Star. — London, England, 1818-08-15 00:00:00

TESTER ASSIZES. and, indeed, an unprece has just occurred in the City of evening, Mr. RICARDO, the lis tetioue, proceeded, about ten meet the Judge;, Sir WlLl.l.nt Justice HOLIWYD, on the road there the business had detained ,ual knoll of time. StrWILLIAM forward from Monmouth with . on . hat all his e!orts did not Gloucester before twelve o'clock. was in the Slim iff's coach. Mr. the probahility of the illegality of issioa on the 1!;t1 - i instead of the ,e specific day. This, at first, did rike Nt as a serious ob !ned the Commi•sion as usual. he. JuocE. StIRRIFT, &c. attended c Assize Sermon was preached by irciftsos. The Grand and Petit in. and other proceedings corn :e Ilm.norn at: ived Gloucester in the afternoon, and a con‘ulta le subject of the non-opening of m the 12th. Mr. JARVIS, Mr. og, and several other Gentlemen s ; and at length it was determined both on the Crown and Civil Side ensue, should the Judges proceed ose extraordinary circumstances. herefore adjourned until this morn the Under-Sheriff went off with all to the Lord Chancellor, in order to and to know if the business of the egally proceeded on, or if it were sew Commission should be issued. became a scene of indescribable yens and their Clients were seen ections. The witnesses, all of whom retain at Gloucester, were lamenting ley should sustain—Barristers were ms of lodging ; and indeed nothing peatance of the city when the tidings it of the Assizes were made known. of proceeding to trial were not at They might have been of the most ischiertius kind. Prisoners might illegally punished, decisions of law been null and void, and even the d he proceeded to the execution of tit, might have been indicted for he anxiety that pervades the city it it speedily be terminated ; for it is the Lord Chancellor may decide d as we before said, unprecedented •dslitp may even think it necessary ting of the Privy Council, and at year such a meeting cannot be nd inconvenience, however, good roceed; and the present i:ecesity e, in pryria persona, to open the set aside, and a Serjeant sent iiirpo,e, when the business of the of unusual magnitude. AuGINT 14,—We lately mentioned detjee of sensation was experienced F.u4day evening last, owing to a 1 himself to be the murderer of 1 un izind in the river Medway, at arch lae. The name of this young Jo . Noakes Sands; she came from sirs by Ilnrcli's coach, and was pro gray to Ticehurst, where her friends • had a bundle containing articles of When found, she was supposed to water a fortnight, and exhibited a )ectacle baying a very severe wound apparently inflicted with a ham- Dveral other contusions on different y: the Coroner's Inquest returned a murder against some person or per codling has since transpired to disco of this horrid deed till Sunday last, r of the 95th Regiment was passing s Head public-house, he was called ibove alluded to, whom he knew, aim on the preceding Friday to serve they asked for a pot of porter, and t, the soldier observed, that the man acted, and asked him what was the Rented being enlisted? if so, he might it ; to which he replied, -' You don't deserve banging more than Hussey." this the soldier was much astonished, d Gun, what have you done ?" He now Hussey, and I ought to be con e dungeon that he was in—as it must time or the other, I may as well tell murderer of tile young woman found dway." The soldier then asked him, !untarily give himself into the hands " Yes, and let me be confined was, for I violated her person, and must die for it, and should be )-morrow." The Borsholder was then 0i him into custody, and conveyed iyor's prison ; on his way thither he same expressions ; he appeared to be been drinking the best part of the on Monday morning taken to the !;ic e , and underwent a short examina- postponed till Wednesday, in order es. who live at a distance, might be i i: now dcchucs his innocence of the' ;, that owing to his havint , drank so y, he knew not vliat lie said. Such • joa v-e have been able to collect of case, which at present creates much .I..stain from giving the name of the ;e:er, till further evidence has been gai'a. Gazette. —Oar readers will recollect that Lord nosed to appear with his five sm . vants henever the Magistrate should direct ; app,.ir.ted twelve o'clock yesterclak , I!rd;iip no.; any of hi s servants were .ittAca: HALL, tl,e Gentleman who ,inst :inured at the Offi ce , w i t h 11'":..cetal;le Clergyman, aad several "-h:s determiliatio,i to inctict astanz :,Lddlesex Sessions. PARRICIDE. NXECHTION OF ctiENNEL AND CITA LCRAFT Poll THE MURDER OF MR. CIIENNEL AND HIS HOUSEKEEPER, IN NOVEMBER LAST. Genat.)finta, A.oes 14. This day Georze Chennel, convicted on Wednesday last of parricide, and .1. Clialcraft, of the murder of his master and fellow-servant, were executed at this place. It had been thought due tb public justice and public feeling, that the neighbourhood which had been alarmed and horror-struck at the atrocity of their crime, should likewise witness their punishment, and hear their