notes; but he had contrived to elude the vigilance of the officers
employed, although he rendered himself liable to punishment for the part
which he took in a conspiracy for aiding the escape of General Austin, a
French officer, a prisoner of war in this country, on his parole, for
which he was sentenced by the Court of King's Bench to two years'
imprisonment in Newgate. Even while in that jail, however, he continued
to carry on the trade in forged notes; and this being communicated to
the officers of the bank, they determined upon a plan to secure his
conviction. A prisoner named Barry, who was in the House of Correction
undergoing an imprisonment for passing counterfeit dollars, was selected
as the agent, and on the 23d of September he was conducted in a
hackney-coach to Newgate, accompanied by Mr. Weston, the principal clerk
to Mr. Freshfield, the bank solicitor, and by Beckett, one of the
turnkeys, by whom he was provided with 8_l._ in good 1_l._-notes. On
their arrival at the prison, Barry was shown into the prisoner's room,
where he found a number of other persons. He directly went to the
prisoner, and without saying anything, gave him six of the notes which
he had received, and which were all marked. The prisoner returned three,
saying that he should not have enough of the other notes until the next
day; but in lieu of the others, which he kept, he handed over forged
notes of the nominal value of 6_l._ Barry immediately carried these
notes to Mr. Weston, who remained outside; and Beckett, accompanied by
Brown and another officer, went into the prisoner's chamber, and asked
him to produce what property he had about him. The prisoner directly
took from one pocket a handful of gold, from another a pocket-book
filled with bank-notes, from another a quantity of loose bank-notes, and
he also produced a stocking stuffed with the like currency. Beckett, on
examining these notes, and not perceiving amongst them any of the marked
ones he sought for, told the prisoner he had some more, and desired him
to produce them; upon which the prisoner took some other notes from his
side-pocket, and laid them on the bed where he was sitting. Beckett took
those up, and they proved to be the marked notes. He said these were
what he wanted, and returned the prisoner the rest; upon which the
prisoner, probably anticipating his purpose, snatched the notes, and
thrust them into the fire. Beckett's assistant, however, rescued them
from the flames, and they were proved to be the same which Barry had
paid him just before; and the notes Barry received in lieu were also
proved to be forgeries.
The prisoner upon being indicted for this offence was found guilty and
sentenced to death, in pursuance of which he was executed on the 2nd
November 1811.
So great was the increase of these frauds upon the public, that between
the year 1797 and 1811, no fewer than 471 persons were prosecuted to
conviction for forging, or uttering, or possessing forged notes. The
total amount of notes thus put off it is of course impossible to
calculate with any certainty, but discoveries were made which showed the
system to exist to an extent almost incredible.
JOHN CLAYTON AND WILLIAM JENKINS.
EXECUTED FOR BURGLARY.
The activity, daring, and ingenuity of the London "cracksmen" is well
exemplified in the following case:--
It appears that Reid, a constable belonging to Perry's party of patrole,
received information from a person technically called a "nose,"--that
is, an informer or spy,--that a set was made at the house of a Mrs.
Martin, a lady residing at No. 4, Bury Street, St. James's, by a party
of thieves, who had derived sufficient knowledge of the customs of the
house from the servant girl, Mary Wakelin, to induce them to suppose
that the robbery would be a profitable speculation. Their mode of making
themselves acquainted with this circumstance was this:--The girl, like
most others of her condition and years, was vain of her personal charms,
and the prisoner Clayton was a young man of pleasing manners and
insinuating address. The "crack" was fixed upon, and Clayton was set to
work upon the girl's vanity, and so obtain the necessary information to
enable his assistants and associates to complete it cleverly. He
addressed her one evening at the public-house to which she was in the
habit of going to fetch her mistress's beer, and having passed a few
encomiums upon her beauty, was soon admitted into conversation. The
impression which he made was not unfavourable, and he was too good a
judge to allow an opportunity to pass, by which he might benefit
himself. Day after day he was found at the same place, and each day he
was more attentive than the last; and the girl at length looked upon him
in the light of a suitor. He informed her that he was a trunk-maker
living in Oxford Street, and in return obtained information that her
mistress was in the habit of visiting the theatres or some other place
of public amusement nearly every night. He did not fail to improve upon
his acquaintance at every fresh interview, and at length a Monday
evening was fixed upon, when the lover was to be admitted to spend an
hour with the girl in the kitchen during her mistress's absence. It was
at this period that the officers gained information of the intended
robbery; and they in consequence obtained permission to occupy a room
opposite to Mrs. Martin's house, from which they could witness all that
passed. Half-past eight o'clock was the time appointed by Mary to see
her swain, and the constables took care to be as punctual as he. A few
minutes before the time, accordingly, they saw four men and two women
arrive at the spot, from whom Clayton separated himself and went and
knocked at the door. He was, however, doomed to be disappointed. The
mistress was unwell and could not go out, and therefore, with a kiss or
two, and an affectionate hug, the sweethearts were obliged to part, not,
however, without fixing the next Tuesday to carry out their design.
