He said he neither wanted to spend his life in prison and then die there; nor to pass through what he had had to pass through since. He thought if he had killed himself then he might have been buried amongst his friends at Darnall.
Much of the convict’s conversation during the interview was on religious topics. He said he wished he could speak to all his friends, and then he would entreat them never to enter a public-house, or to gamble, or go to handicaps.
He made a personal appeal to Dan, and begged of him to change his mode of life and to become a good man; or as he put it “to become religious.” In this strain he talked for a long time; at intervals resting from sheer exhaustion, and then going on again.
Much of what he said, however, they could not hear, he spoke in so low a tone of voice. He made no further reference to either of the murders he had committed.
When the time came for the interview to terminate not only the condemned man, but Dan and all his friends were much affected, and as may be imagined the final farewell was a very sorrowful scene.
His last utterances to them were kind remembrances to George Goodlad and Cragg, and a promise that he would write to them both.
The relatives left the cell, feeling that they had indeed taken leave of a “poor, wretched, haggard man.”
As the party were returning from Armley to Leeds they were accosted by Mrs. Brion and Mrs. Thompson who were urgent in their inquiries as to what had passed between them and “Dear Jack.”
Dan, we understand, took no notice of them; but the others conversed with the two women a short time. They were much impressed with Mrs. Thompson, and greatly astonished that she should ever have taken up with a man like him.
PEACE AS A PUBLIC PERFORMER.