Mitchell, a girl about twelve years of age. He was a spinner living in
Spitalfields, and he had brought the girl up as an apprentice to his
trade. It would appear that frequent disputes took place between him and
his wife, in consequence of which he became subject to frequent violent
bursts of passion. It was on the occasion of his having excited himself
to a degree of rage amounting to madness, that he committed the crime
for which he was hanged. The girl was sitting at her work, when her
father came into the room, and suddenly attacking her, cut her throat
through the windpipe with a razor, which he held in his hand. He
immediately afterwards ran from the house, but was apprehended
subsequently on the same evening, when he made a full confession of his
crime. On his trial, which took place at the Old Bailey on the 11th of
January, 1805, he presented a miserable aspect. Almost bereft of reason
by the dreadful deed which he had committed, he seemed for some time
unconscious of what was passing around him. His hair was grey, and his
head was covered with an old miserable nightcap.
Evidence as to the fact of the murder was adduced, and the prisoner's
confession was also read. He said--"I had a daughter named Sally, and my
wife had a daughter named Elizabeth, who at one time did live with me,
but whom I afterwards took to my apartment, where I instructed her in
the art of weaving, and we lived all together: this said daughter of my
wife's caused some uneasiness, as I thought; and I thought my wife was
more indulgent of her faults, and favoured her more than she ought,
which was the reason of our separation on the 17th of December last; my
wife also took with her Sarah Mitchell, whom I loved with the most
ardent affection, which vexed me a great deal, as I saw there would be a
continual dispute. I could not bear the little girl coming to see me, as
coming on a visit. I resolved that neither my wife nor me should possess
her. I seized the moment of the mother going away; the child was sitting
by the fire winding quills. I took the razor from the drawer; my
affection made me almost lay it down again, but my resolution overcame
that. I turned round, and cut her throat. I was too resolute to make a
faint attempt; the child was dead in a moment; she neither made noise
nor resistance. When I had done the deed, the child fell. As I went out,
I saw her blood; then I ran down stairs. After this act was done to my
child, Sarah Mitchell, I went to a man named Bell, where I had lived,
and left word for him to run and secure my master's work; then I went to
Mr. Dellafour, and my friends at Wapping."
The prisoner, on his being called on for his defence, at once admitted
that he was guilty of the crime imputed to him, but declared that he was
led on to its commission by a mind which had been deranged by the
frequent quarrels which he had with his wife.
The jury having found him guilty, the prisoner was asked what he had to
say for himself, why sentence of death should not be passed according to
law? He distinctly replied, "I have nothing to say."
The awful sentence, that he was to be hanged on the succeeding Monday,
and his body afterwards dissected and anatomized, was immediately
pronounced by the recorder; which the prisoner heard without any visible
emotion. The court was crowded in almost every part, and particularly
with ladies; and not only the women, but even the jury, the counsel, and
nearly all present, were melted into tears. During the whole trial the
prisoner appeared calm, but not insensible. He was very attentive to the
evidence, and appeared frequently to utter a low ejaculation.
On the morning after his trial, this unhappy man expressed a desire to
see his wife, that they might exchange forgiveness. The day following
(Sunday) she came to visit him in Newgate, but was so ill that she was
obliged to be conveyed in a hackney-coach, supported between two
friends. As soon as the distressing interview was over, he applied
himself devoutly to prayer, in which he continued nearly the whole of
the day. On that day he was extremely solicitous to obtain Dr. Ford's
promise to publish to the world that he died in the faith of the Church
of England; as it had been generally understood that he belonged to the
sect denominated Methodists. At half-past six o'clock on Monday morning
Mitchell's cell was unlocked, and the Ordinary attended him to the
chapel to prayers; which being concluded, he returned to the Press-yard,
and there walked for some time, holding two friends by the arms;
meanwhile his mind was occupied with his unhappy situation; and he
begged of all around him to pray with him. The unhappy man blessed the
memory of his murdered child, and trusted the sacrifice he was about to
make would, in some degree, expiate his crime in heaven, which he did
not despair to see.
His last petition was to the sheriffs, to request that, after the
surgeons had practised upon his body, his mangled remains might be given
to his daughter, for burial; which request the sheriffs promised should
be complied with.