Tuesday night came, and the officers were again at their post; but the
loving pair separated after taking a little gin together. Wednesday
evening passed in the same manner, Mrs. Martin being still too unwell to
go out; and notwithstanding the most praiseworthy attention on the part
of the supposed trunk-maker to his inamorata, every evening until the
following Tuesday passed in the same way, the professions of inviolable
attachment made by the tender-hearted youth growing each night more
strong, and his anxiety to enter the house increasing at every meeting.
On the Tuesday night, however, the girl told Clayton that her mistress
was so much recovered, that she expected she would be well enough to go
the following night to the play, and on Wednesday night, about eight
o'clock, Mrs. Martin, accompanied by a male and female friend, went in a
coach to the theatre. In a few minutes after, the servant girl came out,
and returned shortly with Clayton, arm in arm together. They talked
together several minutes at the door, and then went in. In about a
quarter of an hour after, Clayton came out, and returned in about five
minutes, accompanied by another man. Clayton knocked at the door, and
the girl opened it. She appeared to refuse to let the other man in; but
Clayton forced open the door, and the other man rushed in. The officers,
who had been upon the close watch every night, then went over to the
house, and heard all three talking very loud in the kitchen. From the
noise, and what they saw through a keyhole, they ascertained that the
two men were dragging the girl up stairs against her will, and she was
exclaiming, "Lord have mercy upon me! what shall I do?" One of the men
told her if she made such a noise he would blow her brains out, and
presented a pistol to her head, and kept it there. They forced her up
stairs, and the officers heard doors being broken open, &c., and, in a
few minutes after, the second man came down stairs, and returned with
the kitchen poker. They then heard other doors break open; but not
hearing the noise of the girl continued, the officers were afraid she
was being murdered, and were proceeding to force the street-door with an
iron crow, when the girl exclaimed it was her mistress, gave a sudden
spring, released herself from her assailants, ran down stairs, with the
robbers after her: and they got into the passage just as the officers
had entered. Clayton and Jenkins appeared as if nothing had happened,
and wanted to get out; but Perry and Reid seized them. The villains made
a most desperate resistance, which they were enabled to do, being very
tall, stout, powerful men; but they were eventually secured. On
searching Clayton, a large clasp knife and a bad dollar were found. On
Jenkins were found a pistol, two bad dollars, &c. On examining the
house, the officers discovered that a large quantity of property had
been packed up, ready to be carried off. Several rooms and closets were
broken open, and the thieves were in the act of breaking open a chest
when they were disturbed.
The trial of these desperadoes came on at the Old Bailey, on the 15th of
January, when Mary Wakelin, before named, deposed that she first became
acquainted with the prisoner Clayton about eight or ten days before the
1st of January; he then came to her mistress's house, when she answered
the door, and told her his name was Wilson, and that he had a letter for
Mrs. Martin, which was the name her mistress went by. A night or two
afterwards he threw things down the area. Her mistress sent her out with
a message, and she then saw Clayton, who asked her to take something to
drink, which she at first refused; but upon his insisting they went and
had something to drink. She saw him a night or two afterwards in the
streets, as she went out on an errand, and frequently after that; but
she never saw the prisoner Jenkins till the night of the 1st of January.
The jury found both the prisoners Guilty, and they were sentenced to
death.
