and Thomas Smith, of Huddersfield, were indicted for the wilful murder
of William Horsfall, of Marsden, merchant and manufacturer, at Lockwood,
in the West Riding of Yorkshire.
From the evidence of Benjamin Walker, an accomplice of the prisoners and
others, it appeared that a conspiracy was entered into to attack the
mill of Mr. Cartwright, in which Mellor was one of the principals. While
they were in conversation upon this subject on the 28th April, however,
the same prisoner produced a loaded pistol, and said that he was going
to shoot Mr. Horsfall, and that the other prisoners and Walker must
accompany him. They accordingly proceeded together to a plantation near
an inn called the Warren-house, at Crossland Moor, near Huddersfield,
where it was arranged that they should station themselves in a line by
the road, and when Mr. Horsfall came, Mellor was to fire first; and in
case of his missing his aim Smith and Walker were to fire. At a quarter
past six o'clock in the evening, Mr. Horsfall called at the
Warren-house, on his way home from Huddersfield market, and had some rum
and water, and after about twenty minutes he proceeded on his way,
unconscious of the fate which awaited him. He had entered the road,
which ran through the plantation, and which was only a quarter of a mile
from the Warren-house, when the prisoner Mellor fired and shot him. The
unfortunate gentleman on his being wounded fell on his horse's chine,
and a Mr. Parr, hearing the report and seeing him fall, rode up to him,
in order to assist him. Mr. Horsfall, having quitted his horse, sat down
by the road side, and despatched Mr. Parr for assistance, but he died
very soon afterwards.
The prisoners attempted to prove an _alibi_, but the jury withdrew about
twenty minutes, and returned a verdict of guilty against them all. They
were immediately sentenced to death.
On Friday these wretched men were brought to the place of execution,
behind the Castle at York. Every precaution had been taken to render a
rescue impracticable. Two troops of cavalry were drawn up near the front
of the platform, and the avenues to the Castle were guarded by infantry.
A few minutes before nine o'clock the prisoners came upon the platform.
After the ordinary had read the accustomed forms of prayer, George
Mellor prayed for about ten minutes, William Thorp also prayed; but his
voice was not so well heard. Smith said but little, but seemed to join
in the devotions with great seriousness.
The prisoners were then moved to the front of the platform; and, after
saying a few words, the executioner proceeded to perform his fatal
office, and the drop fell.
On the 8th John Baines the elder, John Baines the younger, Zachary
Baines of the same family, the elder near seventy years of age, and the
latter scarce sixteen, John Eadon, Charles Milnes, William Blakeborough,
and George Duckworth, all of Halifax, were tried for administering an
unlawful oath to John Macdonald; and all, except the boy, were found
guilty
[Illustration: _The Luddites shooting Mr. Horsfall._]
On the 9th January, James Haigh of Dalton, Jonathan Deane of
Huddersfield, John Ogden, James Brook, Thomas Brook, John Walker of
Longroyd Bridge, and John Hirst of Liversedge, were tried for attacking
the mill of Mr. William Cartwright at Rawfolds. Mr. Cartwright being
apprehensive of an attack being made upon his mill, procured the
assistance of five soldiers, and retired to rest about twelve o'clock,
but soon afterwards heard the barking of a dog. He arose; and while
opening the door, heard a breaking of windows, and also a firing in the
upper and lower windows, and a violent hammering at the door. He and his
men flew to their arms; and a bell placed at the top of the mill, for
the purpose of alarming the neighbours, being rung by one of his men,
the persons inside the mill discharged their pieces from loop-holes. The
fire was returned regularly on both sides. The mob called, "Bang up,
lads! in with you! keep close! damn that bell! get to it! damn 'em, kill
'em all!" The numbers assembled were considerable. The attack continued
about twenty minutes; but at length the fire slackened from without, and
the cries of the wounded were heard. The men that were wounded were
taken care of, but afterwards died. One of the accomplices, W. Hall,
stated that he was one of those connected with Mellor and Thorp, and
assembled with many other persons by the desire of Mellor, in a field
belonging to sir George Armitage, Bart., on the night of the 11th of
April. They called their numbers, remained there some time, and then
marched off to the mill. Mellor commanded the musket company, another
the pistol company, and another the hatchet company: they were formed in
lines of ten each. Two of the men were to go last and drive up the
rear.--Some had hatchets, some hammers, some sticks, and others had no
arms.
The jury found James Haigh, J. Deane, J. Ogden, T. Brook, and J. Walker
guilty, but acquitted the rest.
