Saturday 01 May 1819 (p. 3, col. 1) EXECUTION. On Saturday last, John TOWNSEND, convicted at the late gaol delivery here of forging a prize ticket, and Christian GALE, found guilty of stealing bills of exchange from a sealed letter in the post-bag which he was entrusted to carry from Cockermouth to Maryport, suffered the sentence of the law upon a temporary drop, erected in the front of the gaol near the Court Houses. Thousands of people from all parts of the country assembled on the occasion, and order was preserved by a strong detachment of Hussars, who formed a line at a proper distance around the place of execution: a number of constables also attended. About half past two, the unhappy men made their appearance and ascended the scaffold with uncommon firmness, TOWNSEND leading the way; they were attended by the Rev. Mr. MARK, chaplain of the gaol, and by the Rev. Messrs. LEE and LEWIS, Methodist preachers, resident in Carlisle. The executioner proceeded immediately to the performance of his office, during which the unfortunate culprits were constant in their prayers for mercy: TOWNSEND was dressed in black, and conducted himself with great propriety: GALE, without displaying so much feeling, seemed, nevertheless, sensible of his awful situation.—The dreadful preparation completed, the executioner ascended the scaffold and shook hands with the sufferers, and they having shaken hands with each other, the bolt was withdrawn, and they were launched into eternity. GALE died almost instantly; TOWNSEND was at first a little convulsed, but his sufferings speedily terminated. After hanging the usual period of an hour, the bodies were cut down and deposited in neat coffins: they lay in the chapel till the next evening, and were then decently interred in St. Cuthbert's church yard, many friends of each attending the funeral. In the interval between GALE and TOWNSEND's condemnation and execution, they were visited in the cell by various persons anxious for their spiritual welfare, including the Rev. J. FAWCETT, the Rev. S. R. HARTLEY, the Rev. Mr. MARK, Mr. LEE Mr. LEWIS, and Mr. HESLOP. TOWNSEND distinctly and repeatedly confessed that he had forfeited his life to the laws of his country, and was extremely penitent to the last. GALE persisted in the same story which he told before and at the time of his trial—namely, that the notes (as he called them) were given to him, wrapped in brown paper, by a man whom he met near Dovenby, and who told him to wait for him at a public house, but he never returned: in this absurd tale he persisted to the last, and was launched into eternity without confessing his guilt. A letter has appeared in the Carlisle Journal, with the name of TOWNSEND attached to it, in which he is made to say: "I have no hidden secrets to suppress whatever; neither do I intend to hold out that I am an innocent man. But what I did was done for the benefit of the party interested, and not, I solemnly declare, from any idea of fraud—never did such a thought enter my mind: had I been clear of this charge I would never have acknowledged the debt, or paid any thing towards it. All I ever received was £18 6s. I paid at different times £5, in part of the £18 6s., and for the remainder £13 6s., not being competent to pay it when asked for, I am to suffer death.—I must in duty to God and the public, declare that part of the evidence against me from Keswick was false, and has since been detected as such. This materially injured me during the trial; however, I freely forgive all my persecutors," &c. The authenticity of this letter is doubtful *—at all events, it is not in unison with his personal declarations made to Mr. LEWIS, Mr. HESLOP, and others, that his life was forfeited to the laws of his country: he also confessed to Mr. HESLOP that he uttered the ticket, knowing it to be forged, but he said he did not commit the forgery himself. The allusion to the evidence from Keswick is this—A person swore on the trial that he saw TOWNSEND write a certain document. It has since been stated, that this person, recollecting himself, now says he did not see TOWNSEND write it, but had it from his own mouth that he wrote it. We can neither confirm nor deny this statement—but we have it on the authority of Mr. LEWIS, that TOWNSEND confessed to him that he did write the document, though the witness from Keswick did not see him do it, as deposed on the the [sic] trial. There are here some painful contradictions: but enough can be gathered to prove, by the unhappy sufferer's own confessions, that the law has not laid hold of an innocent victim. GALE is now thought to have played an artful part from the beginning—and it seems certain that he could both read and write. TOWNSEND one day was employed, in the cell, in copying a kind of memoir of his life, which he designed to send to a friend; and having lost the place, GALE pointed it out to him. He also showed Mr. LEWIS the initials of his name, written on the palm of his left hand, in large and well-formed characters, which he confessed to have made himself. This, we think, is decisive, and completely dispels the idea entertained by many, that he was an idiot. But we have now said enough. Let their frailties rest with Him to whom belong both punishment and forgiveness—may the latter be their portion! TOWNSEND was 43 years of age, and has left behind him a wife and six children, as well as a numerous circle of respectable friends and relations, who are most poignantly afflicted at his deplorable end. One brother is represented to be so strongly affected as to labour under temporary insanity. GALE leaves a wife and three children, who, of course, likewise feel their deprivation most deeply. * It is stated to have been written by a Debtor in the gaol; whose name has been mentioned to us.