confession, if disposed to make any. Gene ral conve.niene! happily agreed with this arrange• ment, as Godalming, where the murder was com mitted, is only four miles distant from Guildford, where the trial took place: and there was no danger, as in the case of Hussey, (if he had been broug:it to Greenwich), that an overwhelming crowd would create any confusion. The expected confession, how ever, has not been made. Ever since they were taken into custody for ',heir hors iblc crime (which is snore than r.;:te months ago), they seethed to have enter-, mined hopes of an acquittal, and, therefore, avoided any serious thlughts of their situation. Chennel, we were told both in Horsemonger-lane jail, and at Kingston dining the Spring Assizes, seemed as fear less and indifferent as if his conscience had been at, ease; and though not apt to assert his innocence, sin less when questioned on the subject, appeared to make no doubt of his getting ?11 as he expressed it, by the insufficiency of the evidence, or the ability of' his Counsel. Ile, therefore, smoked his pipe, and drank his beer, when it was procured him, with as much apparent relish as if his mind were clear from guilt, his life secure from punishment, and his con finement only temporary. Thotteli he showed no contempt for the truths or the exercises of religion, admitting implicitly the one, and joining without re= luctance in the other, his conduct plainly evinced that his mind was not impressed, and his Reverend, instructors had to lament that his devotions were languid and formal. llis temperament, naturally phlegmatic, was never excited to any spiritual consi deration. These seemed no conflict in his mind be tween the secret consciousness of guilt and a desire to reveal it. He appeared taciturn, sullen, and in communicative, more from native apathy than from premeditated design ; and a kind of stupor, or sot tishness, contracted by long habits of idleness and in temperance, prevented him from being interested about any thing but the supply of his present wants, or the gratification of his appetites. His fellow pri soner and coadjutor in murder was of a very differ ent character. His education had been entirely ne glected (as it appeared he could not read,) and he had likewise run through a long course of iniquity ; hut his intellects were acute, and his feeling strong. Ile was always more communicative, and seemed at times, by some expressions which he used, disposed to relent into a confession, when. probably, the re membrance of an oath of secrecy which they had motually taken before the commission of their crimes prevented him from making a disclosure of them. He seemed to wait for the commencement of confes sion on the part of Chennel, and, as we have been told, sometimes desired him to confess, (a phrase which, we are aware, may admit of different mean ings); but as the latter revealed nothing, he resolved likewise to keep his oath and the horrible secret, par taking probably to the last in the hopes of an acquit tal. They were led back to their cells on Wednes day night, determined to persist in their denial of guilt and resolved rather to take the chance of par don for unconfessed crimes in another world, of which they had no habitual or vivid impressions, than to brave the horrors of their fellow men in this by ad mitting the monstrous atrocity of their crimes. They, however, allowed that appearances were all against them, that the Judge was merciful in his direction to the Jury, that the Jury were attentive to the evidence, and just in a mistaken verdict, and that if they had been in the situation of either they must have be• hayed as they had done. At the same time they de clared their innocence—Chennel, with less vehe mence, and only when questioned ; Chalcraft re peatedly, and with stronger asseverations. They joined that night with more earnestness in religious exer cises, with the Rev. Mr. COLE, the Ordinary of Guildford jail, and, as we were told, slept afterwards four or five hours. When the Rev. Gentleman was about to leave Chennel, he asked him when he would wish to see him again, to which the latter replied, with seeming earnestness, " The sooner the better." The Rev. Mr. MANN, the Ordinary of Horsemonger lane jail, who had been very attentive to them when confined there previous to their trial, was sent for ex; press after their conviction, and arrived on Thursday forenoon. He immediately visited the prisoners, and after joining with them in religious exercises, offered to hear any thing they had to say respecting the crime for which they were to suffer, endeavouring to !impress their minds by a suitable address, with the obligation under which they lay to the offended laws of their country, to society, to their neighbourhood, and their families, to make a full disclosure, but tel ling them at the same time their confessions must be voluntary, and that lie did not wish to extort from them more than they . were disposed to reveal. To this address they remained insensible, and answered it by protesting their innocence. In the