The wretched being seemed to attend with much earnestness and fervour to
the clergyman, and he was seen to clasp his hands together the instant
the rope was fixed. After the drop fell he appeared to feel great pain,
as he swung round twice, which was occasioned by the violence of the
convulsive struggles he sustained.
He suffered before Newgate, January the 14th 1805, and, after hanging
the usual time, was taken to St. Bartholomew's hospital for dissection.
RICHARD HAYWOOD.
EXECUTED FOR ROBBERY.
The termination of the career of this criminal exhibited him to be a man
of the most depraved and diabolical disposition.
He was indicted for having stolen two pillows and two bolsters, value
10s., the property of Richard Crabtree, and also for cutting Benjamin
Chantrey with a certain sharp instrument, in order to prevent his
apprehension.
It appears that some suspicions being entertained of an intention to rob
Mr. Crabtree's house, which was left unoccupied, although furnished.
Miss Jenkins the cousin of that gentleman, and a Mrs. Wilson, determined
to watch it, and they accordingly took their station in the house of a
Mr. Wilkinson, situated directly opposite to it, in Thayer-street,
Manchester-square. They had not been long on the look-out, before they
saw two men enter it, having opened the door with a key. Mrs. Wilson, in
consequence, went and knocked at the door, on which the two men ran out,
and one running to the left made his escape, while the other (the
prisoner) made a blow at Mrs. Wilson, and ran to the right. He was
afterwards pursued by a Mr. Holford, and on Mr. Chantrey stepping out
from his own house to seize him, he struck him a violent blow on the
head with an iron crowbar. He was eventually secured, and it was then
found, that the articles mentioned in the indictment had been removed
ready to be carried off.
After conviction, the prisoner behaved with shocking depravity, seeming
to exult in his guilt, and regretting he had not done a deed more
deserving of death. It was his constant boast that he would, on the
scaffold, surpass the notorious Avershaw in evincing his contempt for
life; and he constantly endeavoured to instil into the mind of his
fellow-sufferer those diabolical principles which he had imbibed
himself.
His fellow-sufferer was John Tennant, who had lived as footman with
Robert Shaw, Esq. a solicitor, in New Bridge-street, Blackfriars; but,
inflated with the _ambition_ of keeping a public-house, he quitted his
service, and obtained the command of a tap in Little Suffolk-street,
Dirty-lane, behind the King's Bench Prison. Finding his golden prospects
in a public-house, in a great measure, delusive, he determined on
robbing his late master, Mr. Shaw; and, being well acquainted with his
house, broke open his money-drawers, and stole to the amount of more
than five thousand pounds in cash, bank-notes, and other property. With
such a prize such a man could not long remain unsuspected, and he was
soon detected in passing some of the stolen notes. The relentless
Haywood corrupted the mind of Tennant, and, in the condemned cells,
stimulated him to follow his horrid example. They uttered the most
blasphemous expressions, and sang lewd songs during the whole time they
ought to have been employed in making their peace with offended Heaven.
When the keeper went to warn them of their approaching execution, they
behaved in so riotous a manner, that it was necessary to secure them
with irons to the floor. Haywood, who was supposed to have procured a
knife from his wife, while she was permitted to see him, rushed upon the
keeper, and would have stabbed him with it if he had not left the cell.
They uttered the most horrid imprecations; and, after declaring, in cant
terms, that they would _die game_, threatened to murder the Ordinary if
he attempted to visit them. Their behaviour, in other respects, was so
abandoned, that the necessary attendants were deterred from further
interference, and left them to the dreadful fate which awaited them.
When the time for quitting the court-yard arrived, Haywood called to a
friend, who was present, to deliver him a bundle he had in his hand, out
of which he took an old jacket, and a pair of old shoes, and put them
on. "Thus," said he, "will I defeat the prophecies of my enemies: they
have often said I would die in my coat and shoes, and I am determined to
die in neither." Being told it was time to be conducted to the scaffold,
he cheerfully attended the summons, having first eaten some bread and
cheese, and drunk a quantity of coffee. Before, however, he departed, he
called out in a loud voice to the prisoners, who were looking through
the upper windows at him, "Farewell, my lads; I am just going off: God
bless you."--"We are sorry for you," replied the prisoners. "I want none
of your pity," rejoined Haywood; "keep your snivelling till it be your
own turn." Immediately on his arrival upon the scaffold, in a loud
laugh, he gave the mob three cheers, introducing each with a "Hip, ho!"
