly after 10pm they left the house and walked along the road towards Dinnington Church. The ground was covered in snow and the deceased threw a snowball at Thorn. The men were met in the road by the schoolmaster George Stoker who had been going around the district obtaining signatures for a petition to the Home Secretary in favour of a reprieve for Charlton who had been condemned to death at the Winter Gaol Delivery for the murder of his wife at Gardeners House near Dinnington. He was in Morpeth Gaol awaiting execution. He asked the men if they would sign his petition and all consented. Mr Stoker left the men and a little further along the road Mead and Thorn parted and went to their homes. Arnott and Scouler walked along the road together with Hunter and Wood a little further behind. Arnott then tells this in his own words “When I got to the school I heard Hunter say if you don’t stop heaving or clotting I’ll fire.” I heard Wood reply “You would not fire Geordie?”. About half a minute after that I heard the gun. Scouler and I stopped and Hunter came up to us and asked me for a powder flask I said “What have you fired at Geordie?” He said “I fired at Willie” I said “You don’t mean to say you have fired at Willie, George?” He said “I have Tom” I said “Have you hit him?” He said “Yes”.
Scouler and I went back along the road and left Hunter standing by the school. Wood was lying on the road between the corner of the road and the churchyard wall. He was lying on his elbows and knees with his face in the snow. A witness Christopher MacDougal, a Mole Catcher of Dinnington was coming out of his house and he heard a man say 2 or 3 times “Take a shot” someone replied “Geordie are you not going to fire” and soon after heard the shot. Mr Allan Walker was sent for and on examining the body found a great many shot wounds in the left shoulder and chest and the cause of death was haemorrhage from wounds. He took 48 shot corns from various parts of Wood’s chest. A policeman was also sent for and apprehended Hunter who was still lying on the road, he had to be lifted up and taken to the Police House and would not speak. The following day he was charged with murder at the Moot Hall he replied to the charge “I cannot mind anything about it”.
At the trial Mr Blackwell defending Hunter endeavoured to show that the gun might have gone off accidentally and Hunter was entitled to acquittal. Mr Bramwell in summing up pointed out that according to Hunter’s own statement the gun was intentionally fired at Wood without provocation and said “How are the jury to deal with the evidence they have heard and find a verdict in favour of the prisoner? I do not know”. The judge further said “It was a sad thing to think that a man for a momentary act, bitterly repented of perhaps ever since should be in danger of undergoing a very severe punishment. It was necessary that a person who possibility was in no danger of repeating an offence of this sort should be punished in order that his punishment might deter others.”
The jury was out for 45 minutes and returned the verdict of guilty with a recommendation of mercy on account of his previous good character and also in consequence of the slight provocation he received (snow thrown at him). We wish to strongly recommend mercy. The judge passed the sentence of death in the usual terms, but would forward the recommendation of the jury and the notes to the Home Secretary. The prisoner was taken immediately to Morpeth Goal in the charge of the Governor Mr Wookey. In the meantime the reports were sent to the Home Secretary and it is understood these reports were very unfavourable as regards to Hunter’s previous character. It was shown that he had twice previously shot at people and only days before he shot Wood had a quarrel with another man and threatened to shot him if he had a gun. The Home Secretary armed with this information saw no reason to allow mercy.
Preparations for his execution began and even Hunter assumed he would be spared the death penalty until he was told otherwise on the Sunday evening. Hunter was attended night and day in the condemned cell by a warder, but from the Sunday evening an additional one was in place with him. He was visited by his parents and two brothers a brother in law, an uncle and aunt and 4 cousins. The visit did not last long and few words were spoken the final leave taking was deeply affecting to all. To the unhappy man himself, it was extremely painful for unlike Charlton who was executed in Morpeth goal and who was fully prepared to die and wished for the hour of his release Hunter clung to life. Marwood the executioner arrived ta Morpeth Station on Monday evening at 6.15pm. He was met by Mr Wookey and was taken to the gaol without having attracted much attention either at the station or the prison gates.
On Monday night Hunter sought his pillow for the last time and slept well. He rose soon after 6am and dressed himself in the clothes he wore for his trial. He appeared in low sprits. He could not face his breakfast other than he did partake of a little tea. Outside the weather was very wet and changed to snow and sleet soon after 7.00am. At 7.45am the prison bell began to toll to let all know that there was 15 minutes life left for the doomed man. At 7.50am Hunter was taken from the chapel to a dark cell where the body of the prisoner was demanded for execution. Marwood then placed the main strap round the body of Hunter and attached small straps round his arms and wrists all the time the prisoner had his eyes fixed on the floor and was holding a small pocket handkerchief in his left hand. At about 6 or 7 minutes to 8 he was moved in the direction of the scaffold. Hunter seemed weak and down in sprits as he took his last walk and shed no tears. In height he appeared about 5ft 7”, medium build, respectful looking with a dark complexion, dark whiskers and small black moustache. Marwood placed Hunter under the fatal beam. No words were spoken. Marwood with skill which only experience in such a dreadful calling can bestow strapped the legs of the victim and drew the white cap over the face and adjusted the rope carefully whilst the rector read the service in a low voice. Once ready the lever was pulled and the two doors fell with a clanging sound. As Hunters body went down it gave two or three movements and soon was over. At two minutes to 8 the black flag was hoisted on the court house to inform the public the deed had been done. The prison bell tolled till 8.15am. At 9 am the body was cut down and examined by the surgeon and placed in a coffin and on the breast plate of the coffin were the words:-
George Hunter
Died March 28th 1876
Aged 23 years
No reporters were admitted. There was a rumour that the execution was bungled and the condemned man suffered more than generally was the case and that one person fainted. Whether this was true we will not know. We have been given to understand that Marwood experienced some difficulty in adjusting the rope, due to the way Hunter kept his chin down. Another report states that Hunter shouted “Murder” three times. The body of the prisoner was interred in the north east side of the prison near where the remains of Charlton were buried, the coffins placed end to end.