afternoon of yesterday their families visited them, and to them likewise they declared that they were innocent. Chennel's son and wife performed this melancholy office.. The moment Chennel saw them he burst into tears, and embraced her most af fectionately. They were left together in the cell for about twenty minutes, and when they parted, his wife was in a dreadful state of anguish ; he did not seem Ito feel so much as when they met. He persisted to his wife that he was innocent of the crime for which! he was doomed to die. Ina short time afterwards a more afflicting scene took place, Chalcrafes wife and six children presented themselves at the jail door to teke " a last living leave" of the husband and father. This interview was overpowering to the spectators ; such real distress and misery cannot be depicted ; it is impossible to be truly described. The agonizing shrieks of the mother, the heavy groans of the father, and the cries of the children, would have pierced a marble heart. Mrs. Chalcraft used the following em phatic words when she was sufficiently recovered as to be able to speak :—" Oh 1. my dear Will, tell me the truth—as a man, who stands before Goo, and is going to die, if you are E ,uilty of the murder?—pray, for aos's sake, don't hide any thing, and have the weight of guilt upon your conscience when you arc dying r—Chalcraft rep•ied :—" My dear, I am innocent of the murder, or I would confess it r —Mrs. Chalcraft stated to him, " that she had been upbraided by her neighbours with washing the bloody .It,thes, and you know, and Goo above knows, that I never did." Chalcraft answered, " They are cruel to you, 1 never did the murder, or had any hand in it, and you never saw any bloody clothes.' Chal craft then admitted, that he was at old Mr. Chennel's on the night preceding the discovery of the murder, from a quarter past eight to a quarter past nine ; hut he still persisted that he had no knowledge of the murder. Mrs. Chalcraft was about to leave the cell, when she presented the babe she held in her hand to Chalcraft to kiss ; she then exclaimed, Oh, Goo! tomorrow this .child is just twelve months old, and your father then is to die. I hope Goo will be a father to my children !" They then embraced, and were separated by the jailors. Chennel, it appears, had been separated from his wife for some time. They never lived happily 'together, and from his marriage, according to report, ,may be dated his crimes and misfortunes. They had only one son, now five years of age, who lived with his grandfather, and who bad only left old Chcrnel's i l house, On a visit to his mother, two days before the parricide wits committed. Mr. MAwe and Mr. Coi.z. visited them late at night and were requested by them to come early this morning. They accordingly went a little before seven o'clock, nine being the hour appointed for the procession leaving Guildford. They found the prisoners nearly in the same state of mind as when they left them the previous evening. They first went into the cell of Chennel, whom they found up and waiting for them. There appeared to be little change upon him since his trial. He was dressed in the same clothes, and had the same heavy, inanimate, sullen, and inexpressive-look. Mr. MA NN again addressed him on the subject of his confession, after asking him the state of his present feelings.— He told him, that however he might conceal his crime from men, he could not elude the all-seeing eye of that GOD before whom he was in a few hours to appear. He informed him that there were certain crimes which he was not required to reveal to the world, and for which lie had to account to his MAKER alone ; but that crimes against society should be confessed for the satisfaction of society. It was a duty lie owed to his country, friends, and neighbour hood, to make a full disclosure of the latter ; it was the best sign he could give of his repentance for having committed them, and he hazarded his salva tion by leaving the world with a lie in his mouth, by declaring his innocence, while conscious of his glint. He begged him to understand at the same time, that the confession, to be satisfactory, must he voluntary, and that he did not mean to extort any thing which he was not willing to communicate. To this consi derate admonition ; uttered in the most feeling man: ner, Chennel returned no other answer, than that lie had nothing to confess; that he was perfectly inno cent of the crime charged, and that his life had been sworn away by false testimony. Mr. MANN then proceeded to the cell of Chalcraft, And, to an admonition of the same import, received a similar answer, expressed only with more vehe mence, The two prisoners were then conducted into the same cell (the gaol of Guildford being without a chapel), to join in devotional exercises, and to receive the Sacrament. When the Communion aliments were brought, and the Bibles and Prayer Books laid on the table, Mr. MANN again embraced the oppor tunity, before those sacred emblems, of making a feeling address to the prisoners on their situation