found to be quite expended on their arrival at Londonderry, and some
means, it was determined, must be found to recruit their bank. In this
dilemma, Price insinuated to our adventurer that a young man of his
address and appearance might easily introduce himself into the public
places, to which the merchants and dealers of the town resorted, and
that he might, without difficulty, find opportunities of picking their
pockets, and escaping unseen and undiscovered. The idea pleased
Barrington, and the fair coming on, offered a favourable juncture at
which to commence his new profession. The design was carried into
execution in the course of the ensuing day with very great success,
their acquisitions amounting to about forty guineas in cash, and one
hundred and fifty pounds in Bank notes. The circumstance, it may readily
be supposed, excited no small alarm among the honest traders, on its
becoming generally known that robberies to so large an amount had been
effected; but the players remaining in the town, suspicion did not rest
upon them, and the depredation was put down to the score of some of the
ordinary scamps who then, as well as now, followed the fairs, in Ireland
and England. It was resolved, however, that the company should quit
Derry, and after having played a few nights with more applause than
profit, they removed to Ballyshannon, where our hero may be said to have
commenced the business of a professed pickpocket in the summer of the
year 1771, in the 16th year of his age.
At Ballyshannon he passed the autumn and winter of 1771 with the company
to which he belonged, playing two days in the week, and picking pockets
whenever opportunity offered; and this business, though attended with
some danger and certain infamy, he found so much more lucrative than
that of the theatre, where his fame and his proficiency by no means kept
pace with the expectations raised by his first appearance, that he
determined to quit the stage.
He now commenced what is called a "gentleman pickpocket," by affecting
the airs and importance of a man of fashion; but he was so much alarmed
at the detection and conviction of his preceptor, Price (who was
sentenced to transportation for seven years), that he hastened to
Dublin, where he practised his pilfering art during dark evenings only.
He soon made his own country too hot to hold him, for at one of the
races in the county of Carlow he was detected picking the pocket of a
nobleman; but, upon restoring the property, his lordship declined any
prosecution, and he therefore left Ireland, and for the first time
appeared in England in 1773. On his first visit to Ranelagh with a
party, he quitted his friends, and picked the pockets of the Duke of
Leinster and Sir William Draper of a considerable sum; and he also took
from a lady a watch, with all which he got off undiscovered, and
rejoined his friends.
In 1775 he visited the most celebrated watering-places, particularly
Bath; and, being supposed to be a gentleman of fortune and family, he
was noticed by persons of the first distinction. On his return to London
he formed a connexion with one Lowe, and became a most daring
pickpocket. He went to court on the queen's birthday, as a clergyman,
and not only picked several pockets, but found means to deprive a
nobleman of his diamond order, and retired from the palace without
suspicion.
In the course of the winter of 1775 the celebrated Russian Prince Orloff
visited England. The various circumstances of his history, the high
favour he enjoyed at the court of his sovereign, and the valuable
presents he had received from her, were frequently mentioned in the
public prints. Among the rest, a gold snuff-box, set with brilliants,
and valued at the enormous sum of thirty thousand pounds, particularly
attracted the attention of Barrington. It was not long before he formed
a plan for obtaining possession of it. A favourable opportunity one
night presenting itself at Covent-garden Theatre, he contrived to get
near the prince, and found means to convey the precious trinket out of
his excellency's waistcoat pocket into his own. This operation, however,
was not performed with such dexterity as to escape detection. The prince
felt the attack so impudently made upon him, and immediately seized the
depredator by the collar. During the confusion that ensued, Barrington
slipped the box into the hand of the owner, who was doubtless well
pleased at having recovered it so easily; but the delinquent was,
nevertheless, secured, and committed to Tothill-fields Bridewell,
previous to his examination at Bow-street for the offence. On this
occasion he represented himself as belonging to an affluent and
respectable family in Ireland, adding that he had been educated for the
medical profession, and had come to London to improve himself in it; and
having accompanied this plausible representation with many tears, and
seeming to rest so much on his being an unfortunate gentleman rather
than a guilty culprit, Prince Orloff declined to prosecute, and he was
dismissed by the magistrate, with some wholesome admonition.
