The National Register. — London, England, 1818-08-17 00:00:00

1 " / !familia ji,TJG. I T PARRICIDE.. liars th a pro- A as Light have ' the are per ta of Fully vere .net 'I he rtha and and :an- icn, ne'c t the cut and ttie f wdy . 4 ' i VirCtrrlON or CHENNI:L AND CHALCIIAFT FOR. THE Mtllar:tt OF Aiii.CHENNELN FAMILY. GOD4IMI‘G, AVUUST II To-day Chennel, convicted on Wednesday last of Pa • rrie'de and Chakraft, of the murder of his master end fellow-servant, were executed at this place. It had leen thought due to public justice and public feeling, t:.at the neighbouybood which had been alarmed and horror-struck at the atrocity of their crime, should likewise witness their punishment, and heir their confession, if disposed to make any. General conve nience happily agreed with this arraitgement, as tiodaiming, where the murder was emunitted, is only 4 miles distant from Guildford, where the trial tea place: and there was no danger, as in the case of Hussey, (if he had been brought to Greenwich), that au overwhelming crowd would create any confusion. The expected confession, however, has not been made. Ever since they were taken into custody fur their horrible crime (which is more than nine months ago), they seemed to have entertained hopes of an acquittal, and, therethre, avoided any serious thoughts•of their sit e Chennel, we were told, both in Horsenumger !Atte gaol, and at Kingston, during the Spring assizes, seemed as fearless and indifferent as if his conscience Lad been at case ; and though net apt to assert his in nocence, unless when questioned on the subject, ap peared to make no doubt of his getting off, as he ex pressed it, by the insufficiency of the evidence, or the ability of his counsel. He, therefore, smoked his pipe, and drunk his beer, when it was procured him, with as much apparent relish as if his mind were clear from guilt, his life free from punishment, and his confine ment only temporary. Though he showed no contempt for the truths or the exercises of religion, admitting implicitly the one, and joining without reluctance in the other, his conduct plainly evinced that his mind was not impressed, and his Reverend instructors had to la ment that his devotions were languid and formal. His temperament, naturally phlegmatic, was never excited to any spiritual considerations. There seemed no con & t in his mind between the secret consciousness of guilt and a desire to reveal it. He appeared taciturn, sullen, and incommunicative, more from native apathy than from premeditated design ; and a kind of stupor or sottishness, contracted by long habits of idleness and intemperance, prevented him from being interested about any thing but the supply of his present wants, or the gratifications of his appetites. Ills fellow prisoner and coadjutor in murder was of a very different charac• ter. His education had been entirely neglected, r , as it appeared he mild not read,( and he hai likewise run through a long course of iniquity ; but ( his intellects were *cute, and his feeling strong. He was always snore communicative, and seemed at times, by some ex pressions which he used, disposed to relent into a coa ti-ion, when, arobably, the remembrance of an oath of secrecy which they had mutually taken before the com miesion of their crimes prevented him from makiug a disclosure of them. He seemed to wait for the com mencement of confession on the part of Chennel, and, as we have been told, someti nes desired him to confess, (a phrase which, we are aware, may admit of different meanings); but as the latter revealed nothing, he re eolved also to keep his oath and the horrible secret, par :eking probably to the last in the hopes of an acquittal. They were led back to their cells on Wednesday night, tetermined to persist in their denial of guilt, and re solved rather to take the chance of pardon tier uncon tessed crimes in another world, of tehieh they had no tebitual or vivid impressions, than to brave the horrors of their fellow men in this by admitting the monstrous atrocity of their crimes. They, however, allowed that appearances were all against them, that the Judge was merciful in tis direction to the jury, that the jury were attentive to the evidence, and just in a mistaken verdict, :lad that if they had been in the situation of either they must have behaved as they had done. At the same time they declared their innocence—Chennel, ith less vehemence, and only when questioned; Chal craft repeatedly, and with stronger asseverations. They eined that night with more earnestness in religious sercises, with the Hey. Mr. Cole, the ordinary of siaildford gaol, and, as we are told, slept afterwards feet or five hours. When the Rev. Gentleman was :omit 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." time Rev. Mr. Mann, the ordinary of Horsemonger isnegeol, who bad been very attentive to them when confined there previous to their trial, was sent for ex. eras after their conviction, and arrived on Thursday for He immediately visited the prisoners, and after joining with them in religious exercises, offered to erar any thing they had to say respecting the crime for hich they were to suffer, endeavouring to impress their minds he a suitable address, with the obligation under which they lay to the effended laws of their coon