and prospects, if they partook of the Sacrament with a lie in their mouths ; and having again put the ques tion, whether they had any thing to disclose, they replied successively that they were innocent, and the service proceeded. Chennel received a Prayer-book. Chalcraft, who could not read, was requested to attend. The Psalms which the Rev. Gentleman read were the 51st and 90th, the Lessons were the 7th chapter of Job, and the description of the last judg ment under the parable of the Shepherd separating the sheep from the goats in Matthew. Chennel join ed in the service, and read the responses with an audible though feeble voice, and in a languid man ner. He was several times observed to be more attentive to the trifling inconvenience of a fly buz zing about his ears, than to the sacred duty in which he was engaged ; and during the reading of the prayers we saw hint yawn three or four times, as from fatigue or listlessness, which he could not con ceal. In short, the whole of his behaviour and man ner was that of a man completely besotted in his intellects, or hardened in his crimes, dead to any feeling of remorse, incapable of any spiritual reflec tion, and insensible to any thing but visible objects. If we may be forgiven in making such an allusion on so solemn an occasion, his character strongly re minded us of that of Barnardine in Measure for " a man that apprehends death no more dreadfully but as .a drunken sheep, careless, reckless, and fearless of what's past, present, or to come, in sensible of mortality, and desperately mortal." Chalcraft seemed more attentive, and by the expres sion of his face appeared to apply to himself those parts of the service that had a reference to his wretched situation. When Mr. Mann had communicated him self and administered the communion to the other Reverend Gentleman who accompanied him, he made a pause, and again in a most solemn manlier, ad dressed the prisoners on the subject of confession. IHe described to them the nature and objects of the Holy Communion, and conjured them not to risk their salvation by participating in it unwcrehily ; informing them, that they could not taste the sacred aliments with true dispositions, unless they were pre pared to go into the presence of their GOD, which they could not do safely with unrepented sins and unconfessed crimes. The question being again put to them, they severally protested their innocence: their hardened guilt affected the two Reverend Gen tlemen to tears. They proceeded, however, to ad . . . =muster the aliments, and the two prisoners com municated with every appearance of reverence and awe. When the service was concluded, the two Clergymen formerly mentioned, together with others who attended, left the cell, and the Rev. John West, of Stoke, went in to converse with them. By ad dressing them on their awful situation, we observed, for the first time, that they were melted into tears but still they refused to confess; Chennel saying that whatever crime:, be might have committed, he was rot guilty of that for which he was about to suffer ; and Chalcraft echoing the words without variation. At nine o'clock the Under-Sheriff arrived, the wag gon or caravan which was to convey -he criminals to the place of execution was brought to the prison- . door, the various officers were at their rots, and the prison bell tolled the hour of departure. The two prisoners were then brought with irons on their feet, and their hands pinioned, having the rope-round with which they were to be hung. Chennel was dressed as on hiS trial, in a black jockey coat, a stilled waistcoat, and grey cotton paitalocnc. Chal craft had on a new smock frock. The back part of the caravan was occupied with a platform, provided with steps on which they were to a-c'r.d to be tied to the gallows. The executioner with a drawn sword, sat in front of the platform, with the turnkeys oft each side of him ; the Rev. Mr. West sat wi h his back to the horses, with Chalcraft on his right hand and Mime] on his left. The cavalcade then proceeded towards Godalming. The crowds that were assembled from Guildforl, Godalming, the neighbourhood, and e'en parts of the country more remote, wee immense, and lined the road as far as the eye could see. In the narrower places they were pressed together so closely as to he er lingered by the horses, and raised cloids of dust that literally enveloped them. All the heights on the road were crowned with multitudes, and where an opea space occurred they spread out so as to cover it. The greatest part of the crowd consisted of farm ser vants, in their usual costume, and we rover obse-yod so many smock frocks and straw hats on any former occasion. The procession set oat at nine o'clock, an arrived at the place of execution ahoot eleven. Here the crowd was greater than we imagined could have been collected on so mournful an occasion. The gal lows was erected on an extensive Tlleaiinv to the north of Godalming, which, together with the neigh bouring heights, was covered with people of all con ditions. It was surrounded