Exactly half an hour after they had been turned off, the order was
given to cut the bodies down. The executioner immediately ascended the
scaffold, and drew the legs of the sufferers up, and placed the dead
men, who were still suspended, in a sitting position, with their feet
towards Ludgate-hill. This being done, the trap-door was again put
up, and the platform restored to its original state. The executioner
proceeded to cut Thistlewood down; and, with the aid of an assistant,
lifted the body into the first coffin, laying it on the back, and
placing the head over the end of the coffin, so as to bring the neck on
the edge of the block. The rope was then drawn from the neck, and the
cap was removed from the face.
The last convulsions of expiring life had thrown a purple hue over the
countenance, which gave it a most ghastly and appalling appearance; but
no violent distortion of feature had taken place. An axe was placed on
the scaffold, but this was not used.
When the rope had been removed, and the coat and waistcoat forced down,
so as to leave the neck exposed, a person wearing a black mask, which
extended to his mouth, over which a coloured handkerchief was tied,
and his hat slouched down, so as to conceal part of the mask, and
attired in a blue jacket and dark-grey trowsers, mounted the scaffold
with a small knife in his hand, similar to what is used by surgeons in
amputation, and, advancing to the coffin, proceeded to sever the head
from the body.
[Illustration: THE EXECUTION OF THE CATO STREET CONSPIRATORS May 1,
1820.]
When the crowd perceived the knife applied to the throat of
Thistlewood, they raised a shout, in which exclamations of horror and
of reproach were mingled. The tumult seemed to disconcert the person
in the mask for the moment; but, upon the whole, he performed the
operation with dexterity; and, having handed the head to the assistant
executioner, who waited to receive it, he immediately retired, pursued
by the hootings of the mob.
The assistant executioner, holding the head by the hair over the
forehead, exhibited it from the side of the scaffold nearest
Newgate-street. A person attended on the scaffold, who dictated to
the executioner what he was to say; and he exclaimed with a loud
voice--“This is the head of Arthur Thistlewood, the traitor!” A
thrilling sensation was produced on the spectators by the display of
this ghastly object, and the hissings and hootings of part of the mob
were vehemently renewed.
The same ceremony was repeated in front of the scaffold, and on the
side nearest Ludgate-street. The head was then placed at the foot of
the coffin; while the body, before lifted up to bring the neck on the
block, was forced lower down, and, this done, the head was again put in
its proper place, at the upper end of the coffin, which was left open.
The block was then moved by the hangman, and placed at the head of
the second coffin. The cap and rope were removed from the face and
neck of Tidd. The same livid hue which overspread the countenance of
Thistlewood was perceptible.
The coat and waistcoat being pulled down, the masked executioner again
came forward. He was received with groans, and cries of “Shoot that
---- murderer;” “Bring out Edwards,” _&c._ He seemed less disconcerted
than at first, and performed the operation with great expedition, and,
having handed the head to the person who had before received that of
Thistlewood, he retired amidst yells and execrations.
The assistant executioner then advanced to the side of the scaffold,
from which the former head was first exhibited, holding the head
between both hands by the cheeks, the forehead of Tidd being bald, and
exclaiming, “This is the head of Richard Tidd, the traitor.” The same
words were also repeated from the other two sides of the scaffold, and
the head was then deposited with the body in the second coffin.
The block was now removed to the third coffin, and the body of Ings,
being cut down, was placed in it with the face upwards. The person
in the mask again came forward, severed the head from the body, and
retired amidst the hootings of the crowd. The assistant-executioner
proceeded to exhibit the head, holding it up by the hair in the same
way as he had Thistlewood’s, from the three sides of the scaffold,
exclaiming, “This is the head of James Ings, the traitor.” The head was
then placed in the coffin.
The block being removed to the fourth coffin, the body of Davidson was
taken down from the gallows, the noose taken from about the neck, and
the cap removed from the face, which remained in death exactly what it
had been while living. The mouth was a little open, but no expression
of agony, or change of colour, could be remarked. The body was placed
in the fourth coffin, and the man in the mask having performed his
part, the head was exhibited in the same way as the last, with the
exclamation, “This is the head of William Davidson, the traitor.”
Little or no blood had fallen from the other heads, but from this it
fell profusely. The hisses and groans of the crowd were repeated
on this occasion, while the head was deposited in the coffin which
contained the sufferer’s body.
The executioner and his assistant now proceeded to cut down the last
of the sufferers, Brunt. The block was placed at the head of the fifth
coffin. The blood which had stained the block was wiped off with the
saw-dust, and, the rope being cut, they attempted to lift the body to
the place where the last part of the sentence was to be executed, when
it was found that in putting up the platform part of his clothing had
been shut in with it, and held him so tight, that a considerable effort
was necessary to disengage the remains of the wretched culprit. He was
placed in the fifth coffin.
