From the time of his condemnation, the wretched prisoner exhibited the
greatest contrition, and appeared deeply impressed with the dreadful
situation in which he was placed. He took leave of his wife on the
morning of his execution, and both of them appeared to be much affected.
At ten minutes before twelve o'clock, the unfortunate man was conducted
to the scaffold by the persons belonging to the prison, attended by the
Reverend Mr. Witherby, the chaplain of the jail. He then advanced to the
front of the railing, and addressed the people to the following
effect:--"My friends, I hope you'll all take warning from me, and let
not your passion get the better of your reason, as mine has done. I own
my fault, and am ready and prepared to die; and I hope the Lord stands
ready to receive my soul." The last preparations having been made, the
drop fell from beneath his feet, and he was launched into eternity.
The following letter was sent by Burt to his wife on Saturday, the day
after his condemnation:--
"Horsham, the 6th day of January, A.D. 1827.
"My dear wife--I have now sent you my last letter that ever you
will receive from me. I hope you are in good health and happy in
your mind--as I am myself at present much happier than what any
person would suppose. I seem not to fear, nor to dread death. I
comfort myself by saying in mine heart, I shall probably in a few
hours have the pleasure of seeing my own dear little baby and your
two sisters. I do not make the least doubt but what the Lord will
make me amends for all my trouble and great losses which I have had
in this world. I do not mean to say that I would choose this
disgraceful death rather than life, if I were to have my choice. My
dear Harriet, I am very sorry that you did not come in to shake
hands and bid me farewell. Let me prevail with you, my dear, to
come, if possible, to see me, and let us depart without bearing
malice, or having any hatred towards each other. Remember, the time
will come when you will die as well as me; and, perhaps, when you
are on your death-bed, it may be a great trouble to your mind
because you did not shake hands with your poor unfortunate husband,
when you had it in your power of so doing. If you can, reach
Horsham jail before twelve o'clock on Monday--after that time is
past, if you would give ten thousand worlds, it would not be
granted unto you. If you should come only one minute before I die,
I shall be very glad to embrace the pleasure of seeing once more
her whom my heart dearly loveth. I willingly, with all my heart,
forgive you and your mother, likewise all other persons who have in
any way tried to persuade you to never have made up matters--to be
reconciled--and to have lived with me again. Pray come and see me
before I die.
"Farewell, farewell, farewell, my dear and precious wife.
"WILLIAM BURT."
The wish of the wretched convict, as will have been already seen, was
gratified.
JOHN PEELE, _alias_ GEORGE WATSON.
EXECUTED FOR FORGERY.
The history and remarkable successes of this bold forger render his name
well worthy a place in our list of criminals.
It appears that he was most respectably connected, and that he had the
advantage of a good education and much general acquaintance with the
world. He served his apprenticeship with Messrs. Cowley and Sancton, in
Cateaton-street, and he remained in the employment of those gentlemen
until about six or seven years before his execution, when he went into
business jointly with a Mr. Henry, under the firm of Henry and Peele, in
Mark-lane. He soon availed himself of the opportunities which his new
condition presented to him, and began to send forgeries round the
country. He succeeded to an amazing extent; but his father, whose
fortune had been some time sinking under the extravagance of this
profligate, ascertained the extent of the plunder, paid all the bills,
and in the hope that his son was still corrigible, sent him to America
and the West Indies, and supplied him with the means of obtaining a
comfortable livelihood. From the inquiries which were made before his
apprehension, it was ascertained, beyond all doubt, that for two years
he had subsisted in a most dashing and extravagant style by forgeries
alone; he fancied detection was impossible, and he used to say, with a
laugh, to a prostitute who was the companion of his pleasures, that
there was not a county in England in which he had not "left his mark."
He had assumed the name of George Watson, and travelled sometimes in a
handsome stanhope, and at other times in an elegant double-bodied
phaeton, accompanied by a female whom he had picked up at Portsmouth,
and used to call Mrs. Watson, and to whom he had at first represented
himself as a man possessed of immense wealth in America and the West
Indies. He ingeniously drew and circulated as foreign, bills, most of
which he forged, and dated them as either from the East India Islands,
or some part of the United States of America; so that he not only evaded
the stamp-duties, but totally destroyed one clue to a discovery which
might have taken place, had he been obliged to purchase stamps at each
place where he found it convenient or necessary to raise money.