with a ring made of rope, within which only the caravan and the officers were admitted. The prisoner Chalcraft seemed a good deal shaken, and hung his head on one side. Ile had urged, we were told, Chennel to confess, if guilty, by which he perhaps alluded to other crime:, but no confession could be out :fined. When the caravan stops under the gallows the Rev. Mr. Mann came out of the Sheriff's carriage and ascended it. He again repeated his question, whether the prisoners had any thing to communicate, and was answered in the negative. An officer, who knew Chalcraft, and to whom he said, that on arriving at the place of execution, he would " tell the whole pedigree of it," now came up, and asked if he Was ready to per form his promise, ald make confession? He ncw re fused, and protested his innocence. Chennel was first taken up the platform, probably to allow time and opportunity, while the rope was ad juoing, for his fellow prisoner to make disclosures ; but still nothing could he gained 1. en him. Seeing ,all importoaity vain, the esecutioner proceeded to his work, and tied both to the gallows. Cheanel, as soon as he ascended, requested that the cap zni;;ht be drawn over his eyes, to prevent his face from being seen by the spectators, many of whom had known him in other days. lie then stood firm cad upright, without the least motion. Chalcraft trembled, and had nearly required support. Mr. Mann ascended the platform, and addressed to Heaven in their be half an excellent and affecting prayer, at which Chal craft became very much agitated, arel his fellow pri soner somewhat moved. No appearance of a design to confess being made, the platform o;as di awn from under them, and they were launched into eternity. They both seemed to strozgle a little when thrown . over, but the eeecutioner soon terminated their suf. ferings by drawing - down their heel:; wt.h;;:asat force. After hanging an hour, the halters wore loosened at the top, and the bodies lowered daoen iioo the vehicle which had brought them from Gtrildforal.— The hats of the dead men were placed oe their heads; Chalcr.aft's frock was ripped up and stripped off, and the bodies tied together, were taken into Godalrriete, and drawn up the street before the house in which the murders had been perpetrated. A vaA crowd followed the caravan, which was surrounded by con stables on horseback. It stopped belhre the residence of the late Mr. Chennel, which is a small house, one storey high, and but two or three deers beyond the George and the Dragon. Here, after .a pause of somu moments, the bodies were taken front the ve• hick, and carried into the house. The doors were then closed, and guarded by constables ; the caravan passed on, and the crowd began to disperse. The bowels of the sufferers were taken out yesterday af ternoon, agreeably to their sentence. Wednesday, Joltu fiettilide was exernrcd at Bury, pursuant to his sentence at the last A,- sizes, for a bur glary in the dwelling•lmw of Mrs. WutTr, at Thet ford. His behaviour since condemnation was cry peninent. Monday Elizabdh Basham was hrou"ht to Wor ship-street Office, to answer a charge Laving starved to death her infant chill—A surd eon has since opened the child, a7reeably to the v.-1.11 ;If a Co roner's Jury, and reported that be found some Jirea'e upon the stomach of the child, but rc•t ^icizat to cause its death. It also appeared that the tnct:lcr suckled it, and was fond of it.—Verdict—Died a na tural death ; and the wozoan has been di;clnaped. Thmsday, an inquest N 7::: held nt F;ta t •lnlrd and Shepherdess, City Road, en the body of Cathe rine Nash, aged tai, the wife of Mi.: y death was occasioned by a blow- front her hu,hand, who is in custody. Elifa Nash. a gi:laboat 10 years old, stated, that she is the dau-hter of lleniy and the deceased, Mrs. Nash, was her step-o:other. On Monday lzst they were all mit on a visit, and did not return until about twelve at night, when they had supper and went to bed. The deceased get up to beat witness, and her (witnes'sl. father get up to prevent her being struck. He got between them, and either by a blow or push he pitched the deceart down. She fell against the bed.itead, and was vtry much hurt. Silt: died on Wednedas- morniag.-- Verdict, Mansianghter at;ain,t the husband. On Saturday, as three 'boys were playing in a Eela near Bennington, Ilorts, one of them, It; years of a ,, e, proposed to tic one nt the others to a :ow's tail, which,' with the assistance of his companions, was dont ; when the boy soon fell a victim to the barbarons whim, for the animal dra.Ted him up and down t!-.e field at full speed, and bel'ore he could be extricated life wa:, extiuct. 4. ,k I I i 11 t i I N ' l hl . t i • . I ! I lilli ii ii • 1 ..1 • 1 1 ' ? k 11 . i . . I I I . 1 a ',l • i • 1 1 1 4: ‘. l 4 I ~1 • 1 i 1 lj.k 1 :i i il,ll I , , 1,0 , 1 o ' 1 . s i I f S I 0 i, V' ) 1 ' I. i l f'' i i i t : A i l . 1 ., • : . ' 1 11 . i 11 ''' ;. A I '.. . , 1 ' i 1 i • ti ' i ...I I, i i ' 1 • • i i / 1 • . . . I •. . • 1 ' i • • ; 1,. ' l . a° t i i 1 . Ail 1 ;.