Several prisoners were on the two following days convicted of robberies,
but many others were, through the lenity of the government, admitted to
bail. On the Thursday, on the grand jury coming into court and declaring
that they had disposed of all the bills of indictment preferred before
them, Mr. Parke, who appeared as counsel for the crown, said that it was
not intended to present any more indictments: he and those learned
gentlemen who had assisted him had examined the various cases, which
might have formed the subjects of prosecution; but in that discretion,
with which they had been intrusted, they had determined to exercise a
lenity, which he hoped would produce its proper effect with the
prisoners and their associates.
The grand jury then retired, and sentence of death was passed upon
fifteen prisoners by Mr. Baron Thompson.
On Saturday at eleven o'clock, John Hill, Joseph Crowther, Nathaniel
Hayle, Jonathan Deane, John Ogden, Thomas Brook, and John Walker, were
brought out on the scaffold to undergo the last sentence of the law.
They appeared to be fully sensible of the awful situation in which they
were placed; and having hung till twelve o'clock, they were cut down, in
order to make way for those prisoners who were to be executed
subsequently on the same day.
In about an hour and a half after they had been removed, John Swallow,
John Batley, Joseph Fisher, William Hartley, James Haigh, James Hey, and
Job Hay, were also executed. The crowd of persons assembled was
immense.
HUFFEY WHITE AND RICHARD KENDALL.
EXECUTED FOR ROBBING THE LEEDS MAIL.
Huffey White was a more expert and notorious housebreaker, and
perpetrated more adroit burglaries and robberies, than any other
malefactor of his time. His first conviction appears to have taken place
in the year 1809, when he was found guilty of a burglary, and sentenced
to be transported for life. Preparatory to his being sent abroad, he was
conveyed on board the hulks at Woolwich; but disliking the treatment he
experienced there, he contrived to make his escape, and once more
visited the scenes of his former crimes in London. At this time he
became acquainted with the notorious Jem Mackcoull; and as a means of
replenishing his exchequer, he agreed to accompany him to Chester, for
the purpose of robbing the bank there.
White, it appears, lodged in the house of a blacksmith, named Scottock,
in London, who supplied him with the necessary implements; and the two
villains having directed the smith to forward them the keys, &c. to
Chester, set off for that place early in 1810; and having made their
observations, called at the coach-office for the box of implements.
Unfortunately for their project, the friction of the coach had broken
one corner of the box, through which a skeleton key suspiciously
obtruded; and an officer having been made acquainted with the fact, he
was concealed when White and Mackcoull came to demand the box, and
having secured them both, they were committed to the house of correction
as rogues and vagabonds.
Mackcoull went by the name of Martin, and White assumed that of Evans;
but a description of their persons being transmitted to Bow-street, an
officer was sent, who quickly recognised them both; and White was
brought to trial at the next assizes, and received sentence of death for
being at large before the expiration of his period of transportation;
but this sentence was afterwards commuted to transportation for life,
and he was once more sent to his former station in the hulks, Mackcoull
remaining in Chester jail, in which he was sentenced to be confined for
six months.
At the expiration of the term of his imprisonment, Mackcoull returned to
London, and agreeing with one French to rob the Glasgow bank, they
wished for the assistance of Huffey White, and actually contrived to
liberate him from the hulks, before they set off for Scotland.
On their reaching the scene of their intended depredation, they took
lodgings in the house of a Mrs. Stewart; and although they appeared to
be persons engaged in no particular business, they were nevertheless
actively employed in maturing their plans for the burglary. In this way
nearly six weeks passed away, the most anxious care being taken that no
circumstance should occur which could excite suspicion. The exact
position of the banking-house, and of all the apartments in which money
was kept, was ascertained and accurately noted down; and that no chance
of success should be lost, the thieves actually made themselves
acquainted with the persons who had charge of the banking-house, through
whose innocent instrumentality they procured much of the information
which they required. Their implements having reached them, however, from
London, they found that none of them were calculated for the purpose
which they had in view, and White, who had assumed the name of Down, was
despatched to the metropolis with the necessary instructions to procure
fit instruments. On his return he was amply provided; and at length, on
Sunday evening, when the honest bank-keepers were gone to church, the
burglary was effected, and 20,000_l._, in Scotch bank-notes, were
carried off. The party judged rightly, that Glasgow was no place for
them to remain in any longer, and they immediately set off in a
post-chaise for London, changing a 20_l._ note at every stage. From the
able manner in which the robbery had been effected, and from all the
doors and cupboards being found locked as they had been left, it was not
discovered, nor indeed suspected, until the following day, when pursuit,
with a chance of catching the thieves, was of course hopeless; but
information being conveyed to London, the fugitives were traced to have
proceeded thither, and White was apprehended in the house of his old
ally, Scottock, with a number of housebreaking implements in his
possession. All search for money proved of no avail however, the notes
having been duly lodged in the hands of an experienced "banker;" and the
exertions of the officers to apprehend the other offender were equally
futile. In accordance with a system then existing to a very great
extent, but now, happily, put an end to, negotiations were commenced by
the thieves with the banking company for the restoration of the notes
upon certain terms, one of which was, that no prosecution should take
place; and Sayer, the officer, being employed, matters were at length
satisfactorily adjusted; but upon the notes being restored, it was
found, that instead of the sum stolen, 11,041_l._ only were given up,
and the gulled agent returned to Scotland, compelled to put up with what
he could get.