It may appear singular how Peele could so long and so successfully,
under any circumstances, have proceeded in this course without
impediment; but the surprise will abate when it is mentioned that he
always had hundreds of blank bills about him, and that he very seldom
issued any for a large amount; so that the sufferers preferred the
course of leaving him to take his "dangerous chance," to the expensive
and unprofitable labour of bringing him to justice. When, at length, at
the instance of the committee of bankers associated for mutual
protection against forgery, the police followed him through England,
they found that in almost every place of any consequence at which they
inquired about him, he had "left his mark" upon the bankers or the
innkeepers, or both.
The circumstances which led to the prosecution which succeeded against
him are remarkable.--In the latter end of May 1825, Peele visited
Tunbridge Wells, and presenting himself at the banking-house of Messrs.
Beeching and Son, he said he had taken a house at the Wells for five
months, and wished to know whether they had any objection to open an
account for him during that period. They consented, and he presented two
bills of exchange for 30_l._ and 35_l._ purporting to be accepted by
Coutts and Co. in London. The bills were immediately discounted by
Messrs. Beeching, through their clerk, and Peele endorsed the name
"George Watson" upon them, and received the amount in cash. As a further
inducement to Messrs. Beeching and Son to open an account with him, and
to give colour to his practices, he gave to them a deposit-note of the
Carlisle bank in his favour for 275_l._ 11_s._ 6_d._, which he wished
them to present to that bank through Masterman and Co., who were their
London agents as well as the agents of the Carlisle bank. The
deposit-note was accordingly sent down to Messrs. Connell and Co. at
Carlisle; but they in due course apprised Messrs. Masterman that it had
been obtained from them for a bill of exchange, for which Peele had got
besides a considerable sum of money, but which, on its maturity, was
discovered to be a forgery.
It was wondered how the prisoner could get acquainted with the
signatures and mode of business of the different parties whose names he
used; but, upon inquiry, it was found that he had invariably presented
himself to the notice of the bankers in the places where he negotiated
the bills, by taking to them bank-notes, and getting in exchange bills
on some London house; and he took care to select those bills which had
many names upon them, the whole of which he would immediately copy in
twenty different ways on various bills, and having done so, he would
take the genuine bills, and others of his own manufacture, to the
banking house, where the good bills never failed to be a passport to
those which were spurious. Thus he sometimes made the genuine paper
subservient to his plans of passing off counterfeit, and sometimes the
latter, as in the case of the Carlisle Bank, subservient to the
procuring of genuine bills, and both with uninterrupted success. In
addition to the bills on Connell and Co., Peele also deposited with
Messrs. Beeching two other bills,--one for 30_l._, purporting to be
drawn by Alexander and James Liddell, of Dundee, and accepted by Messrs.
Robinson and Brown, of Glasgow; and the other for 37_l._ 11_s._ 6_d._
dated Antigua, 15th of February; and purporting to be drawn by Nathaniel
Underwood, upon and accepted by Messrs. J. Bell and sons, of Leith. His
professed object in this deposit, was merely that the bills should be in
safe custody, but he contrived to get upon them an advance of 20_l._,
for which he drew a check in his assumed name of "George Watson," and on
their arriving at maturity, it was ascertained that no one of the
persons mentioned in them had any existence, except in the brain of the
prisoner. Having succeeded in realising so much cash, however, he
thought it high time to decamp; and accompanied by his woman, he drove
to London, by Maidstone and Rochester. At the former place he put up at
Widdish's hotel, and succeeded in getting cash for a check for 20_l._,
on Messrs. Beeching and Son, by whom it was afterwards paid, on the
faith of the securities which had been left with them. A day or two
after his departure, however, the note was returned from Carlisle, and
it was discovered that the whole of the bills and securities were
forgeries. Instant search was then made for Peele, but he flew from
place to place. At length Mr. Gates, the solicitor to the Bankers'
Committee, received intelligence that he was at Newark, in
Nottinghamshire, and started from London, attended by an officer, for
that place.
