The National Register. — London, England, 1820-04-03 00:00:00

VIE WOOLWICH MURDERS. .dppreArnsion of the supposed Murderer of the late Mr. parker and his houseeper at Woolwich. Pm mama h, March 24. Last niAlit information was given to L. Carter Lsq., one of the Magistrates of this town, that a suspicious cha racter was residing at the Red Lion, rather an isolated tavern of this hear. It appears that he has been loiterMg about this place nearly the a hole of the winter, and had been to France, from whence he returned a few days before the murder. lie often exhibited a number of curiOtli old trinkets; and from these circumstances Mr. Carter ordered Mr. Hunt, the gaoler, and the turnkey, Hill, to go to the tavern, last night at eleven o'clock. They found him se tied in at little parlour near the bar, and immediately Mr. Hunt, (whose person he knew) ',lolled the door, he hurried his hand into his waistcoat pocket, and drew a pistol, a hich was loaded to the muzzle. Hunt sprang at him, and in grasping the pistol, tore leis thumbagainst the flint, by a Inch means it dropped out; the thumb is severely cut. In this momentary struggle Hunt fell on his knees, and the fellow got from him. trill, the turnkey, then rushed on him, but not before be had time to straw another pistol also loaded to the muzzle, vs Melt he pushed close to Hill's breast, and pulled the trigger ; fortunately it snapped, and before he h a d tone to re-cock, the landloid, Heath, came in, aid seize d him behind, the f. all this time roario4 out that lie was murdered. Mr. Hunt had now tecovered himself, and after giving hint two or three blows with his stuff, succeeded iu placing on the handcalfs, and led him to gaol. 1l a• is a Vinod Woking man; and he had on three a aistcoats aed tool. coats, and wore spectacles, for which he seems to have 110 need, but supposed, with the additional clothes, to be fur the purpose of disguise. tic also wore a foraging fur cap, with a gold band. He gave mit that he was a relation of at Highly respectable officer of the garrison, hut who would not allow his visits. This is notoriously false, mid lie turns out to be a relation of the man servant of Vie gentleman mentioned. lie has a wife and six children, living w ho o p a few doors of the late Mr. Parker's house. He In.s a new French travelling trunk, with a small new lea sed trunk a atria, containing a number of old fashitmed gold and peasel trin kets, large breast pins, a golf watch-seal, wills the OE ia l. T. P. engraved ou it ; a child's silver mounted coral, w ith the engravings bled out by a small tile, a Melt a as also found, two old.fashioned watches, one of them a guild one, maker's name" Vick, London; a pair of old•fashioned tea-tongs; hisilver sauce ladle, marked with two swords across, tan table spoons marked 'l'. M. P. some table spoons without a mark, a singular silk sash, untuge ground, ti an-versed with dark blue. supposed ill belong to some society ; he had 16 Bank of England notes, mo stly dated lit mid td March; one of teem was much burnt, and marked IM the back Mr. Bohn and Mrs. Redford, Feb. '20,21, m o st of them marked Mrs. Nesbitt. In his bunk was a pair of nankeets trowsers, not *urn since they were a nshed. but on one side of the waistband, a considerable hole is burnt, and apparently not lung done, certainly since t hey were washed ;in Ins pocket book were found two directions—" Mr. Booth, Ranelagh Road, Thames Bank, No. 6, London. A girl of the town with a hom he cohabited, was taken up this mornia;,*. who states that he would not sleep by himself, and being very restless when with her, she asked him the r.ason, when enjoining her to secrecy, he said he had committed muruer, that he had killed two men, and one animal. He was about to leave this town for France. Mr. Thomas Ci .Yee relates an anecdote of Mr. John Den. nit, the celebrated critic, w hash may he worth repeating, as it is a striking nod melancholy instance, among ti, .os:olds, of the distressful predicaments, into which tacit of genius and literary abilities are perhaps apter than any others to plunge themselves, by paying too slight attention to the com mon concerns of life, and their own most impoi tont interests. After he was worn out (says the author) warp age and po verty, lie resided within the verge of the cowl, to prevei.t danger from his creditors. One Saturday ni,iit he Itappmied to saunter to a public-house, which in a short time lie disco vered to he without the verge. tie was sitting in a drinking room, si hen a mutt of a suspicious appetirame happ: lied to cone in. Tii,re was something about the man %illicit de ntttetl to Mr. Dennis that he was a bailiff. This struck him with a panic ; he n:e• his fiber ty was 31 :111 snit ; lie sat in Vie almost solitude hut thirst tint utf. r lIP stir lest should lie seized Nom. After an hour or two had lia,s+,l in this painful auxin s , at last lite clock stroek I welve, win it Mr. Moms, iii nut extaey.ei ied out, addiessing Ilint.elflo the aill)ecte , l per,ou," Now, Sir, hail.llor tin haiiiff, I duet cats at'arthili; for you, you hire tics !tower no.Y.'"flie ratan was adonislied at ha I;eletviutlr ; and w hen it Was expl,iited to b in, much affronted with the sitspieitio, that had ,t Mt. Dennis found hi• protection in