In the mean time, however, White was conveyed back to the hulks to serve
out the remainder of his sentence, but he soon contrived again to
escape; but he now confined his depredations to the country, where he
committed various burglaries. While at large, he contrived, by skeleton
keys, &c., to open the doors of the Kettering bank; and such was the
masterly manner in which he effected his entrance, and conducted the
business, that the bankers, Messrs. Keep and Gotch, remained ignorant of
the attempted robbery, until an accomplice subsequently detailed the
transaction. It was conceived to be impossible for such a thing to take
place without, at least, exciting suspicion; and the information was
treated as untrue, until the number of the page in which the London
banking account was kept was told, which it was known could only have
been learned by an inspection of the private ledger. It appears,
however, that in this instance "ignorance was bliss;" for although the
thieves had carried off nothing, because the state of the exchequer did
not present a sufficient temptation, they had fully made up their minds
to pay the house a second visit, in the hope of making a more successful
"haul." But from this they were prevented by the apprehension of White,
who was the prime mover of these proceedings, and his execution on a
charge of robbing the Leeds mail at Higham Ferrers, in Northamptonshire,
on the 29th of October, 1812.
The circumstances of this case are as follow:--The guard having gone to
the coach-box on the night in question from his accustomed seat at the
back of the mail, the robbers contrived during his absence, and without
exciting his suspicion, to open the lock, and carry off the mail-bags.
Information of the robbery having been conveyed to London, Richard and
John Limbrick, two Bow-street officers, were despatched in search of the
thieves; and hearing that White was at Bristol, they proceeded thither,
having little doubt that he was one of the parties concerned. On their
arrival they found that he was living with two fellows named Ned Burkitt
and John Goodman, both well-known thieves; and it was determined to
watch them, in order that a favourable opportunity might be seized to
secure their persons. Several days passed before they were able to
attempt the capture of their prey; but at length, Goodman and his wife
having been taken into custody upon a charge of robbing the Canterbury
bank, of which they were suspected, a favourable opportunity presented
itself. The officers in consequence went boldly to the house occupied by
the thieves, and having given a loud knock at the door, they were
answered by Burkitt. They immediately rushed in, but were met with a
most violent opposition, in the course of which White managed to make
his escape over a shed at the back.
His career was, however, drawing to a close, and information having
reached the officers that Liverpool was to be favoured by his presence,
they were soon on the look out for him in that city. Early in the month
of April 1813, he was found to have entered Liverpool, and inquiries
being made, he was traced to the house of an old woman named Mary Howes,
_alias_ Taylor, in the Scotland Road there. The Limbricks in consequence
proceeded thither, when their entrance was opposed by the old woman; but
some force being applied, the door was opened, and they proceeded
directly to the cellar. They there found White and a man named Haywood,
evidently prepared to make a desperate resistance, but the officers
being equally resolute, after a violent conflict, in the course of which
a pistol was fired by one of the constables, the thieves were secured.
Upon the house being searched a great variety of house-breaking
implements was found, concealed under a flag in the cellar, and Mrs.
Howes was also taken into custody.
At the ensuing summer assizes at Northampton, White, Kendall, and the
woman Mary Howes, were indicted for the robbery of the Leeds mail; and
it was proved that on the evening on which the robbery was effected, the
two first-named prisoners were seen on the road in a gig near Higham
Ferrers, and subsequently on the same night at the house of Mrs. Howes,
who then lived very near. It was also shown that no other gig but that
in which the prisoners rode passed through the turnpike on that evening,
and the prisoners were afterwards seen together, and were traced to
London, where White offered to negotiate some of the bills and notes,
the produce of the robbery, with one Richardson, who had been before
this time convicted of robbing the house of the Marchioness of
Downshire.
