“Gentlemen, when I think of this, it unmans me. I am no plotter--no
assassin--no traitor! Look well to the evidence, and to your own
hearts, before you pronounce the fatal verdict of ‘Guilty.’
“Gentlemen, the Earl of Harrowby I have known for years; I worked on
his Lordship’s estate in Staffordshire. Gentlemen, I knew him but to
respect him;--and yet it is suggested that I could raise the dagger of
the murderer to his breast.--Forbid it providence! Had I known that
this plot existed, I would have been the first to warn his Lordship
of his danger; but I declare solemnly that I knew not of such an
intention. I knew nothing of all these dark and bloody projects.
“Gentlemen, I have now done. I repeat, I will readily submit to death
if you think me capable of harbouring an intention to commit the crime
of high treason. If that is your persuasion, pronounce your verdict
accordingly. I hope my death may prove useful to my country,--for still
England I call thee so,--and I trust that those by whom I shall be
condemned, may lay down their lives with as clear a conscience.”
BARON GARROW, then addressed Tidd as follows:--“Richard Tidd, do you
wish to add any thing to what your counsel has stated for you? If you
do, this is the proper time.”
TIDD rose, and said, in a meek and humble voice, “The first thing I
have got to say is, that I had the misfortune to get acquainted with
Brunt about a month before Christmas, by his frequently going to see
Adams, who was living next door to me; our windows joined; by that
means I became acquainted with him.
“During the Christmas holidays, we kept them together; after the
holidays, I was introduced to Edwards, who does not now appear
against me; he was constantly coming to me afterwards; I always was a
hard-working man, working sixteen and eighteen hours a day. I never
had any time to spare, except on a Sunday. Messrs. Edwards and Brunt
together told me that there were certain meetings going on.
“I never attended any meeting after the acts to prevent illegal
meetings, till Edwards told me that he had authority to state from
persons high in rank, that meetings might take place to procure reform
in Parliament. I was then introduced to a room, where I was taken to,
in Brunt’s house. I did not see there any thing particular, till the
Sunday when I was proposed to take the chair.
“Certain propositions were then made, which made me declare I would
never more attend such meetings, and I fully determined that I would
not keep company with them afterwards. Prior to this Edwards came up
to my house, and said, that he had got certain materials, and Mr.
Thistlewood would be obliged to me if I would let them remain in my
house. I said, I would allow no such thing. He then went away, but
in the evening he came and brought the things, which the officers
afterwards seized.
“On Tuesday, Edwards and Brunt came to me, and asked me if I kept to my
determination--they added, that all the proceedings that were going on
were entirely flustered; they then said there was to be a meeting of
the Mary-le-bone Union, and asked me to go.
“Edwards said, every body going there for self-preservation took a
weapon of defence. I told him I had none; he said, if I had not, the
club would supply me with one; he then pulled out a pistol, and said,
you ought to arm yourself now.
“He also had a sword-stick, which he offered me. He afterwards gave
me a direction where the meeting was to be held. I have it now in
my pocket.”--[Here the prisoner produced a small piece of paper,
on which was written these words:--‘Horse and Groom, John-street,
Edgeware-road.’]
Tidd then went on. “During Wednesday, while I was at work, Edwards and
Brunt came to me, and said there was some people I must bring to the
club. I afterwards took Monument, but I do declare before you I never
knew any thing about a cabinet-dinner. It was never mentioned to me. I
was introduced into the stable, and in ten minutes after the officers
came in and apprehended me.
“This is all I have to say, and you may depend I have told the truth.”
The _Attorney-General_ rose to reply, and proceeded to point out the
various instances in which the evidence of Adams had been confirmed:
it was confirmed by Monument, who had not been deeply concerned in
the plot; but it was much more strongly confirmed by Hyden, who was
no accomplice, and who was in every way worthy of belief. There was,
he contended, a compleat chain of evidence, to prove that there was a
conspiracy to overturn the government: and if they believed that the
two prisoners at the bar took a prominent part in it, they could have
no hesitation as to the verdict they should give.
Mr. _Baron Garrow_, proceeded to deliver his charge to the Jury. He
went over the whole of the evidence, and commented on all the material
parts of it in a most perspicuous manner. While his lordship was
reading over the evidence of Monument, the prisoner Davidson caused a
written paper to be conveyed to him, and said he hoped it might be
read as a part of his defence, which he had before forgot to notice.
The learned Judge observed, that although it was not strictly regular
to comply with the prisoner’s request in the present stage of the
business, yet he was ready to allow him to make any statement which
might be of use to him. The statement was, that his (Davidson’s) house
had been searched, and nearly pulled down, and not the slightest
evidence was there found which went to show that he had been guilty of
any conspiracy.