This adventure, however, had no effect with our hero. He had gone too
far to recede, and he was compelled to continue his depredations upon
the public, in order to obtain a living.
In pursuit of his business, it was his custom to attend the sittings of
the two Houses of Parliament; but being one day in the House of Peers,
he was recognised by a stranger who was present, and turned out by one
of the ushers, who was made acquainted with his character. A threat of
vengeance was heard to slip from the lips of the thief, and he was taken
into custody, and being unable to give security for his future good
behaviour, he was committed to Tothill-fields Bridewell, and remained
there during a considerable period of time. On his discharge, his only
refuge was his old profession: but he had not pursued it long before he
was detected in picking the pocket of a woman in Drury-lane Theatre, for
which he was indicted and convicted at the Old Bailey in the year 1777,
and was sentenced to three years' hard labour on board the hulks at
Woolwich. The excellence of his deportment there, however, procured for
him a mitigation of his punishment, and at the termination of a year he
was set at liberty, in obedience to the recommendation of the
superintendants of his gang.
Within six months after his release, he was detected in picking the
pocket of a lady during divine service in St. Sepulchre's church, and
being convicted of this offence, he was again sentenced to hard labour
on the river; but for a period of five years, and in pursuance of his
sentence, he was removed to the hulks a second time, in the year 1778.
During this second confinement, he either found that his sufferings were
more severe or his situation more desperate than in his former
imprisonment, and, wearied out with labour and disgusted with life, he
determined to commit suicide. With this view he stabbed himself in the
breast with a penknife; but the wound, though deep and dangerous, did
not prove mortal, and it healed slowly, although it left the unfortunate
prisoner in a state of the greatest weakness. While he was in this
state, he had the good fortune to attract the attention of a gentleman
of rank, who happened to visit the hulks for the purpose of inquiring
into the state of the convicts, and who, commiserating his wretched
plight, exerted his influence and procured for him a pardon, on
condition of his quitting the kingdom. The condition was eagerly
accepted, and having been provided with money by his benefactor, he
proceeded at once to Dublin.
He had scarcely arrived in this city, however, before he was apprehended
on a charge of picking the pocket of a nobleman of his gold watch and
money at a theatre; but the evidence being defective, he was acquitted
and discharged. Upon his defence to this charge he displayed
considerable powers of oratory, and having been addressed by the Judge
in terms of suitable admonition, he spoke with great animation, and
enlarged upon what he termed the force of prejudice, insinuating that
the calumnies which, he contended, had been uttered against him in
England, had followed him to his native country.
He then quitted the bar, and as soon as he had obtained his liberty, he
deemed it prudent to retire from Dublin, and he proceeded to Edinburgh.
Suspicions were, however, soon entertained of his character there, and,
braving all danger, he returned to London, and there frequented the
theatres, the Opera House, Pantheon, and other places of public resort,
but was at length taken into custody. Having been acquitted for want of
evidence of the charge brought against him, he was unexpectedly detained
for having returned to England in violation of the condition on which
his majesty was pleased to grant him a remission of his punishment, and
was accordingly confined in Newgate during the remainder of the time
that he was originally to have served on the river Thames.
On the expiration of his captivity he returned to his former practices,
but with greater caution: but in spite of all his cares, he was at
length apprehended for picking the pocket of Mr. Le Mesurier, at
Drury-lane playhouse, but effected his escape from the constable; and
while the lawyers were outlawing him, and the constables endeavouring to
take him, he evaded detection by travelling in various disguises and
characters through the northern counties of the kingdom.
The appearances of a clergyman, a quack doctor, and a rider or
traveller, were in turn assumed; but going to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, he
was secured and removed to London by a writ of habeas corpus. He now
employed counsel, and had the outlawry against him reversed; and being
then tried for stealing Mr. Le Mesurier's purse, was acquitted in
consequence of the absence of a material witness.
