The National Register. — London, England, 1812-05-24 00:00:00

3'20 tion which he had frequently before made, that his mind was per* fectly calm and composed, and that he was perfectly in to meet his fate with resignation. After a few minutes spent prayer, the Sacrament was administered to him ; during the whole of which ceremony he seemed to be deeply impressed with the great truths of the Christian Religion, and repeat2dly uttered some pious ejaculations. After this t eligion 3 ceremony was ended, and both he and Dr. Ford had prayed fervently, the prisoner was informed that the Sheriffs were ready. lie answered in a firm tone—" I am perfectly ready also." The Sheriffs and Vuder Sheriffs, and the Gentlemen who had been admitted a' their friends into the prison, then proceeded to what is called the Press-yard, and immediately afterwards the prisoner was brought out. He descended into the yard with a firm and intrepid pace, and looking up, he observed with great coolness—" Ah ! it rains heavily !" He then, by desire of one of the Turnkeys, placed his toot firmly upon an anvil, in order to have his irons struck off, which were uncommonly heavy. While the man was striking the bolts out, he repeat: dly said—" Mind, mind—take care, take cure," as if feeling pain from the blows of the hammer. Frequently he loAted up to the sky. In knocking off his irons. the man who perf.Jrnied that office, at one time experienced much difficulty, in driving the rivetted bolts through one ot the rings which encircled his feet, upon which Bellingham, with the greatest composure, said to Hist—" strike in the centre, and more firmly, and then you will accomplish it." While this was doing, ••e c ral times eyed the Noblemen and Gentlemen who were standing round, with great steadiness, and something like a dignified air. His face possest:d the same character and colour us on Friday during his trial—No emotions of fear or compunction w,re visible. His dress :was altogether not so neat; on this awful occasion he wore a coat which very much resembled that produced in Court as the one in which he assassinated Mr. Perceval, and :nost likely it was the same. After he was liberated from his fetters, he returned quickly, but not at all hurriedly, into the room, when most of the spectators in the press-yar. cured into anocher adjoining, at the request of the Lord Mayor, who, wiih the Shc-r;ffs, and five or six oth: r persons, went into the reom, when the followitej columunication the prix finer took place, upon the perfect accui acy of which the Public may rely:— HIS DYING DECLARA noN. Mr. Sheriff Birch addre,.sed Bellingham in a very appropriate manner upon his awful situation, and after some previous r marls applicable to it, said,—" The public mind, IVIr. Bellingham, requires to be satis fied upon a most important point, whether any other person was in any degree connected with you in this dreadful deed, and whether it was perpetrated on any public ground?' Belihighalt, who stood very firmly, and who with an unaltered coun ttnanct attentively and respectfully listened to what was said, replied in a firm tone of voice, " Certainly not." Sheriff HLYGATE.—. 66 Then it was your own affair—it was from per . %opai resentment."—BellinLharn appeared hurt at the latter expres ni,:n ~f ter repeating the words—" personal resentment," with an rather dignified tone, said," I bore no resentment to Mr. rt.e5...,1 a- a maii—and as a man I am sorry for his fate. I w..s te7- . Ted fr:rrnls.'liui.ter to Minister, from Office to Oface, and at length reftfsed *redre s tc.r nly grievances. It was my awn sufferings that caused the mclanchly event, and I hope it will be a warning to future Ministers to attend io the onlications and prayers of those who suffer by oppres sion. !IA my Petition been brought into Parliament, this catastrophe wou!d not have happened. I am sorry for the sufferings I have caused to Mr. Perceval',. family and friends." S!,eriff FI!::vors - re.—" It would be right they should know you feel so much regret." BE LLI m.—" You may communicate it—l wi h them to know it. Sheriff H cIrGATE." I hope you feel deep contrition for the deed." Upon which the prisoner (assuming an attitude of considerable dig nity) said—" I hope, Sir, I feel as a man ought to do." Sheriff HEY GA re.—" You know, that to take away the life of a man tmlawfully is a heinous crime." • 13F.LerNutinm.—" The Scriptures, you know, Sir, say that." Sheriff YGATE.—" I hope you have made your peace with Gon, and that by your repentance you will meet the ALMIGHTY with a pure soul." BELLINGHAM.—" No one can presume to do that, Sir. No mortal can be pure in his sight, only our SAviouß went from this world into his presence with a pure spirit." Here he seemed desirous of quit ting the room to meet his fate, and turning to the Sheriffi, with a mild but firm tone, said," Gentlemen, 1 am quite ready ;" upon which the Ordinary of Newgate looked at his watch, and said, we have ten minutes more." The executioners then proceeded to bind his hands and pinion his arms, during which he turned to one of them and said, st do every thing properly, that I may not suff:r more than necessary." To which the man answered, he would tako care to do so. After his hands and arms had been fastened about a minute or two, Bellingham observed that he was not fastened tight enr•ugh, and beggcd the execu tioner to draw the cords tigl; ter, id serving, " I wish not to have the power of offering any resistance." The executioner then looetied his cravat a little, to expedite the final removal of it whets he should reach the scaffold, the cause of which being explaint_d, he said, " Cer tainly do so, it is perfectly right." Throughout this awful and most impressive scene, hls deportment was /Alm and ruauly, but unfeeling. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. MAY 24 The following are the particulars of the awful ceremony, as wi : . nested from the street; _ About four o'clock in the morning the crowd began to ass,rrM in front of Newgate, and before seven the area of the Old BLiler L: all the adjoining streets within the view of the place of execution, wi-! k: crowded to excess. Precautions had been taken, by strong barrkrs at proper intervals, to break the pressure of the crowd. Large posting-bills, of the following tenor, were prepared on Sw i d„, night, for placarding the avenues to the Old Bailey:- 66 Beware of ent-ring the crowd! Remember thirty persons crushed to death when Haggerty and Holloway were exet wed." The rain from six o'clock until eight was heavy and inc probably pr , -Vented an accumulation of spectators, which might produced dangerous cons, quences. At four minutes before eight o'clock, the criminal, preceded by t h e executioner, stepped upon the platform, and appeared to be rather ried in his manner, as if impatient. A great huz, accompanied !,,; some partial cries of " God bless you ! Goa hles" you !" ran tbr. the populace. The prisoner placed himself steadily in the ce:,tre drop, under the large tranverse beam. The executioner then ph! gauze night-cap on his head, and immediately ascended the steps ;L a made fast the rope to the beam. During this time, Dr. Ford, Leith great humanity, took off his neckcloth, adjusted the rope aroLud is neck, and then pulled the night-cap over the criminal's face. and urq tied the handkerchief over his eyes, but he indicated dissatistacti• n 4 ; the mode, and the Ordinary took it off, and unfolding it, cover e d face with it zs well as his eyes. He then appear d to pray most terv tl , ! :y with the Ordinary, and after taking an affectionate farewel, the bolt w; uudrawn, the platform dropped, and the criminal was launched io:a eternity while the cloLk was striking eight. He did not , truggle a sin.ltt moment, nor moved a muscle of his countenance. The rope w.is r.a untistia!ly long for the purpose. The body bung till nine o'clock, and as soon as it was cut down, vc:. placed in a cars, and carried to St. Hartholomt.w's Hospital. is a singular fact, that after the body of Bellingham was opoe.!, it was noticed that his heart continued to perform its functions, ,s o other words, to he alive for four hours after he was laid open. expanding and contracting powers continued perceptible, till one in the day—a proof of the steady, undiimayed character which b: • served to the last gasp. It is said of some men, that the ly.at: within them, but here the energies re liained when life was es;. l ;:t. So anxious were many persons to possess some of the relics at i3el:in:;• ham, that the Executioner has sold the great coat in which the man wi.s hung for 101. The other parts of his dress have, we under stand, been bought at a price equally exorbitant. OLD 'JAMEY. Tuesday the Sessions ended, when sentence of death was passed an George Hammond, Fie:n(4' Chambers, James Goff, and Joseph Mit calfe, for stealing in a dwelling-house; John. Richardson, for a hig:.. s? robber; Catherine Foster, for taking a false oath, to obtain letirts ut administration to receive certain prize-money; Thomas Collicott, <<r vending forged stamps; and Mary Best, for fOrgery. John Bunu, and James Scott were ordered to be transported for .1, • Isaac Nowland, for 14 years; Thomas Yates, Ann Dwyes, Spiers, Amelia Major, Thomas Lewis, James Gibbs, .Eliza Al, r:, Elizabeth Griffiths, William Gerard, alias Wni. Jarratt Collins, \V:‘. Jacks, John Jones, Patrick Long, Mary Sullivan, Lliz:tbeth Nl , l t.., Thomas Ranger, Susannah Sullivan, vid Mary Jones, for seka years. Two to be imprisoned for two years each, 'even for one year, are I' for six calendar months in the House of Correction for the cowity Middlesex; seven for various periods in Newate ; three to be priv.:tul:r whipped; two fined is.; 18 judgments re >pited ; and 24 were tlibchar;;o l by proclamation.—Sessions adjourned to the Ist J uly. AC:UDEN] S AND Oil ENCES. A very melancholy accident happened on Saturday week, in a collier': at Brinmorgan, near the bead of the Swansea Canal. By an of firedamp, four men were almost instantaneously deprived of ; 3 fifth survived only till the next day ; and two others were sevcr' s burnt, hut are doing well. Monday se'nnigbt, as Mr. Joseph Pearson, of Oxford, butcher, ‘•••i• with some other persons shooting young rooks, he very i t oprude: l :: struck at a bird that was fluttering on the ground with the butt to,l his gun, while it was load.d, when it went off, and lodged the contents in his body.—Verdict, Accidental Death. Serkzint Moore, of the i . .;retiadier Convany of Colonel Silve,ter,; Local Militia, was, on Saturday se'imichr, thrown inti) the li Zccild Canal, at Manches t er, along with a young woman with wh om be %.\:.! in company, and both ' of them drowned. A propo•-al, it seem-, s l • ht en made to the Serjeant some time ago, to allow himself to in, a cant term for taking the unlawful oath, but this proposidonb., indignantly resisted, and the melancholy fate of himself and his fem . . companion is attributed to his refusal: A WI of indictment has been found at Hicks's 11,11, eighty-five Journeymen Curriars s for a con s p irac y to obtain an aiVl-1-• 0.1 wages. 1P 11... - Maw [. y:; ~