ere, to society. to their n e ighbourhood, and their fa n:Pim to make a full disclosure ; hut telling them at the same time their confessions must be voluntary, and 'hut he did not wish to extort from them more than thy were e.ieposed to reveal. le this trauma they =. THE NATIONAL ra:GLAI.n. rrnflined insensible, and answered it by protesting their innocence. In the afternoon of Thursitty their families visited them, and to them likewise they declared thet they were ineoccnt, Clienners see and wife performed melancholy ofice. Front his wife he he.l been separated for some time. "i hey never lived happily together, and from his merriege, according to report, may be dined his crimes and 14We-times. They hal onie one son, now live years of age, who lived with his grand father, anti who had only left old I . henneles house on a visit to his mother, two days before the parricide was committed. We have not learnt at whose suggestion he was removed ; if at that of his lather, it would be a strong circumstance in support of his premeditated de ' sign to perpetrate the crime of which he was convicted. Chalcrelt has left a wife and six children, three of them being by a former marriage. Ills first wife is said to have died a victim to his licentious andprotligate habits, and he took his second from the workhouse, where he himself was sent to be cured. We have heard nothing more of the last interview between the convicts and their families, but that they both persisted in declaring their innocence of' the crime for which they were to suffer. The Rev. Mr. Mann and Mr. Cole visited them late at night, and were requested by them to come early this morning. They accordingly went a little before 7 o'clock, 9 being the hour appointed for the proces sion leaving Guildford. They found the prisoners nearly ie the same state of mind as when they left them the previous evening. They first went into the cell of Chenncl, whom they found up and waiting fur 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 Mann 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 con ceal his crime from men, he could not elude the all seeing eye of that Goa 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 he had to account to his Maker alone; but crimes against society should he confessed for the satisfitction of society. It was a duty he owed to his country, friends, and neighbourhood to make a disclosure of the latter ; it was the best sign he could give of his reitentanee for having committed them, and he hazarded his salvation by leaving the world with a lie in his mouth, by declaring his limo cence, while conscious of his guilt . He begged Lim to understand at the same time, tnat the confession, to Le satisfactory, must be voluntary, and that ke did not mean to extort any thing which he was not willing to Wsnmunicate. Tn this considerable admonition, ut tered in the most feeling manner, Chennel returned no other answer, than that they had nothing to witless ; that he was perfectly innocent of the crime charged, and that hie life had been sworn away by fake testimony. Mr. Mann then proceeded to the cell of Chaleraft, arid, to an admonition of the same import, received a similar answer, expressed only with more vehemence. The two prisoners were then conducted into the same cell, (the gaol of Guildford being without a chapel,) to join in devotional exercises, end 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 opportunity, before those sacred em blems, of making a feeling address to the prisoners on their situation anti prospects, if they partook of the sacrament with a lie in their months, and having again put the question, whether they had any thing to dis close, they replied successively that they were innocent, and the service proceeded. Chennel received a Prayer book. Chaleraft, who could not read, sees req uested to attend. The Psalms which the Rey. Gentlemen a read were the Si st and 90th, the lessons were the 7th chap ter of Job, and the description of the last judgment under the parable seoarating the sheep from the goats in Matthew. Chennel joined in the service, an' read the responses with an audible though feeble voice, and in a languid manner. He was several times observed to be more attentive to the trifling inconvenience of a fly buzzing about his ears, than tc the sacred tasty in which he was en g aged, and durieg the reading of the prayers we saw him yawn three or - four times, a:; from fatigue or listlessness, which he conld not conceal. In short the whole of his behaviour and manner was that of a Iran comyletely besotted in his intellects or hardened in his erinxo, dead to any feeling of remorse, incapable of any spi ritual reflection, and insensible to any thing but • visible objects. If we may be forgiven in making such an allusion on so solemn an occasion, his cha mter strongly reminded us of that of Barnardine in Measure for e Measure, " a men that apprehends death no more dreadfully but as a drunken sleep, careless, reckless, and fearless of what's past, present, or to come, insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal." Chaleraft 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 commu nicated himself sad administered the communion to the other Rev. Who. arrompanie,i L I , ; , hr ~- ..r.,. made a