His miserable and cadaverous countenance presented but a ghastly
spectacle while he was alive; but dead, its aspect was little less
than terrific; and the dark hair which overhung his forehead came in
frightful contrast with the purple hue produced by the agonies of death.
The masked executioner, while performing his duty, happened to let the
head fall from his hands on the saw-dust. The howlings and groans of
the spectators were again heard at that moment, and amidst these the
operator retired, having first handed the discoloured “trunkless ball”
to the assistant executioner, who advancing, as in each of the other
cases, first to the side of the scaffold nearest Giltspur-street, then
to the front, and lastly to the side looking towards the Felons’-door,
proclaimed aloud, “This is the head of John Thomas Brunt, the traitor.”
His head was then placed in the coffin, and thus terminated this part
of the awful business of that memorable day.
The execution occupied an hour and eight minutes. It was a quarter
before eight when Thistlewood walked up the steps leading to the fatal
platform; and it wanted seven minutes to nine when the head of Brunt
was placed in the coffin.
From the manner in which the last part of the execution was performed
very little blood was seen on the scaffold. The bodies being placed
almost in a sitting attitude in their coffins, the blood could not flow
copiously from them at the moment the heads were taken off. It was not
till they were laid in a horizontal position that the vital stream
could escape freely from the heart.
The person who wore the mask, and who performed the ceremony of
decapitation, is said to be the same person who beheaded Despard and
his associates. This, however, may be doubted, as, from the quickness
and spring of his motions, he seemed to be a young man. His mode of
operation showed evidently that he was a surgeon. In performing his
dreadful duty, the edge of the first knife was turned by the vertebræ
of Thistlewood, and two others became necessary to enable him to finish
his heart-appalling task.
The coffins containing the remains of the sufferers were left on the
scaffold but for a few minutes after the sentence of the law had been
carried into effect. While there they continued open. At nine o’clock
they were conveyed into the prison by the Debtors’-door, and this
dreadful scene being thus ended, the crowd began peaceably to separate.
In such an immense assemblage, as might be expected, some accidents
occurred through the dreadful pressure of the crowd. Some women (and
it is painful to record that many women were among the crowd) were
brought out fainting, and a boy was severely hurt by the falling of a
part of the railing in front of St. Sepulchre’s church. The persons
whose weight brought down the railing from the stone base in which it
was planted, were thrown on the shoulders of those beneath them, and
caused great confusion at the moment, but no more serious accidents
occurred than the injury received by the boy above-mentioned.
In addition to the military arrangements on this awful occasion, which
we have incidentally mentioned, it was thought necessary to adopt
the following precautionary measures, that should any thing like a
breach of the peace be attempted, it might be crushed in its infancy;
and it is a pleasing part of our duty here to record the prudence
which gave rise to these measures, the very excellent and effectual
manner in which they were carried into execution, and, above all, the
exemplary conduct of the soldiers who were on duty throughout the
morning, although they were at times severely, and indeed unavoidably
pressed upon by the crowd. The Life Guards were incessantly attentive
to prevent their horses from doing any injury, while occasionally
driven out of their position by the momentary agitation of the persons
immediately near them.
At a very early hour, the neighbourhood of Blackfriars-bridge, being
the place appointed for the rendezvous of a considerable number of
troops, presented a very novel spectacle. At five o’clock in the
morning, six light field-pieces of flying artillery arrived in front
of the livery stables, near Christ Church, escorted by the usual
complement of men. They drew up in the centre of the street, and
remained there until after the execution took place.
At a still earlier hour, three troops of the Life Guards arrived in the
neighbourhood of Newgate; one troop and a picquet remained near the
scaffold; another picquet was stationed in Ludgate-hill, facing the Old
Bailey; and the remaining troop drew up in Bridge-street.
The moment the prisoners were about to be brought out to the scaffold,
an officer rode from his station in front of Newgate, communicated
with the picquet on Ludgate-hill, and then rode on to the troop in
Bridge-street, to whom he immediately gave the word of command to
advance. The troop instantly followed the officer, and proceeded
onwards until they joined the picquet on Ludgate-hill, with which they
halted, and formed in a line, still facing the Old Bailey.
The flying artillery, near Christ Church, also made a movement in
advance just at the same time, and formed a crescent across the road;
the guns pointing towards the bridge.
The City Light Horse were under arms, in their barracks in
Gray’s-Inn-lane, and a number of troops were stationed at various
depôts, assigned them at convenient intervals throughout the metropolis.
A little before ten, the multitude having completely dispersed, the
detachments marched off to their respective barracks.