age, lie nook' pro, IL4hlv have ,ohati..l tar lii , ntiAdkrii opinion. A stung pietiii . e of the or, rt,, of 1. ar and appieimision, lii a teal ye .0 timorous such jealous :0 Mr. De n nis''., of which the following is still a more wlttoisiral instance. In 1701, came out his ti:tgetly, " Liberty Asset ti ii,' in which were sn many st tokes on the Fteurli my J.., lust thought they wile aster to he corgi .eti. Ile had woi ed hlitiseli* him 3 11er033,303; Ilia( the King' of Prance n ooi.l insist tin his beiug iteltseted up helot e Iw %%wild tow, lit to a pt ace ; sod full of this idea of his (mu when the Cling' es:. was held at Utrecht, he is •3111 ill 11.141' Waited tin his ptit ron tile Duke of Alarlborough. to de sue that no such ai title it'll:lit the (hike to it him lie had really on interest Olen with the iitionstiy ; but had ditce uo inch provisiou for lii• uwu sreii:ity tiamigh he entild not help thinking he had thole the Fit tit It as much ii.;itry as Mt .I) •• himself, Atioihri• kioryr re diiti; to this await is, that being at eentliiiiaii's 1 Cy on the coast of SII•seX, and walkout tine day oil the sea - sliete, 11 , .. Saw a ship sailtl;4, ax he 1 . 11013.. 4 1; tow arils him ; lie in atautly set ' , lit for Loudon, in the fancy that he wits be trayed; and Oil t ululating ell his escape, gave out that Lis ft ion{ had decoyed him loan to Ii is house, to ...lit soda* hint tip to the French. On Thursday, the 16th of March, a deputation from the British and Fore'gn School Committee, consisting of Sir Thomas Bell, Mr. Wilbertiirce, Dr. Schwabe, and Mr. Millar, waited on her Royal Highness the I)uchess of Kent, when they had the honour of pr;senting tin address to her Royal Highness, accompanied with the IL:solutions of the Committee, and also the Cotntaime of Caches, on the melancholy occasion of the decease of his Bova Highness the Duke of Kent. Her Royal High ness received them very graciously. The deputa tion had also the honour of see.ud the infant Prin cess on that occasion. THE NATIONAL REGISTER.. EXECUTIONS AT THE OLD BAILEY. . _ Thursday having been the day appointed for the execution of Ed. Voss, Dennis Keaton, Wm. Connor, William Frith. Peter Rainer, and Thomas Rrams4rove, convicted in De cember and January sessions, an immense concourse of per sons, amongst whom were many well-dressed females, assembled in the Old Bailey to witness the awful scene. — The two latter were respited during his Majesty's pleasure. When the respite was communicated to them, the whole of the unfortunate men were together. Rainer tell on his knees, and could scarcely sustain himself, and Brainsgrove appeared equally 'erudite of the mercy which was extended towards I . They eartinued with the other malefactors, and joined in singing and prayer during the night, and until the time arrived fur the execution of the others. Voss, who was only 18 yaws of age. and Keaton, who had not attained his seventeenth year, and a leo was of diminutive :Ware and boy ish look, were found guilty of tottering various forged aI. notes ; and although these were no less than Pf nubs t wins against them, the whole of the offences were elfected in ninth the same any. They had a horse and chaise, and took w nit them a female companion. Voss wore a naval uniform, and the lady was supposed to be his wife. Keutnu represented him-elf as the servant, and, dill alighting at a country tau or tavern, his first inquiry was," if his master mud mistress could be itectimmolated w nth dinner f" The ;Minna ve being given in reply, an eleAant dinner was pro - 014,4. a f.-w bottles of a ins consumed, and all expenses a:i charged by the payment of well-executed forged notes. %V. Connor was convicted of stealing a great malty articles of plate, in the house of J. Jones, Esq., of Norwood, with hum he lived servant. lie packed the articles up, and had them conveyed ton temporary residence, in the neighhour hood of Manchester Square; and, as an excuse for steaiing them, he said he had been dirt eted by one of the members of the family. Frith was found guilty the same session, of n burg lary in the house of Fran;. tiregg, 4.f Doagate-hitl, and stealing therein bank-notes aod articles of plate, amoutain,; in the whole to upwards of 7001., the property of Mr. Gregg and the Skioners' Company. Ile had lived confidea tia I servant a ith Mr.Orelfg for six or seven years. The unhappy malefactors were attended early in the morning by the Rev. Dr. Cotton, the Rev. Mr. Devereux, anti Mr. Baker; their leinds appeared perfectly resi.:ned. Tim boy Keaton wept mock. Ile has, it apeared, been n thief since he aas tall :lion.: h to put his hand in a pocket; and he ha , admitted that i❑ a crowd, in one day, he stole four watches, and a pocket-I k containing a 1001. note, a hie le lie after turd, sold for 101 A few minutes atter eight o'clock, the awful preparations being completed, the fatal sierial was given, and they died without lintels boil' iy sulh•riug. LONGEVITY.