pause, and .a.etiu in a most solemn manner, 11 1 - th-owl the prisoners on the subject o f con f ess i on _ He described to them the nature and of of the Holy Communion, and conjured them not to risk their sal vetieu by participating in it unworthily ; infimming them. tied they could not taste the sacred uliments with true dispositions, unless they were prepared to go inn the presence of their God, which they could not de safely with earepeented .slaa and ueroafeam,l crimes. The question being again put to them, they severally p a reteced their innocence : th e i r lierteaed atrertel the two Rev. Gentlemen to tears. They pnemeded, how ever, to adminis:er the aliments, met the two prisonera communicated with every typearence of rever ence and awe. When the service was con• eluded, the two clergy mea formerly mentioned, toge ther with °than w:ao attended, left the cell, end the Rev. John West, of Stotes, went to converse %vett Own By addressing them on their awful situation. -,re ui' served, for the first time, that they were la. tears; bet still they refused to confess; Chennet seyeee that, whatever crimes he might have committed, ha was not guilty of that for which he was übeut to cif fer ; and Chalentft echoing the words without variutiou. —At nine o'clock the Under Sheriff arrive:!, the mg- Son or caravan which was to convey the eliminate to the place of execution was brought to the prison door, the various officers were at their posts, 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 around, with which they were to be hung. Chennel was dressed as on his trial, in a black jockey coat, a striped waistcoat, and grey cotton pantaloons. Chaleratt 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 emend to be tied to the gallows. The execu tioner, with a drawn sword, sat in front of the plat form, with the two turnkeys on each tide of hint; the Rev. Mr. West sat with his back to the parses, with Chalcraft on his right haul and Chennel on his lett. The cavalcade then proceeded towards Godalming. The crowd.; that were assembled from Guililforl, Godalming, the neighbourhoed, and even parts of the country more remote, were immense, nod lined the road as far as the eye could sm. During the whole of the mournful procession, the two pi:Jotters seemed to be very attsntive to the Reverend Gentlemen who eat between theM, and directed their minds to suitable to pics of reflection and consolation. 'I he prisoners mill refused to confess, though several times pressed to do so both by the clergyman and one of the turnkeys. The procession set out at 9 o'clock, and arrived at the place of execution about 11. Here the crowd was greater than we imagined could have been collected on se mournful an occasion. The gallows was erected on nla exteaeive meadow to the north of Godahning, together with the neighbouring heights, was covered with people of all conditions. It was surrounded midi a ring made of rope, within which only the caravan and the officers were admitted. The prisoner Chid craft seemed a good deal shaken, and hung his heed on one side. He bad urged, we were told, Chennel t confess if guilty, by which he perhaps alluded to °thee crimes, but no confession cculd be obtained. When the caravan stopt under the gallows, the Revercud Mr. Mann came out of the Sheriff's marriage and ascended it. Ile again repeated his questions whether the prisoners had any thing to communicate, and was an swered in the negative. An °Meer, who knew Cha: • craft, and to whom he said, that on arriving at tan place of execution he would " tell the whole pedigree of it," now came up, and asked if he was reedy to per form his promise and make confession. He new re fused and protested his innocence. Chennel ices first.. taken up on the platform, probably to allow time and op. portunity,while the rope was adjusting, fir his fisllew prisoner to make disclosures ; but still nothing could be gained front him. Seeing all opportunity vein, the ceccutioner proceeded to his work, and tied both to the gallows. Chennel, as soon as he ascended, requested that the .cap might be drawn over his eyes, to pruvca: his thee from being seen by the spectators, many ta' whom had known Lim in other days. He then sta.:l firm and upright without the least motion . Chaicraft trembled aunt bad nearly required support. Mr. Minn ascended the platform, and addressed to lit-semi!' their bell:L.ll'mi excellent and affeeing prayer, at which Cita:- craft became very much agitated, and his fellow pri senor somewhat moved. No appearance of a deign e , confess Laing mode, the plst!inen wes drawn - free, under them, and they were launched into eternity.— They both seemed to strtergle a little wl.en threeea over, but the execetioner wee terminated On su!- ferings by drawing After the bodies of Cheneei and Gaideraft haul lee a cut down, they were received iato the waggon which cenveved them to the place of examation, end c,rri, d !gh the town of Godel miii show and iag o ,matil a they wuf l asri:lnievle th et u att m he ' incase of the lute c. Channel. The Imitate were then taken in o the lee ee and one of them placed on the neat where Kits. Wilson, was cm,,a murdered. The sareemas n preamded al:eseet the landiee, alter whee, then w rd left for putter i• . spa c . t-N-on tut le 1 ii:•1 1 4 1.