Being once more enlarged, he had the presumption to visit Dublin again,
where having been soon suspected, he with difficulty escaped to
England; but, soon after his arrival, he was taken into custody for
picking the pocket of Henry Hare Townsend, Esq. at Epsom Races. For this
he was tried at the Old Bailey, September 1, 1798, and found guilty,
notwithstanding he made an ingenious defence. On September 22d the
Recorder pronounced the sentence of transportation on him for seven
years, when Barrington addressed the Court to the following effect:--
"My Lord,--I have a great deal to say in extenuation of the cause for
which I now stand convicted at this bar; but, upon consideration, I will
not arrest the attention of the honourable Court too long. Among the
extraordinary vicissitudes incident to human nature, it is the peculiar
and unfortunate lot of some devoted persons to have their best wishes,
and their most earnest endeavours to deserve the good opinion of the
most respectable part of society, entirely frustrated. Whatever they can
say or whatever they can do, every word and its meaning, every action
and its motive, is represented in an unfavourable light, and is
distorted from the real intention of the speaker or the actor. That this
has been my unhappy fate, does not seem to stand in need of any
confirmation. Every effort to deserve well of mankind, and my heart bore
witness to its rectitude, has been thwarted by such measures as those,
and consequently has been rendered abortive. Many of the circumstances
of my life I can, without any violation of truth, declare to have,
therefore, happened absolutely in spite of myself. The world, my lord,
has given me credit for abilities, indeed, much greater than I possess,
and therefore much more than I deserved; but I have never found any kind
hand to foster these abilities. I might ask, where was the generous and
powerful hand that was ever stretched forth to rescue George Barrington
from infamy? In an age like this, which, in several respects, is so
justly famed for liberal sentiments, it was my severe lot that no
noble-minded gentleman stepped forward, and said to me, 'Barrington, you
are possessed of talents which may be useful to society. I feel for your
situation; and as long as you act the part of a good citizen, I will be
your protector: you will then have time and opportunity to rescue
yourself from the obloquy of your former conduct.' Alas, my Lord, George
Barrington never had the supreme felicity of having such comfort
administered to his wounded spirit. As matters have unfortunately turned
out, the die is cast,--and as it is, I bend resigned to my fate, without
one murmur or complaint."
Having concluded this address, rendered more forcible by his pathetic
manner, he left the bar with a respectful bow, and thus retired from
public life in Europe, to act his part in a new hemisphere.
From the period of his conviction Barrington's conduct was such as to
retrieve his character from the disgrace with which he had loaded it
during the former portion of his life. Soon after the ship in which he,
with many other culprits, embarked for Botany Bay, had left England, a
circumstance occurred which may justly be asserted to have laid the
foundation of his subsequent good fortune.
The humanity of the captain had induced him to release many of the
convicts who were in a weakly state from their irons, and to permit them
alternately, ten at a time, to walk upon deck. Two of them, who were
Americans, formed the design of seizing the ship, and prevailed on the
majority of their comrades to enter into the plot. It was agreed, that
on the first favourable opportunity, part of those who were on deck
should force the arm-chest, overpower the sentinels, and then give a
signal for those below to join them. This design was planned with great
secrecy, and executed with equal spirit and audacity. One day, the
captain and most of the officers being below, Barrington, who was the
only man on deck except the man at the helm, heard a noise on the
main-deck, and going forward to ascertain its cause, was met by one of
the Americans and another convict, who presented a sabre at his breast,
which they had just wrenched from one of the sentinels, and commanded
him instantly to stop, and to make no noise. The sentinel at the moment
came up, and with a pistol which he had just snapped at the villain's
head, knocked up the weapon; and Barrington, seizing the opportunity,
snatched up a hand-spike, and felled his assailant to the ground. The
man at the helm was a witness to this scene of violence, and gave the
alarm, while Barrington meanwhile kept his situation, guarding the
passage of the quarter-deck. His antagonists now retreated a few paces,
but, being joined by many others, were rushing upon him, when the
discharge of a blunderbuss from behind our hero wounded several, and
they retreated; and Barrington being by this time aided by the captain
and the rest of the officers, the mutineers were in a few minutes driven
below. An attempt of this kind required the most exemplary punishment;
and, accordingly, two of the ringleaders were immediately hanged at the
yard-arm, and several others severely flogged.
Order being restored, the captain paid Barrington many handsome
compliments for his conduct, to which he attributed the salvation of the
ship, promised him a recompense for his services, and directed his
steward to supply him with everything he wanted during the voyage.
