THE WORST AND BRUTAL EXECUTION Georges TOWERS - HANGED FOR A BURGLARY.

THE WORST AND BRUTAL EXECUTION Georges TOWERS - HANGED FOR A BURGLARY.

At the Old Bailey Sessions of the 18th of July 1810, 20 year old George Towers was tried before the Recorder for breaking and entering the home of Pierce Bryon (also given as Bryen) on the 8th of May 1810 at 55 Manchester Street in Manchester Square, London.  Towers had stolen watches, jewellery, seals a snuff box and cash from the premises.
Mr. Bryon was alone in the house that night when he heard the front door latch move and saw the door slowly open to reveal a man.
He had been writing at a table and as he got up to confront the intruder, he knocked over the table which fell on him.
Towers then punched him in the stomach, knocking him back down and went through his pockets.  Here he found a hundred pounds in small notes and the key to the metal chest which was in the room.
He opened this and found the watches and jewellery.  Towers hit Mr. Bryon over the head causing a nasty wound before locking him in the parlour and escaping. 
Mr. Bryon was able to identify Towers who had been in his service for some six months up to April of 1810.
Towers was arrested by Bow Street Runner, George Humphreys, on the 25th of June after receiving a tip off.
Humphreys found a number of the stolen items in Towers’ possession and took him and the items to Mr. Bryon for identification.
As they arrived in Manchester Square, Towers tried to make a run for it.  Humphreys recaptured him in Oxford Street and searching him found more stolen property.
Towers’ lodgings were thoroughly searched and Mr. Bryon was able to identify much of what was found as his.
In his defence Towers could only assert his innocence and claim that he had received the stolen items from Mr. Bryon’s former valet who had tried to rape Mr. Bryon’s niece Catherine.  The jury were not impressed by this argument. 
Towers was hanged outside Newgate on the 20th of February 1811, beside one William Cane who had been convicted at the same Sessions of highway robbery.
It is not known why there was such an unusually long delay in carrying out these executions.  It is probable that the Prince Regent was not available to take part in the “Hanging Cabinet” at which the Recorder of London presented his report.
The dates of the trials and executions can be confirmed, but the newspaper report of the execution gives no reason for the delay.
The typical execution procedure at Newgate at this time was as follows.  Sometime before 8 a.m. the prisoners would be brought from the condemned cells to the Press Yard where their leg irons (fetters) would be removed.
Their wrists would be tied in front and a cord placed around the body and arms, just above the elbows.  The halter style noose would be put around their neck and a white night cap put on their head.
They would then be led through the prison to the Debtor’s Door where they would climb the 10 steps up to the platform.
Here the hangman, William Brunskill, would throw the free end of the rope over the beam and tie it back on itself, thus ensuring a minimal drop.
When the prisoners had finished praying with Ordinary the City Marshall would give the signal for the hangman to pull the pin causing the platform to fall.