While the cord was preparing, he continued hallooing to the mob, "How
are you?--Well, here goes." It was found necessary, before the usual
time, to put the cap over his eyes, besides a silk handkerchief, by way
of bandage, that his attention might be entirely abstracted from the
spectators.
At the suggestion of Mr. Holdsworth, however, Tennant made some
alteration in his conduct. This officer, finding his advice attended to
in this instance, entreated him no longer to follow the evil counsel of
Haywood, but to employ the few moments he had left in a Christian-like
manner. Tennant shed tears, showed some contrition, and suffered the
Ordinary to attend him to the scaffold. Dr. Ford continued in prayer
with him; and, though he did not join with, yet he listened to him
attentively. He came on the platform with great resolution, but did not
then follow the daring and abandoned example of his companion: he was
cleanly dressed, and observed a suitable propriety of conduct; he shook
hands with Haywood; and, just as the noose was placed round his neck, he
emphatically exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon me!" Haywood uttered some
words in reply, which were not perfectly understood, but were supposed
to be said to Tennant by way of reproach. He then gave another halloo,
and kicked off his shoes among the spectators, many of whom were deeply
affected at the obduracy of his conduct. Soon afterwards the platform
dropped. They suffered on the 30th of April 1805.
HENRY PERFECT.
TRANSPORTED FOR FRAUD.
Henry Perfect was a person who, by means of the most specious pretences
and ingenious frauds, succeeded in levying very large contributions on
the public. Instances of fellows devoid of principle pursuing similar
plans of imposture have been but too frequent of late years, but the
system, which was for a long time so successful, of writing begging
letters, has been now almost entirely put an end to, by the praiseworthy
exertions of the officers of that very respectable institution the
Mendicity Society, the object of which is at once to relieve the
necessitous, and to protect the public from imposition.
The case of this person may be taken as a very fair instance of the
degree of ingenuity exercised by individuals resorting to similar
artifices as the means of gulling the humane.
Perfect was a man of respectable parentage, and of excellent abilities.
His father was a clergyman living in Leicestershire, and our hero, at
the completion of his education, entered the army as a lieutenant in the
69th regiment of foot. He was twice married, and received a handsome
property with each of his wives; but their estates being held during
life only, upon the demise of his second helpmate he was thrown upon his
own resources. His commission had long since been disposed of, and he
determined to endeavour to procure contributions by writing letters to
persons of known charitable dispositions, setting forth fictitious
details of distress. In the course of his numerous impositions, he
assumed the various and imaginary characters of the Rev. Mr. Paul, the
Rev. Daniel Bennett, Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Smith, and others, but at last he
was detected in an attempt to procure money from the Earl of Clarendon,
whom he addressed in a letter signed "H. Grant."
He was indicted at the Middlesex sessions for this offence; and his
trial, which came on at Hicks' Hall, on the 27th of October 1804,
occupied the whole day.
It then appeared that the Earl of Clarendon being at his seat at Wade's
Mill, Hertfordshire, in the previous month of July, he received a
letter, purporting to be from Mrs. Grant, which stated in substance:--
That the writer having heard from a lady, whose name she was not at
liberty to reveal, the most charming character of his lordship for
kindness and benevolence, she was induced to lay before him a statement
of her distressed circumstances. The supposed lady then detailed her
case, which was, that she was a native of Jamaica, of affluent and
respectable family; that a young man, a Scotchman, and surgeon's mate to
a man-of-war, was introduced at her father's house, who so far
ingratiated himself with her father, that he seriously recommended him
to her for her husband. She did not like him, because he was proud, and
for ever vaunting of his high family; but as her father's will had
always been a law, she acquiesced on condition that he would live at
Jamaica. They were accordingly married, and her father gave him one
thousand pounds. He, however, soon became discontented with remaining at
Jamaica, and continually importuned her to go with him to Scotland; and
as her friends joined in the solicitation, she consented. She had now
been six months in England; but her husband had always evaded going to
Scotland, and had left her whenever she spoke upon the subject. In short
he had gamed, drunk, and committed every excess; and within the last six
weeks he had died in a rapid decline, leaving her a widow, with two
children, and hourly expecting to be delivered of a third. She was not
twenty-three years of age, and never knew want till now; but she was
left without a shilling to support herself and miserable children: she
owed for her husband's funeral, and the apothecary's bill, for which she
was afraid of being arrested. To avoid this she was going to seek
shelter with a poor widow in Essex; and if his lordship would write to
her at the post-office at Harlow, she would, if brought to bed in the
meanwhile, get some safe person to go for the letter.