The fearful sentence was carried into effect on the scaffold before the
Debtor's door, Newgate, on the 19th February 1812, at the usual hour,
and with the accustomed solemnity. Clayton was twenty-eight years of
age, and Jenkins thirty-five.
After the culprits had been divested of their irons, Clayton observed to
Jenkins it was an awful moment, and he exhorted him to cheer his
spirits, and die with manly fortitude--adding that the sentence was
just, and trusting their example would warn others against keeping bad
company.
DANIEL DAWSON.
EXECUTED FOR POISONING RACE-HORSES.
This fellow had long exercised the business of a _tout_ to betting-men
of an inferior class on the Turf, obtaining for them such information
from the grooms and other persons employed about the racing-stables as
he conceived they might deem useful; when having got together a little
money, he thought that he might be able to employ his information to his
own advantage, and he therefore turned betting-man himself. He was a man
utterly devoid of education, and therefore unfit to mix among the
_gentlemen_ of his class; and being confined to the society of grooms
and other persons of "low degree," he imbibed none of those principles
of "honour" for which the speculators on racing and other gambling
events are generally proverbial. In order then to make sure of winning
his bets, he determined to render the horses unfit for running, by
drugging them. In this practice he continued until April 1811, when he
conveyed a large quantity of the solution of arsenic into a watering
trough, from which two horses belonging to Lord Foley and Sir F.
Standish had to drink.
The drug being too powerful to produce that effect only which was
requisite, the horses died, and suspicion falling upon Dawson and a
companion of his named Cecil Bishop, they were taken into custody.
Bishop immediately made a full confession, and accused Dawson of having
poisoned another horse in the year 1809, belonging to a Mr. Adams at
Royston, and he made such disclosures as established a chain of evidence
which left no doubt of the truth of his story. He was therefore admitted
as a witness, and his companion was committed to take his trial at the
ensuing Lent Assizes at Cambridge. It there turned out, that instead of
being a principal as he was charged, he was an accessary only, and he
was acquitted; but he was detained in custody upon another charge of
poisoning race-horses in the year 1809. He was arraigned upon a second
indictment therefore at the Assizes held in August 1812, and upon this
he was found guilty and sentenced to death. For some time after his
conviction, he entertained hopes that his life would be spared, and Lord
Foley, in consequence of some communications which he received from
him, was induced to second his application for mercy. This, however, was
attended with no good effect, and the wretched culprit was left for
execution. Determined not to throw away all chances, he resolved to
attempt to escape from custody, and he wrote to his wife in the
following terms, in order to procure some assistance to enable him to
complete his design.
"DEAR WIFE,--I learn by yours, I am in danger; but I have another way of
escape without fear of being discovered.--You go to a tool-shop, and get
a small back saw, as the watch-makers use, the smaller the better, to
convey to me: the best way you can get it in will be between some turf,
with some black thread; if you can find a better way, do it; but be
careful, for all the danger is to get that to me, for I have but one bar
to cut, and I am in town by four o'clock in the morning. They will not
miss me till eight, when they come to unlock us. I shall be by that out
of their reach. Dear girl, bring me the turf six pieces at a time. When
I have got the saw, I must have some friend come round to see the
Castle, but take no notice of me, but to see the situation; I am in full
north; and come again in one hour after we lock up; bring rope enough to
reach over the wall, and he stand on the other side, and hold it till I
am up the wall. Fasten a large spike to the end of the rope, and throw
it over the wall, and tie knots about nine inches asunder to hold by,
and about twenty-five feet long. There is no danger in this, for there
is nobody inside after we come to bed. A rainy night will be best; but I
will let you know the night by another line. Mr. Prince says he has got
a very respectable man, who will come forward and swear to everything of
the concern, all but seeing it put in. If anybody can be found to write
to Lord F. 0. (alluding to a threat), it will have great effect. Mr. J.
B. South-street Grosvenor Square, Mr. B. King's Mews, Elbs (meaning
Theobald's) Road, Gray's-Inn Lane, have a good look out, if there is any
danger. I shall soon be along with you, with a little of your
assistance; by applying to the people above mentioned you will get good
intelligence. When you write, direct your letters to Mrs. Howell's
sister. When you come, ask me for my pocket-book, and I can give you all
at once. I shall call them things breeches and coat, so you will know."
