Age:
Sex: male
Crime: murder
Date Of Execution: 28 Mar 1876
Execution Place: Morpeth
Method: unknown
Executioner: unknown
Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20070624062456/http://www.fred.net/jefalvey/execute.h
1876
March 28th: George HUNTER (23)
Morpeth
On 9 December two young pitmen, George Hunter and Williams Woods, were out shooting birds in a snow-covered forest. Later they called into a public house for a couple of drinks. As they left the pub to walk home, Woods walked slowly behind and threw a snowball at his friend. Hunter warned him that if he did it again he would shoot him. Woods then threw another at him, to which Hunter responded by raising his gun and shooting him dead. Hunter lived with his aged parents, and had signed a petition earlier that day asking for a reprieve for CHARLTON [above]. He was taken into custody and charged with murder. He maintained that it was an accident and that he thought the gun was empty; despite the lack of evidence that the crime was premeditated he was convicted and hanged by Marwood.
