King’s Bench, Nov. 28th, 1814.
MY LORD,—Having been requested by your Lordship to commit to writing
the information which I communicated to you some months ago, I have no
hesitation in complying with your request.
The substance of the account which I received from the persons whose
names I mentioned to you, and who may be called upon if required, is,
that they were of the party at a dinner, which was termed, “The Stock
Exchange Dinner,” provided by order of Mr. Harrison, at Davey’s
Coffee-house in the Bench, on the day before the _trial_; at which
dinner the Honourable Alexander Murray was also of the party, which
consisted of seven or eight persons: that after they had dined, and
the bottle had gone briskly round, Harrison said to Mr. Murray (who
was then, and still is, a prisoner for debt) that he would get his
affairs settled; _and as he should receive a large sum from the
Exchange for the conviction of Lord Cochrane, if he (Murray) wanted
50l. he should have it to-morrow; proposing at the same time, “Success
to the Stock Exchange,” which was drunk in claret with loud cheering_:
that this took place in the public coffee-room, before many persons
both in the room and looking in at the windows, the dinner attracting
considerable attention from its style, which was unusual in the Bench:
that Mr. Harrison, in answer to a remark from one of the bystanders,
that the dinner would cost a round sum, said, it did not signify if it
cost 50_l._, as the Stock Exchange would pay for it: that when the
majority of the party had drunk as much as they could or were willing
to drink, Mr. Harrison ordered several full bottles to be placed on
the table; and the task of finishing the wine which remained devolving
at length on the Honourable Alexander Murray, and he being unable to
accomplish it by himself, he went into the lobby of the prison, and
procured two of the turnkeys to assist him.
The further account of one of the persons above alluded to (who
usually messed with Mr. Murray), is, that for some time previous to
the trial Harrison was daily with Mr. Murray, dining and drinking with
him; and that he was present when Harrison visited Mr. Murray,
accompanied by the solicitors, Messrs. H. and R.; on which occasion
Harrison said to Mr. Murray, “Here are the gentlemen who will
accomplish your wishes;” and one of those gentlemen replied, “_Yes,
Mr. Murray, after this trial of Lord Cochrane has past, we will then
attend to your liberation_:”[107] that he heard Mr. Harrison declare
in the lobby, as did many other persons, that he should receive a sum
of money _if he could procure evidence which would convict Lord
Cochrane_; intimating at the same time, that he was induced to offer
his services to the Stock Exchange, in procuring evidence against him,
by his personal antipathy to the whole family of the Cochranes, which
he said would never subside while he breathed; that, subsequent to the
trial, he has _repeatedly heard Mr. Murray express himself sorry for
having appeared in Court against Lord Cochrane, and acknowledge that
he had been the dupe of Harrison_, in persuading him that his
solicitors would undertake the arrangement of his affairs and effect
his liberation, provided he would appear as an evidence against Lord
Cochrane at the trial.[108]
_Shortly before_ the trial I addressed two letters to your Lordship on
the subject of Harrison’s visiting and tampering with Mr. Murray, who
was expected to appear as an evidence against you; but your Lordship
did not answer those letters, nor attend at that time to my
communications. The fact, however, was notorious in the Bench. Of my
own knowledge I have only to add, that on the day of the Stock
Exchange Dinner (as it was called), my attention was attracted by the
noise of the entertainment and the number of people collected; and I
went into the coffee-room and saw the party at the table, as did many
other persons; and towards the close of the evening I saw Mr. Murray
return from the lobby into the coffee-house, accompanied by one of the
turnkeys. It was well known _that Harrison was in a state of extreme
indigence previous to the trial_[109]; but shortly afterwards, I was
present when _he took a considerable number of bank-notes out of his
pocket_, and saw him place a 50_l._ note in the hands of a gentleman,
to remain till an account with Mr. Lewis was investigated. I have also
heard Harrison declare, in the presence of other persons, _that he
would ruin the whole Cochrane family_.
I am your Lordship’s most obedient servant,
THOMAS PRESCOTT.
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Footnote 107:
Messrs. H. and R. were Harrison’s solicitors on the trial between him
and the Hon. B. Cochrane, and have since been employed by Mr. Murray,
though they have not effected his liberation.
Footnote 108:
It is due to the unfortunate Mr. Murray to observe, that his yielding
to the arts which appear to have been practised upon him, to induce
him to introduce my name into the evidence he had to give at the
trial, is solely to be attributed to the imbecility of his mind
(naturally good), occasioned by a long-continued habit of excessive
drinking.
Footnote 109:
He was imprisoned for defaming Mr. Cochrane, and afterwards detained
for debt in the King’s Bench, where his acquaintance with Mr. Murray
is supposed to have commenced.
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