After his Lordship had read over the evidence of Hyden, he said it was
the most important of any that had been given to the Court, because
the conspiracy had been communicated to him by one of the parties,
who invited him to assist in it; and because he went immediately and
communicated to Lord Harrowby the danger which ministers were in. He
pretended to show a readiness to join the conspirators, but he never
did join them; and one reason for not refusing to take a part in the
plot was, a threat held out that any man who did not join would be put
to death.
“The learned counsel for the prisoners had endeavoured to throw some
discredit on this witness, on the ground of his being an accomplice;
but there was not the slightest ground for such a supposition; nor
did it appear to him that the slightest inroad had been made on his
testimony. On the contrary, he ought to be considered as an instrument
in the hands of Providence in saving fifteen of the first men in the
country, and perhaps many others, from destruction; and all persons
then present in Court, ought to consider themselves indebted to him.
“Here it was clearly in evidence, that the intention of the
conspirators was to murder the most respectable and virtuous characters
in the kingdom; and that not content with that, they were to destroy
the house of the Bishop of London, one of the most amiable men in the
kingdom, who of all other men in the world was the least likely to give
offence to any body.
“What then could be their motive for all these unprovoked atrocities,
but the ulterior object of revolution? If plunder was their object,
where were the implements in which they were to carry away their
plunder? What necessity was there to add murder to their offence? What
occasion had they for a box full of ball cartridges? What was their
object in all this, but the ulterior object of effecting a revolution?
The usual argument of inadequacy of means had been used on this
occasion; and it was said, nothing certainly could be more preposterous
than to suppose a revolution could be effected by such contemptible
means; but it was proved, that a plan had been formed--that a band of
ruffians, reeking with the blood of the most illustrious men in the
kingdom, had intended to overturn the government, by stirring up the
people to insurrection.
“Such men as these might imagine that the object could be effectual,
without ever considering the adequacy of the means. Before the
commencement of the French Revolution, the first beginnings were
as contemptible as this; and every body knew the vast extent and
the wide-spreading desolation, by which these small beginnings were
followed.”
After a variety of other observations, all tending to show that the
evidence of the accomplices was confirmed in various instances by
credible witnesses, particularly by Joseph Hale, the apprentice of
Brunt; and by Hyden, the cow-keeper, who was no party in the plot, and
who acted honestly and conscientiously, his Lordship concluded his
charge.
The Jury then retired, and after an absence of forty minutes, returned
with a verdict of “GUILTY UPON THE THIRD COUNT,” with the exception
of the eighth and tenth overt-acts. The count in question alleged a
conspiracy to levy war.
At the conclusion of the trial of Tidd and Davidson,
Mr. CURWOOD addressed the Court, intimating a desire, on the part
of James Wilson, to withdraw his plea of misnomer to the indictment
against him for high treason, and to plead “Guilty,” and the
Attorney-General stating that he had no objection to this course,
James Wilson was put to the bar, and, on being questioned by Mr.
Shelton, pleaded Guilty.
Mr. WALFORD then said, he was instructed to make a similar tender on
the part of the five remaining prisoners, and
Mr. BARON GARROW directed the prisoners to be brought to the bar.
John Harrison, Richard Bradburn, John Shaw Strange, James Gilchrist,
and Charles Cooper, were then brought into the Court, and
Mr. Walford again addressed his lordship, and said that he had watched,
with great diligence, the whole of these proceedings, and from what
had passed under his observation, he thought he should best consult
the interests of the five unhappy men at the bar, for whom, with his
learned friend (Mr. Broderick), he was counsel, by recommending them to
acknowledge the deepness of their offending, and to throw themselves on
the leniency of their Sovereign, who, he was persuaded, would follow
the steps of his revered father, by tempering justice with mercy.
Mr. BRODERICK said, he too had watched with the most anxious solicitude
the progress of the trials which had taken place upon this indictment,
and he felt satisfied that he could not better consult the interests
of the prisoners, than by adopting the course suggested by his
learned friend. These unfortunate men were desirous of making the
only reparation in their power to the offended laws of their country,
by acknowledging their guilt. They did not ask for mercy, but they
entertained a hope that their contrition would have the desired effect,
and would induce an extension towards them of that brightest attribute
in the person of the Sovereign.
Mr. BARON GARROW then explained to the prisoners the situation in which
they stood, and that their plea must be received without any pledge
on his part, and with a full understanding that they were to receive
judgment to die.
They all expressed their concurrence in what had been said by their
counsel, and, having withdrawn their previous plea of _Not Guilty_,
they pleaded _Guilty_, and were removed from the bar; and the gentlemen
of the Jury were dismissed with the thanks of their country.