Peace, the murderer of Mr. Dyson at Sheffield, was executed
at Leeds on Tuesday. He professed conversion, and wrote ' good" letters to his friends, but maintained that although he fired at Dyson, his victim's death was an accident; slandered Mrs. Dyson in terms too gross for publication ; and steadily refused to give up the names of any receivers whose aid had enabled him to carry on his burglaries so suc- cessfully. He confessed that he had murdered the police- man at Whalley Range, for which a man named Habron is suffering penal servitude; and his confession, though dis- believed at the Home Office, is being carefully investigated. It should be noted, in fairness to Mrs. Dyson—whom the reporters ought to have protected—that in his final declara- tion Peace positively swore that he never threatened her, having no need to do so, from his relations with her; and five minutes afterwards declared that she assailed him so unmercifully with abuse, that he presented a pistol at her head. There is a strong presumption that his final statements were dictated by vindictive hostility to Mrs. Dyson and the police, who would he discredited by Habron's release.
Previous page