Accordingly, on the arrival of the ship at the Cape of Good Hope, he
gave Barrington a draft on a merchant there for one hundred dollars,
with permission to go on shore as often as he pleased. Nor was this all;
for, when they reached the place of their final destination, the captain
made such a favourable report of Barrington's character and merits to
the governor of Port Jackson, that he immediately appointed him
superintendant of convicts at a kind of colony from the parent
settlement, called Paramatta, where a convenient habitation was assigned
him.
Barrington's conduct in this situation was marked by such undeviating
rectitude as not only to obtain him the esteem of the governor and other
officers, but also to procure him the appointment of high constable of
Paramatta, with a salary of fifty pounds a-year; on which occasion the
governor complimented him on the faithful discharge of his duty, which
he considered as effacing his former misconduct.
In this situation he continued some time, but in 1801 he was a mere
living skeleton; and, having lost the use of his intellectual faculties,
had retired on a small pension. He died in 1804, a melancholy instance
of perverted talents; and it is supposed that his mental imbecility was
brought on by remorse and conscious sensibility, operating on a mind
capable of better things.
JAMES HADFIELD.
TRIED FOR HIGH TREASON, IN SHOOTING AT THE KING.
The case of this unfortunate man has attracted universal attention, but
its circumstances exhibit only that the most lamentable insanity existed
in the mind of the prisoner.
The trial of the wretched man came on in the Court of King's Bench, on
the 26th June, 1800, when the prisoner was arraigned upon an indictment,
which charged him with shooting at the King in Drury-Lane Theatre on the
15th May preceding.
The indictment having been read, the prisoner pleaded Not Guilty, and
the Attorney-general then opened the case against him.
Mr. Joseph Craig was the first witness examined. He deposed, that he was
a musician at Drury-Lane Theatre, and was there on the night of his
Majesty honouring the performance with his presence. His attention was
suddenly drawn to the prisoner, whose figure he saw elevated above the
rest; his right hand being extended with a pistol pointed towards his
Majesty. The pistol was immediately discharged, and then it fell down
instantly. Several persons seized the prisoner at once, and he assisted
in pulling him over the rails, and in taking him into the music room.
Mr. Sheridan and the Duke of York afterwards entered the room, when the
prisoner said, "God bless your Royal Highness! I like you very well, you
are a good fellow."
Other witnesses deposed to the same effect; and stated, in addition,
that they had remarked that the prisoner was a pitiful object before the
dreadful attempt which he made. The situation which the prisoner
selected was the best which he could have chosen for the object which he
had in view; he was observed to be agitated on the entrance of his
Majesty; and on his bowing a second time to the audience, the prisoner
raised his arm and fired. The pistol was picked up from the ground in
front of him, after he was taken into the music room.
Mr. Law, one of the counsel for the prosecution, here desired that the
Duke of York might be called; upon which the prisoner, in a paroxysm of
enthusiasm, cried out, "God bless the duke! I love him." The Court,
seeing his agitation, immediately gave directions that he should be
permitted to sit down; and Mr. Kirby, the keeper of Newgate, (who all
the time sat next to him,) told him he had permission of the Court to
sit down, which he did, and remained composed during the remainder of
the trial.
The Duke of York then stated, that he was present at the examination; he
remarked at the time that he knew the prisoner, and that he had been one
of his orderly men. The prisoner said, "He knew his own life was
forfeited; he regretted the fate of his wife only; he would be only two
days longer from his wife;" and he added, "The worst is not come yet."
His royal highness said the prisoner appeared to be perfectly collected.
After his majesty had retired, his royal highness directed a search to
be made in the king's box, when a hole was discovered, evidently made by
the impression of a shot, fourteen inches from his majesty's head. It
had perforated the pillar. In searching below, some slugs were found;
and by the smell, it appeared that they had been recently fired off.
Mr. Erskine asked his royal highness if the must loyal and brave men
were not usually selected to be the orderly men. His royal highness
answered, that the most tried and trusty men were appointed orderly men.
When the prisoner was asked what could induce him to commit so atrocious
an act, he said he was tired of life, and thought he should have been
killed.
The evidence for the prosecution being closed, Mr. Erskine addressed the
jury at considerable length.