This letter was detected in the hand of his wife, by the jailer, whose
suspicions were excited by the circumstance of their parting on this
occasion with more than usual emotion; and baffled in all his schemes,
he for a time indulged the criminal design of taking away his own life,
but from which he was persuaded by the pious exhortations of the
chaplain. Seeing no hopes of either mercy or escape, he resigned himself
to his fate, but persisted in denying having intended to destroy the
horses, as he only wanted to incapacitate them from winning.
Dawson spent his last days in all the fervency of prayer, and expressed
his pious hope in the forgiveness of the Almighty. The last parting from
his wife was truly affecting, and he described it as worse than death.
The night before his execution he slept soundly, and ate, next morning,
a hearty breakfast. Previous to his receiving the sacrament he tied a
yard of black ribbon round his neck, which, at his dying request, was
conveyed to his afflicted wife. At twelve o'clock he was led to the
platform, on the top of Cambridge Castle, and was turned off amidst an
immense concourse of spectators, it being market-day. He died without a
struggle.
THE MARQUIS OF SLIGO.
FINED AND IMPRISONED FOR ENTICING SEAMEN TO DESERT HIS MAJESTY'S NAVY.
In 1810, the noble marquis, then a thoughtless young man, quitted
college, and proceeded on his travels, visiting those places in person,
of whose ancient fame and greatness he had read so much. Being partial
to marine excursions, and willing to indulge himself in one in the
Mediterranean, he hired, at Malta, a brig called the Pylades; and having
been introduced to Captain Sprainger, of the Warrior, then on that
station, he received from that naval officer much information and
kindness.
The noble marquis being frequently rowed to and from the Warrior by some
of her athletic crew, seems to have thought the addition of a few of
these fine fellows a desirable acquisition to his handful of Italians.
Accordingly it appears that he succeeded in inducing two of them to join
his crew, upon which suspicion fell upon his lordship; for it was
supposed no ordinary inducement had been held out to them, as they were
men of tried fidelity, long standing, and had then three years' arrears
of wages due to them. Captain Sprainger paid the marquis a visit on
board the Pylades; and, on hinting his suspicions, his lordship appeared
greatly hurt; upon which the captain, from their intimacy, contented
himself with cautioning his noble friend upon the danger of having
deserters on board, as the navy was very low, being nearly two thousand
under its complement. He then left the marquis, and from his own ship
sent him a description of the men missing, requesting that if they
offered themselves to his lordship, they might be sent to some of his
majesty's ships at Malta.
Next day the Warrior sailed; and the noble marquis resolved that his
brig should be a letter of marque, for the purpose of upholding the
honour of the British flag. For the business of navigation, a
comparatively few men would have done; but in this new capacity he
required at least forty. To procure these was no very difficult task on
a station where men were hourly in the habit of quitting their ships;
and his lordship's servant, in the course of an evening or two, added
fourteen brave fellows to their complement.
On the 13th of May his lordship sailed to Palermo, and from thence to
Messina, where, on pledging his word of honour that he had no deserters
on board, he received a six months' protection for forty men, having
inserted false names for the men-of-war's men. The Pylades then
proceeded on her course, and on the 30th of May she was chased by the
Active, an officer of that ship having heard that deserters were on
board. Ere the boat came alongside, his lordship ordered the
men-of-war's men below, and, though a search took place, they escaped
detection.
The marquis next sailed to Patmos, where ten of the men were allowed to
go on shore, and that evening the vessel sailed without them. The
abandoned men appear to have suffered great hardship; and at Scio, when
accompanied by the British consul to the Pylades, his lordship refused
to receive any of them except four, who were useful in the management of
the vessel. Some of the men returned to their duty, and were tried by a
court martial. From Constantinople the marquis wrote to Captain
Sprainger, stating that he found he had some of his men on board, and
that he was determined to send them on shore the first opportunity; that
if the business was brought into a court, he would do the best to defend
himself; and that, at the worst, he had an ample fortune, and could pay
the fines.
Tired with travelling, his lordship returned home, and soon after his
arrival in England he was indicted for enticing British seamen from
their duty. The trial came on at the Old Bailey, December 16th 1812,
when, after a protracted inquiry, his lordship was found Guilty, and
sentenced to pay a fine of five thousand pounds, and to be imprisoned
four months in Newgate.
