Lengthy, detailed article describing the 1883 murder of Bath constable William "

Authors

Ken Textor

Source

Down East

Date

11-1-2003

Pages

78-79, 93-96

Abstract

Lengthy, detailed article describing the 1883 murder of Bath constable William "Uncle Billy" Lawrence, and the subsequent hanging of his killer, Daniel Wilkinson. In the nineteenth century, hanging a condemned felon was the preferred method of execution, and was supposed to result in instant death. In Wilkinson's case, it was a full fifteen minutes of slow strangulation before he finally expired. Eventually, the story of Wilkinson's botched hanging made the rounds, and Mainers were revolted. By the end of the legislative session of 1887, Maine lawmakers had abolished the death penalty. Since then, there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to reinstate the death penalty in Maine.

Subjects

Capital punishment, Lawrence, William, Wilkinson, Daniel

Recommended Citation

Textor, Ken, "Lengthy, detailed article describing the 1883 murder of Bath constable William "" (2003). Maine News Index - Down East Magazine. 1584.
https://digitalcommons.portlandlibrary.com/news_downeast/1584