Major Ryan, of the 15th light dragoons, in which the prisoner was a
private, Hercules M'Gill, private in the same regiment, and John Lane,
of the Guards, all knew the prisoner, and deposed to his having been
guilty of different acts of insanity.
Mr. Cline, surgeon; Dr. Crichton, physician; and Dr. Letherne, surgeon
to the 15th regiment, as professional gentlemen, gave testimony to their
belief of the prisoner's insanity.
Captain Wilson and Christopher Lawton, of the 15th light dragoons; David
Hadfield, brother to the prisoner; Mary Gore, sister-in-law to the
prisoner; Catharine Harrison, and Elizabeth Roberts, detailed different
acts of insanity, particularly on the day previous to and on which he
committed the crime for which he stood indicted: and the prisoner was
found by the jury to be insane, and was remanded to be dealt with
according to his Majesty's pleasure.
He was subsequently removed to Bedlam, where he remains.
Ravillac, who stabbed King Henry IV. of France, while in his coach, and
surrounded by his guards, was tortured to death in the following inhuman
manner:--
At the place of execution, his right hand, with which he gave the fatal
blow, was put into a furnace flaming with fire and brimstone, and there
consumed. His flesh was pulled from his bones with red-hot pincers;
boiling oil, resin, and brimstone, were poured upon the wounds, and
melted lead upon his navel. To close the scene of horror, four horses
were fastened to the four quarters of his body, which were torn asunder.
He declared to the last moment that he had no accomplices, and that the
only motive which impelled him to act the regicide was, because the king
tolerated two religions in France.
His parents were banished their country, never more to return, on pain
of immediate death; and his whole kindred, nay, every individual bearing
the name, were ordered to renounce it; so that the name of Ravillac
should never more be heard of in France.
RICHARD FERGUSON, _alias_ GALLOPING DICK.
HANGED FOR HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
The adventures of Galloping Dick are scarcely less notorious than those
of the celebrated Turpin, or the unfortunate Dick King, the "Gentleman
Highwayman."
Richard Ferguson was the son of a gentleman's valet, and was a native of
Hertfordshire. Having received some little education, he was at an early
age taken into employment in the establishment of his father's master
as a stable-boy. Being an active lad, and withal well versed in the
management of horses, he was temporarily employed as postilion during
the illness of the regular servant; but, being at length compelled to
return to his more humble duties of stable-boy, his pride could ill
brook the degradation; and he determined to look for higher employment.
A friend of his master was in want of a postilion, and young Dick
applied for the place. His qualifications were at once admitted, and he
was engaged, and immediately accompanied his new employer to London. His
habits were, at this time, of such a nature as to render him a favourite
with his master, and, by means of steadiness and perseverance, he
remained during a considerable period in the same service; but, being at
length discovered in a situation with one of the female servants which
left no doubt of his claims to a character for gallantry, he was
dismissed.
He remained out of place during a considerable period, and, resorting to
public-houses, he became acquainted with a number of persons of his own
condition, from whom he speedily acquired a knowledge of all the vices
fashionable among the party-coloured gentry. He, at length, was
compelled to accept employment in the service of a livery-stable keeper
in Piccadilly; but his master dying, he was again thrown upon the town,
though not altogether without provision, for he had so far gained his
master's good opinion, that he had left him a legacy of 50_l._
Dick was now the owner of a sum far greater than he had ever yet had the
good fortune to possess; and he determined to commence business in a new
line--that of gentleman. Purchasing mourning out of respect to his last
employer, he frequented the theatres, and while at Drury-lane he became
acquainted with a woman, his admiration of whose charms eventually,
though by indirect means, proved his ruin. At first, he was disposed to
imagine that she was a person of respectability, but, meeting with a
ready acquiescence in his request to be permitted to accompany her home,
he soon discovered the mistake into which he had fallen. Day after day
he visited his dulcinea, until he had disposed of all the cash he
possessed, and then he began to find, that there were others, whose
visits were more welcome than his. He, not unfrequently, met persons in
their way in or out of the house, with whose figures he became speedily
familiar, and an accident subsequently made him acquainted with the
nature of their avocations.