Adversity had already begun its work with the wretched man. A Derbyshire
publican, upon whom he had passed a forged bill, spied him at his wine,
and never left him till his body was under lock and key in Derby jail.
Peele was committed for trial for uttering this bill, which was for
45_l._, and Mr. Gates went to Derby prepared to lodge detainers against
him, or have him taken into custody, in the event of an acquittal there;
but on his arrival at Derby, he found that it was Peele's intention to
plead guilty to the charge of uttering the bill; that the prosecutor
would, in all probability, be paid his debt as an inducement to join in
a recommendation of the prisoner to mercy, and that Peele might escape
if the remaining charges against him were permitted to sleep.
He, therefore, applied to the Lord Chief Baron, who was in commission at
Derby, to have the prisoner removed to Maidstone, previously to his
trial at Derby, and under the circumstances of so many charges existing
in Kent, and after consultation as to the most eligible course, it was
arranged that no bill should be preferred at Derby, but that upon
Peele's discharge by proclamation, he should be handed over to a police
officer in attendance, with a warrant from Sir Richard Birnie. This was
done, and Peele was committed to Maidstone jail.
At the ensuing assizes, he was indicted for the forgeries upon Messrs.
Beeching, and a verdict of Guilty having been returned, he was sentenced
to death.
On the 26th of January 1827, the sentence was carried out upon the
unhappy man, at Pennenden Heath, near Maidstone. Up to within a short
time of his death, he is reported to have entertained sanguine hopes of
his life being saved, and he exhibited the utmost cheerfulness. As the
day of execution approached, however, he became sensible of his
situation, and applied himself strenuously to his religious duties.
He met his fate with becoming resignation, and his body was afterwards
delivered over to his friends for interment.
Amongst his letters, which were found in the possession of the woman
with whom he lived, were the following, which are curious:--
"(Drunk.)
"Liverpool.
"My dear Martha--By the failure in Liverpool I have lost 500_l._
Why, let it go. Be you happy, Martha. I have been some hundreds of
miles since I saw thee; but what is travelling in labour or
anxiety, compared to the fear that thou shalt suffer? No, no,
Martha, never suspect that I can ever forget or forsake thee. My
dear, dear girl, take care of thyself. Despair not; my exactions
shall have thy image to give them pleasure and success.
"Thine for ever,
"GEORGE WATSON."
It appears from his letters, that he had moved with extraordinary
rapidity from place to place. A variety of blank bills of exchange,
ready for use, together with some bills partly filled up, and others
with indorsements, were found upon the person of the unfortunate man at
the time of his apprehension.
WILLIAM SHEEN.
TRIED FOR THE MURDER OF HIS CHILD.
The case of this man has always attracted a considerable portion of
public attention.
The facts of the dreadful affair which we have been enabled to obtain,
are as follows:--The alleged perpetrator of the horrid act is a native
of Radnorshire, South Wales, and was born about the year 1803. He
obtained his livelihood by chopping wood, and selling it in bundles
about the streets of the metropolis, as also did his father and youngest
brother, who lived in White's-yard, Rosemary-lane, near Tower-hill. The
wretched man himself lived, with his wife and infant, at the house of
John Pomeroy, No. 2, Caroline-court, Lambeth-street. About February
1827, he was married to the mother of the unfortunate child, previously
to which she had given it birth, which reaching the ears of the parish
officers of St. Katherine, the parochial officers, upon condition that
he would marry her, presented him with 5_l._ From the moment the little
creature was born the wretched father seemed to have the greatest hatred
towards it, and frequently he would wantonly, whilst it lay in its
mother's lap, strike it on its head with his fist, or anything that
first came to hand; and whenever the mother offered the child to him to
kiss, he always turned his head away in great anger. Yet not the
slightest thought ever entered the mind of any person that he
premeditated its destruction. On the Sunday before the murder, while the
mother was dressing the little creature, he took up a piece of wood that
lay on the table, and struck it over the head with such force, that a
large bump was raised. About half-past seven o'clock on a Thursday
evening in the month of May he came home, and the child was then asleep
at the breast in its mother's lap. He gave her money to procure the
necessaries for tea, and desired her to leave the child on the bed, as
it was in a sound sleep. She did so, and the wretch lay down by the side
of it. She left the room, and was gone about a quarter of an hour, but,
on her return, and opening the room-door, her feelings of horror can be
more easily conceived than described, when she beheld the head of her
offspring weltering in blood on the table, with its eyes fixed towards
the door. The poor creature, half mad, ran down stairs and called out,
"Murder, murder!" and meeting Mrs. Pomeroy, she exclaimed, "Oh, my God!
