I have already observed how the Black Act was extended for punishing
Charles Towers,[54] concerned in setting up the New Mint, who as he
affirmed died only for having his face accidentally dirty at the time he
assaulted the bailiff's house. I must now put you in mind of another
clause in the same act, viz., that for punishing with death those who
sent any threatening letters in order to affright persons into a
compliance with their demands, for fear of being murdered themselves, or
having their houses fired about their ears. This clause of the Act is
general, and therefore did not extend only to offences of this kind when
committed by deer-stealers and those gangs against whom it was
particularly levelled at that time, but included also whoever should be
guilty of writing such letters to any person or persons whatsoever;
which was a just and necessary construction of the Act, and not only
made use of in the case of this criminal, but of many more since,
becoming particularly useful of late years, when this practice became
frequent.
Bryan Smith, who occasions this observation, was an Irishman, of parts
so very mean as perhaps were never met with in one who passed for a
rational creature; yet this fellow, forsooth, took it into his head that
he might be able to frighten Baron Swaffo, a very rich Jew in the City,
out of a considerable sum of money, by terrifying him with a letter. For
this purpose he wrote one indeed in a style I daresay was never seen
before, or since. Its spelling was _à la mode de brogue_, and the whole
substance of the thing was filled with oaths, curses, execrations and
threatenings of murder and burning if such a sum of money was not sent
as he, in his great wisdom, thought it fit to demand.
The man's management in sending this and directing how he would have an
answer was of a piece with his style, and altogether made the discovery
no difficult matter. So that Bryan being apprehended, was at the next
sessions at the Old Bailey tried and convicted on the evidence of some
of his countrymen, and when, after receiving sentence, there remained no
hopes for him of favour, to make up a consistent character he declared
himself a Papist, and as is usual with persons of that profession, was
forbidden by his priest to go any more to the public chapel.
However, to do him justice as far as outward circumstances will give us
leave to judge, he appeared very sorry for the crime he had committed,
and having had the priest with him a considerable time the day before
his death, he would needs go to the place of execution in a shroud.
As he went along he repeated the Hail Mary and Paternoster.
But there being many persons to suffer, and the executioner thereby
being put into a confusion, Smith observing the hurry slipped the rope
over his head, and jumped at once over the corpses in the cart amongst
the mob. Had he been wise enough to have come in his clothes, and not in
a shroud, it is highly probable he had made his escape; but his white
dress rendering him conspicuous even at a distance, the sheriffs
officers were not long before they retook him and placed him in his
former situation again.
Hope and fear, desire of life, and dread of immediate execution, had
occasioned so great an emotion of his spirits that he appeared in his
last moments in a confusion not to be described, and departed the world
in such an agony that he was a long time before he died, which was at
the same time with the malefactor before-mentioned, viz., on the 30th of
April, 1725.