Though the many instances we have, of late years, had of amazing
wickednesses committed by lads one would scarce believe were capable of
executing, much less of contriving schemes so full of ginning and of
guilt, ought in a great measure to prevent our being surprised at
anything of the same kind, let it be committed by ever such a stripling,
yet I confess it was not without wonder that I perused the papers
relating to this unfortunate young man--so strong an instance of a great
capacity for mischief at the same time that he never once evidenced
either care or ability in succeeding in an honest way. On the contrary,
he was assidious only to attain as much money as might put him on the
road of debauchery, and then stupidly gave himself up to squandering it
in the gratification of his lusts, until indigence brought to rack his
inventions again, and his second attempt proving abortive, brought him
to the gallows.
He was born of honest parents, who took care enough in his education to
qualify him for the business of a shoemaker, for which they designed
him, and to which they put him apprentice. He had not served above three
years of his time, before he robbed his master of a very considerable
sum of money. The man having a respect for his family, put him away
without prosecuting him. His father took him home, but, however,
reproaching him very often for the villainous facts he had committed, he
went away from him and lay about the town, intending to take the first
opportunity that offered of stealing a good booty, and march off into
the country.
At last, after consulting with himself for some time, he fixed upon a
banker's shop in Lombard Street, within two doors of the church of St.
Edmund the King, thinking with himself that if once he could get into
that shop, be should make himself at a blow. In order to it he got into
the church overnight and stayed there until morning, when, just as it
began to grow light, he steered downstairs into the shop, having got
over the top of Mr. Jenkin's house, and watching his opportunity, laid
hold of a single bag and slipped out of doors with it. The booty was
indeed a large one, for it happened that what he took was all gold,
which was upwards of eight hundred guineas. This put it in his power to
show himself in that state of life which he most admired, for sending
for a tailor be had two or three suits of fine clothes made, bought a
couple of geldings, hired a footman in livery to attend him, and thus
equipped set out for the horse races at Newmarket.
Women and gaming very soon reduced the bulk of his gold and in six or
seven months, finding his pockets very low, he returned to London to
replenish himself. The good success he before had in robbing a banker,
and his knowing nobody was so likely to furnish him with ready money,
put him upon making the like attempt at Mr. Hoare's, into whose house he
got and endeavoured to conceal himself as conveniently as he could for
that purpose. But being detected and apprehended on the roof of the
house, whither he had fled to avoid pursuit, he was committed to
Newgate, and at the next sessions at the Old Bailey, was tried for
burglary, and convicted.
Under sentence of death he behaved with great mildness and civility. He
confessed his having been as great a sinner as his years would give him
leave, addicted to whoring, drunkenness, gaming and having quite
obliterated all the religious principles which his former education had
instilled into him. However, he endeavoured to retrieve as much as
possible the knowledge of his duty, and to fulfil it by praying to
Almighty God for the forgiveness of his many offences; and in this
disposition of mind he departed this life, on the 17th of February,
1730, being about nineteen years of age.