His lordship's answer evinced the benevolence of his heart. He expressed
his readiness to alleviate her distress, but justly observed that her
tale ought to be authenticated by something more than the recital of a
perfect stranger. He desired to know who the lady was who had
recommended the application to him, and assured the writer she need not
conceal her, for that he considered it was doing him a great kindness to
afford him the means of rendering service to the necessitous. On the
14th of July his lordship received a note nearly as follows:--
Mrs. Smith, widow of Captain Smith, begged leave to inform Lord
Clarendon that Mrs. Grant was brought to bed. It was she who recommended
Mrs. Grant to Lord Clarendon: while her husband was living, she had
frequently been with him on the recruiting service in Hertfordshire,
where she had heard of the benevolent character of his lordship. She
added, that Captain Smith, when in Jamaica, had frequently visited Mrs.
Grant's father, who was a person of great wealth; that she had herself
done more than she could afford for an amiable and unfortunate young
woman. She had no doubt but that as soon as her letter should reach
Jamaica, Mrs. Grant's father would send her abundant relief; but till
then she might, without the friendship of some individual, be totally
lost.
In consequence of this last note, his lordship returned an answer, and
enclosed a draft for five guineas, offering at the same time to write to
any person at Harlow who might be of assistance to her, particularly to
any medical person. On July the 23rd the supposed Mrs. Grant wrote again
to his lordship, acknowledging the receipt of the five guineas, and
stating that she had the offer of a passage home: but she said that she
wished to see his lordship, to return her grateful thanks for his
kindness. At the same time she was extremely delicate, lest their
meeting should be misconstrued by a malignant world, and entreated that
it might take place a little distance from town. The answer to this
letter she begged might be addressed to A. B. C. at George's
Coffee-house, to which place she would send for it. His lordship at her
request, wrote an answer, and appointed the Bell Inn, at Kilburn. Before
the arrival of the day of meeting, however, his lordship received
another letter from Mrs. Grant, stating that ever since she came to
town, she had met nothing but trouble. Her last child had died, and she
was seized with a milk-fever; that she had twelve shillings left of his
lordship's, and Mrs. Smith's bounty, when she came to town; that she was
afraid of coming further than Whitechapel, lest her creditors might
arrest her; and she concluded with the request of the loan of five
pounds, to be inclosed in a note addressed to Mr. Paul, to be left at
the Saracen's Head Inn, Aldgate. His lordship, in reply to this note,
sent the money requested, and with great humanity condoled on her
supposed situation. He then proposed to take her into the country, where
she might live quiet, and free of expense, until she heard from her
friends. The next letter introduced another actor on the stage. It came
from the Rev. H. Paul. Mr. Paul, at the desire of Mrs. Grant, (then said
to be delirious,) acknowledged the receipt of the five pounds. He would
write again, and say anything Mrs. Grant might dictate in a lucid
interval. He begged his answer might be left at the Chapter
Coffee-house. His lordship accordingly wrote to the Rev. H. Paul, with
particular inquiries after the state of Mrs. Grant, and proposed to send
the proper medical assistance. The Rev. Mr. Paul replied to this letter,
and stated the description of Mrs. Grant's complaint, which was of a
delicate nature. He then stated the high notions of Mrs. Grant, who
would not condescend to see any person from his lordship in her present
wretched state; and added that she thought her situation such, that it
was not delicate to admit any one to see her but those absolutely
necessary. Mr. Paul therefore had promised, he said, not to divulge her
residence; but declared that in her lucid intervals, Mrs. Grant
expressed the utmost anxiety to be enabled to thank her benefactor.