Forty witnesses were examined on this trial, which lasted fourteen
hours; and such was the interest produced, that the court was crowded to
excess. The judge having charged the jury, they retired, and soon
afterwards returned, finding White and Kendall guilty, but they
acquitted the woman, in accordance with the direction of the Court; it
appearing that her offence did not take place in the county in which she
was arraigned.
The night preceding the execution of these convicts, White attempted to
make his escape, and had succeeded so far as to cut off his irons, and
break through several doors; but he was stopped at the outward gate,
and reconducted to his cell. At nine o'clock, August the 13th, 1813, the
procession approached the place of execution at Northampton. Kendall
appeared deeply impressed with a sense of the awful fate that awaited
him; but uniformly persisted in declaring his innocence, and said that
he fell a victim in consequence of his having had the misfortune to be
in company with his fellow-sufferer on the night of the robbery. He
declared, on the gallows, that he was a murdered man, and appealed to
the populace, in a speech of some length, in which he endeavoured to
convince them of his perfect innocence.
White's deportment was such as to exhibit his extreme carelessness of
life. Hardihood never forsook him, and he more than once found fault
with the manner in which the chaplain performed his duty. From the time
of his conviction he disregarded the gallows; and, being humanely asked
by a clergyman if he could administer any sort of comfort to him,
answered, "Only by getting some other man to be hanged for me." He
declared Kendall innocent a few minutes before they were launched into
eternity.
PHILIP NICHOLSON
EXECUTED FOR MURDER.
The case of this unfortunate wretch is one of a peculiarly distressing
character, presenting a crime of a most fearful nature, committed
without the most remote cause of provocation, and apparently also
without motive.
It appears that the malefactor was a footman in the employment of Mr.
and Mrs. Bonar, an aged and respectable couple, who resided at a mansion
called Camden Place, situated in the village of Chiselhurst, in Kent.
The establishment consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Bonar, two female domestics,
who slept in an apartment at the rear of the house, a groom and
coachman, who slept in a room over the stable, and the wretched man
Nicholson, who had his bed in the hall, and who was the only man-servant
who slept in the house.
On the night of Sunday, the 30th of May, 1813, Mr. Bonar retired to
rest, at his usual hour, twelve o'clock, and his lady followed at about
two o'clock, having been undressed in the ante-room to the bed-room by
her maid.
During the night no noise or disturbance of any kind was heard by the
servants, and at half-past six o'clock in the morning one of the garden
labourers called up Nicholson and remarked to him that the hall door and
window-shutters were open, a circumstance of which he declared he was
unaware. At seven o'clock the servant-women got up, and one of them on
going into the ante-room of her mistress's bed-room observed foot-marks
of blood plainly visible on the floor. In great agitation she
communicated what she had seen to her fellow-servants, and on their all
going up to ascertain the truth of what they had been told, they became
alarmed lest murder had been committed, and determined to ascertain the
truth of their surmises. Upon their entering Mr. Bonar's apartment, they
found their master and mistress lying dead, the former on the floor,
literally swimming with blood, while the latter lay on the bed, in a
similar condition. A kitchen poker, the instrument with which the
murders had evidently been committed, lay on the floor, and the state of
the room exhibited the utmost confusion. Nicholson was amongst those who
entered the room, and he was observed to be much agitated, and to be
very active in moving the bed-clothes, by which, if by no other means,
his own attire became stained with blood. One of the servant-women
having swooned, he roused her, and told her to attend to her mistress,
who still breathed, and upon examination this proved to be the case, and
he directly insisted that he should go to town for a surgeon.
On the road he was seen to drink copiously of brandy, and a little after
eight o'clock he arrived at the house of Mr. Astley Cooper, who
instantly set off for Camden Place, in the hope of affording surgical
assistance to the murdered lady. Nicholson went next to the Red Lion,
near Bedlam, where he saw a man named Dale, who had been only a few
weeks discharged for improper conduct from Mr. Bonar's service; and to
whom he used this remarkable expression: "The deed is done, and you are
suspected; but you are not in it." He then proceeded to the office at
Bow-street, in a state of intoxication, to give information of the
murder, and having mentioned his interview with Dale, that person was
brought to the office; but he established a most satisfactory _alibi_,
and was discharged. Three officers immediately set off for Chiselhurst,
and Mr. Cooper arrived with all possible despatch at Camden Place, but
was too late; the wound was mortal, and Mrs. Bonar expired at eleven
minutes past one o'clock, having been through the whole previous time
insensible, and having only once uttered the exclamation of "Oh dear!"