Mrs. Pomeroy, come up stairs, and see what my Bill has done; he has cut
my poor child's head off!" The woman and several of the neighbours ran
up stairs and found proof of the horrid deed. The head of the child was
lying as above described, and the bleeding body was placed on the bed.
Information was directly given at the Police-office, and Dalton and
Davis, the officers, proceeded to the room, which they searched, but the
weapon with which the murderer committed the deed could not be found;
but in one corner of the room they found his fustian coat and hat, both
of them covered with blood. Several persons went in pursuit of the
wretched man; but the only trace they could obtain of him was, that
directly the murder was committed, he was observed running, in his
shirt-sleeves, towards his father's house, in White's-yard,
Rosemary-lane, where he was seen to beckon his father out, who was also
in his shirt-sleeves, and they both went away together.
From subsequent inquiries it was discovered that Sheen had borrowed a
coat and 10_s._ from a man named Pugh, who lived in Carnaby Market,
pretending that he had had a fight with an Irishman, and was obliged in
consequence to abscond; and it was further found, that he had made off,
in order to avoid being taken into custody.
Davis, the officer of Lambeth-street, was in consequence directed by the
magistrates to endeavour to procure the apprehension of the supposed
offender; and we shall give his statement of the means which he employed
to secure this object, exhibiting as they do the most praiseworthy
ingenuity and perseverance, on his part, in securing the object which he
had in view. The officer was examined at Worship-street Police-office,
and his evidence was as follows:--
"I left town last Friday night, (May the 18th,) by the Birmingham coach,
understanding that the prisoner had gone in that direction. While on my
way thither, at about a mile beyond Stratford-on-Avon, a person got on
the coach, having the appearance of a discharged soldier, who, in the
course of conversation, told me he had exchanged a hat on that morning
with a man who said he was going to Birmingham, whom, from the
description he gave me of his clothing, I believed to be Sheen. On my
arrival at Birmingham, on Saturday, about four o'clock, I without delay
commenced a most diligent search, which I continued, but without
success, until half-past twelve at night. I resumed it on Sunday, and
found the person spoken of, about two o'clock, in the Lamb public-house,
in Edgeston-street: he, however, proved not to be the man I wanted. On
Monday morning I proceeded through Worcester to Kington, Herefordshire,
having reason, from the information I had received, to believe that the
prisoner had taken that direction. From circumstances that occurred it
struck me that I was in advance of him, and, under this impression, I
waited on the bridge, at the entrance of the town, for five hours. While
there, considering the best plan I should adopt, I came to the
conclusion of going to the remotest inn in the town, to evade publicity,
and conceal the object of my journey. While remaining in the town, I
deemed it prudent to communicate with one of the county magistrates, and
inform him who I was, and what I came down about. I in consequence
called on Edward Cheese, Esq., a magistrate and banker, residing in
Kington, and from him received every assistance. From the number of
Sheen's relatives living in the neighbourhood, and for twenty miles
round Kington, I was kept constantly on the move, and traversed and
searched a number of places and houses where I thought it likely he
might be concealed.