This correspondence produced a meeting between the supposed Rev. H. Paul
and his lordship, which took place at the Bell Inn, at Kilburn, on the
8th of August. The prisoner then introduced himself to his lordship as
the Rev. Henry Paul. They entered into conversation on the subject of
Mrs. Grant, when his lordship asked every question as to her situation,
with a view to alleviate it. Mr. Paul said he had not seen her
distinctly, for the curtains were closed round her; but the opium had
had an effect which he had known it frequently to produce: it had given
her eyes more than usual brilliancy: with respect to her lodging, it was
a very small room. The woman who attended her seemed a good sort of a
woman enough, and she was also attended by a surgeon or apothecary. As
Mr. Paul seemed to be a man of respectability, his lordship asked him at
what seminary he had been brought up: the prisoner replied he had been
educated at Westminster and Oxford, and had the living of St. Kitt's, in
Jamaica, worth about 700_l._ per annum; that he had property in Ireland,
and was going to America on private business. To his lordship's question
how he was so fortunate as to meet this young woman, he said it was by
an accident, that quite looked like a romance.--He was coming to town in
the Ongar stage, in which were a young woman, two children, and a lady,
all in mourning. He entered into conversation with the lady, and was
surprised to find her the daughter of a person at whose house, in
Jamaica, he had himself been frequently received with kindness. Although
his business pressed, he determined to stay and afford her some
assistance. He then stated that he had that day given her a 2_l._ note,
which his lordship, at this interview, returned (being the note on which
the indictment was founded). He added, that Mrs. Grant's father was
extremely affluent, and he should not wonder if he was to remit 500_l._
at the first intelligence of his daughter's situation. His lordship in
his evidence said, that he seemed to express himself in language of the
purest truth and benevolence; and as he appeared a well-educated
gentleman, who had seen the world, he had no suspicion of any fraud.
After this interview a correspondence took place between the pretended
clergyman and his lordship, in which the former stated the progression
of the patient, Mrs. Grant, towards convalescence, and at her desire
requested that linen, poultry, fruit, and wine, might be forwarded, all
of which were supplied by the bounty of the noble lord.
At length Mrs. Grant was sufficiently recovered to be able to write to
his lordship, and in her letter she expressed her unbounded thanks for
the benevolence which she had experienced at his hands, and remarked
that but for the friendly introduction of the Rev. Mr. Paul, she
believed that she would have been lost. She then went on to say, that
although she had been ordered by her medical attendant to keep herself
perfectly quiet, yet she could not resist the temptation of sitting up
in bed to write to her benefactor, whom she hoped to be able shortly to
thank personally for his numerous kindnesses.
The last letter from Mr. Paul was dated August 23. He acknowledged the
receipt of 6_l._ 2_s._ which had been expended for Mrs. Grant; and
informed his lordship that the sheets which had been last sent, had, by
some accident, been near brimstone, which affected Mrs. Grant very much;
that her situation required fine old linen, if his lordship had any
such. He apologized, if there should be any inaccuracy in his letter,
because he _had a head-ache and some degree of fever_.
The farce now began to draw to its conclusion. His lordship received
another letter from Mrs. Grant, dated Saturday, September 1st, in which
the supposed lady said:--
"Last Saturday, her father's sister came to town, and found her out. She
was a sour old lady, a man-hater, and snarled at the whole sex. She had
taken Mrs. G. into the country with her, although she was removed at the
peril of her life. The lady she was with was nearly as bad as her aunt;
but, as the latter was going out for a few days, her Argus would let her
come to town, which would enable her to meet his lordship. As her
ill-tempered aunt had given her neither money nor clothes, she begged
4_l._ of his lordship. If this opportunity was lost, she should never be
able to see him, as her aunt was a vigilant woman, and hated the men so
much, that at the first entrance into her room, finding the Rev. Mr.
Paul there, she most grossly affronted him. She could not have any
letter addressed in her own name lest it should fall into the hands of
her aunt, and therefore begged his lordship to direct to Mrs. Harriet,
Post-office, Waltham."
His lordship, in his answer to this letter, expressed some suspicions
that he had been duped; in answer to which Mrs. Grant thanked Lord
Clarendon for his favours, and declared that she was sorry to think he
should conceive himself duped, but he would find his mistake when she
got home to the West Indies. In a postscript, she added--"That best of
men, Mr. Paul, died suddenly on Saturday last."