Perhaps it is not the least curious particular attending this case, that
his lordship's mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Sligo, soon after her
son's trial, was married to Sir William Scott, the judge who passed
sentence on the youthful marquis.
JOHN BELLINGHAM.
EXECUTED FOR THE MURDER OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SPENCER PERCEVAL.
On the 11th of May, in the year 1812, an event occurred which excited
universal dismay and regret in the minds of the whole of the British
public--the death of the Right Honourable Spencer Perceval, then
Chancellor of the Exchequer, by the hand of an assassin.
John Bellingham, the author of this crime, was brought up in a
counting-house in London, and afterwards went to Archangel, where he
lived during a period of three years in the service of a Russian
merchant. Having returned to England, he was married to a Miss Nevill,
the daughter of a respectable merchant and ship-broker, who at that time
resided at Newry, but who subsequently removed to Dublin. Bellingham,
being a person of active habits and of considerable intelligence, was
subsequently employed by some merchants in the Russian trade, by whom he
was induced again to visit Archangel, and he in consequence proceeded
thither, accompanied by his wife, in the year 1804. His principal
dealings were with the firm of Dorbecker and Co.; but before twelve
months had expired, a misunderstanding arose between them, and each
party made pecuniary claims upon the other. The subject was referred by
the Governor-General to the decision of four merchants, two of whom
Bellingham was allowed to select from his countrymen resident on the
spot, and by the award of these arbitrators Bellingham was found to be
indebted to the house of Dorbecker and Co. in the sum of two thousand
roubles; but this sum he refused to pay, and appealed to the senate
against the decision.
In the mean time, a criminal suit had been instituted against him by the
owners of a Russian ship which had been lost in the White Sea. They
accused him of having written an anonymous letter to the underwriters in
London, stating that the insurances of that ship were fraudulent
transactions; in consequence of which the payment for her loss was
resisted. No satisfactory proof being adduced, Bellingham was acquitted:
but before the termination of the suit, he attempted to quit Archangel,
and being stopped by the police, whom he resisted, he was taken to
prison, but was soon after liberated, through the influence of the
British consul, Sir Stephen Shairp, to whom he had made application,
requesting to be protected from what he considered the injustice of the
Russian authorities.
Soon after this the senate confirmed the award of the arbitrators, and
Bellingham was delivered over to the College of Commerce, a tribunal
established, and acknowledged by treaty, for taking cognizance of
commercial matters relating to British subjects. He was to remain in
custody till he discharged the debt of the two thousand roubles; but his
confinement was by no means severe; for he had permission to walk
wherever he pleased, attended by an officer belonging to the college.
Lord Granville Leveson Gower being at this time ambassador at the
Russian Court, Bellingham made frequent application, and, at various
times, received from his secretary small sums of money to support him
during his confinement. One night, in particular, he rushed into his
lordship's house at St. Petersburgh, and requested permission to remain
all night, to avoid being secured by the police, whom he had escaped.
This was granted, although Lord Gower had no authority to protect him
from a legal arrest; but it appears he was afterwards retaken, and being
confined by the authorities of the country, the British ambassador could
have no pretence to solicit his release. His lordship, however, in a
conversation with the minister for foreign affairs, expressed a personal
wish that the Russian Government, seeing no prospect of recovering the
money from Bellingham, would liberate him on condition of his
immediately returning to England; but we are not told what effect was
produced, as Lord Gower soon after quitted the Russian Court.
The foregoing is taken from the statement published by Lord Granville
Leveson Gower, in his own justification, against the charge made against
him by Bellingham on his trial; and we hope, for the honour of our
country, that it is correct; and we must confess that a review of all
the circumstances tends to confirm its accuracy. Our ambassador, it is
admitted, had the case investigated; and as his refusal to interfere was
subsequently confirmed by that of the English Government, it is evident
that Bellingham could have had no just cause of complaint, or, at least,
none of a nature to call for diplomatic negotiation or pecuniary
recompense. In justice to the unfortunate man, we shall, when we come to
his trial, give his own statement, and leave the reader to draw his own
conclusion.