"While traversing the country, I, from the fear of being recognised,
assumed the dress of a countryman, and, with a smock-frock on, I
casually went into a public-house, where there were a number of Cardigan
drovers, and here I thought my labours would be unsuccessful, for one of
them having read from a London paper an account of the murder, and a
description of the murderer, who was at once known, I concluded that
such warning would be conveyed to him as would defeat my object,
particularly as they were going among all his friends. I returned on the
same night to Kington; and on the following day a circumstance occurred
which enabled me to secure Sheen. On the morning of that day, while
cleaning myself, I left my coat (in the side-pocket of which I generally
carry my handcuffs and pistols) in the kitchen, and on my return was
surprised at finding that the handcuffs had been removed, and were lying
on the seat. This was accounted for afterwards by its being told me that
they had dropped out, a circumstance that alarmed me a good deal, as
they had my name on them, and would lead, as I supposed, to the
discovery of who I was and what was my business. I was not much
mistaken, for while in my bedroom the person called on me who picked up
the handcuffs, and said, "I know who you are, and guess what your
business here is--I can give you some information which I think will be
of service." I then collected from him such facts, and so distinct a
trace of Sheen, as induced me to go to Penny Bont, taking with me an
active constable, of Kington, named Yates. On my arrival there I stopped
at the Severn Arms Inn, and in the after part of the evening a man came
in and asked for the London paper; this he read carefully, and when he
had concluded, first looking inquisitively round the room, he hastily
departed in a very agitated manner. His appearance and conduct excited
my suspicions, and I inquired from the landlady who he was, and where he
lived. I heard that his name was James--that he was married to Sheen's
aunt, and that he lived at about two miles' distance from the village. I
at once followed him, and saw him enter a house, called the Lane House,
in Llanbadenwaur, in Radnorshire; and having ascertained where he
resided, I returned to the inn, and accompanied by Yates, went back with
the intention of searching the house, but thought it prudent not then to
do so, as in the event of his not being there, he would be put on his
guard. On second consideration I went back again to the Lane House, and
having placed Yates at the rear of the premises, I burst in the door,
first giving Yates directions, should he see any one coming out
answering the description of Sheen, to secure him, and should he attempt
to make his escape, to fire at him without hesitation. On going in I
found several people in the house, but not the person I wanted, and a
third time I returned to my lodgings. In about three hours afterwards,
accompanied as before, and making similar arrangements, having received
further information, I returned to the same house, and there secured
Sheen; he was sitting at breakfast in the chimney corner, and on
examining his person, I found on him a shirt spotted with blood,
particularly on the neck and right wristband. He came with me very
quietly and when I apprehended him, said, 'Oh, Mr. Davis, is it you?--I
shall go with you without any resistance.'" Thus terminated Davis's
account, and to some questions from the magistrate, Mr. Wyatt, he said,
that Sheen had made no confession to him directly, but that he heard him
make one indirectly to the landlady of a public-house in Radnor, to whom
he was known, and who asked him, 'How, in the name of God, came you to
do such a cruel thing?' and he replied, 'It was not God, but the
devil.'"
During the time occupied in this search by Davis, a coroner's inquest
had been held upon the body of the deceased child, and circumstances
having been proved implicating the father of the infant, a verdict of
Wilful Murder was returned against him.
On Friday the 1st of June following, the prisoner was put upon his trial
at the Old Bailey, charged upon the indictment with the wilful murder of
"William Sheen."
The circumstances which we have detailed were then proved in evidence,
but an objection being taken by the prisoner's counsel as to the
sufficiency of the description of the deceased, who had been baptised
"William Charles Beadle Sheen," it was held to be fatal to the
indictment, and a verdict of Not Guilty was, in consequence, returned.
Application was, however, made to the court that the prisoner should be
kept in custody, with a view to the presentment of a new indictment to
the grand jury.
At the ensuing sessions a second bill of indictment, in which the formal
error which we have pointed out was corrected, was presented, and the
prisoner was put on his trial on the 13th July. A plea of _autre fois
acquit_ was then pleaded in bar, and evidence having been given that the
real name of the deceased was sufficiently well known to have enabled
the prosecutors to have stated it properly in the first indictment, Mr.
Justice Burrough declared that the prisoner could not be again put upon
his trial.
Sheen was then discharged, but not until he had received a proper and
most affecting admonition from the learned judge as to his past life,
and a warning to let his future conduct wipe off the stain, which his
position had cast upon his character.