—An instance of it occurs in an old Flighlantler, of the Royal Artillery, now in the cita del of Plymouth, he was born on the 14th of August, 1719, and who, if he lives to the same period of August next, will consequently be one hundred and one years of age. He is a pensioner in the garrison at Plymouth, at two shillings per day, and his rent free. He has a sickly, infirm wife, who has been painfully afflicted for thirty years past, to whom he is very attentive and kind. He was at the battle of Culloden in 1745, walks perfectly upright and strong, and has all his faculties I clear and good, excepting one eve, which he lost at the battle of 13randvwine, in the first American war. lie is much remarked for his attention and cleanliness, and regularly attends the Dissenting Meeting House at Plymouth on Sundays. Among other events of his life, he is proud of relating, that be fired a gun on the days on which George the '2d, George the 3d, and George the 4th were proclaimed Kings of England ; and particularly on this last occasion, when the Commanding 'Officer of the garrison, out of respect to his age aal long service, delighted him by desiring him to tire the first gun. The Duke of Waling:ton, on his late visit to Ply mouth noticed him much, entered into conversation with him, asked several questions, and presented him with a 11. note. lie is, as may be supposed, an object of interesting curiosity to the inhabitants of Plymouth and its neighbourhood ; and on taking leave of his visitors, generally requests the favour of being permitted to kiss the hand of the Ladies, which he does in the most handsome soldier-like manner. Mr. Fenian, the editor of the peri,dical work,. called Leitres Nornumdes ; and M. Leon Thie..se, the writer of an article in it, condemning the prae tice of performing an expiatory service on the 2:st of.lanuary, the anniversary of the death of Louis XVI. as a mark of part\ triumph, reprobated by seven eights of the French people, were recently tried beiirre the Paris Court of Assiza, on an in dictment which charged the offence--Ist, As an outrage against public morals ; .‘2,11y, As an attack on the inviolability of the royal person; and 3dly,. as an incitement to disobey the ivs; the expiatory service having been estahlishea by a regular Act of the Legislature.. The Jury, after being nut two hours, returned a verdict, dc.'claring them Guilty en the third count only ; and each of them was sen tenced to one month's imprisonment, and a fine of 2000 £ Oo Wednesday morning, about 9 o'clock, n fire broke out in the wine vaults of Mr. Rossi, under neath the South Sea Chambers, in ThreadneLdle Street, which', at the first onse t, threatened very dreadful consequences; but the engines having arrived in a very sho:t time from Me.-srs. Gye mot Baltic's, in Gracechurch street, it was in a v, ry short time got under, yet not before it had comninnicated to the Chambers above, occupied by Mr. Waster. ~s ~- ._~. 111' APPREHENSION OF A DARING GANG O ROBBERS. A short time ago a communicat• was received by Mr. [Striae, the Magistrate of Bow Street, from several gentlemen in and about liadleigh, iu Sulholk, stating that numerous burglaries and robberies, attended; in some instances, with circumstances of great atrocity, had been committed lately in that neighbourhood. The object of the communication was to request the . assistance of one or two of the must active officers of Bow Street. and Mr. filmic immediately selected Salmon, and ordered him to go down and use every tact - tom to Ming the intrados to justice. Salmon, on his arrival at Dadleigh, assumed the deem of a country farmer, and went about at night to different public houses, where he understood the suspected persons were in the habit of re-orting, and at one he Mae. ved four suspicious looking men drinking together, and remarked that they re peatedly looked at the clock, and at ten at night one said to the rest "It is time to go," and they &pat ad. This lowing onus • g it was Mscovei cd that a mill 'whinging to Mr. teaks, in the neighbourhood, had been broken IMO during the night, and plundered of lino and meal to a large amount. It appeared that the thievt s forced no entrance through the brick part, w hick was e than to u' feet thick. They were also, it seems,.provided with horses to carry the stolen property away. Salmon being acqurinted with the circumstance, caused the tour men wholll he had seen the night before t the apprehended, and they were handcuffed and placed In separate MOODY during the succeeding night, with men to winch over them. Before the morning, WIC of them, named William Basket, voluntarily confessed the whole of the transaction, and stated, that the entrance into the mill was effected by means of a plough counter, which they look on they way from a plough in a farm yard. lie also stated that the property was depositud iu a barn on Ilsolleigh Heath, where Salmon en a seurels tumid it, and also found the plough counter in a ditch. near the Molten also confessed a number of Oilier robberies, to w high he and his compitaions had been concerned. lie arts admitted - •an evidence for the Crown, and the other three, named ' Jocelyn, Mann, and Simpson, were committed to Bury gaol, a hither they were conveyed in be custody . of Sal/UOll. BOROUGH Or 1.; a hurgage tenure borough, and the county town of Westmor land, containing 120 houses, and 711 inhabitants, exclusive of Lungate, a separate parish, but part of ,the town. The right of voting in this borough, although there is no special resolution of the House of Commons concerning it, is admitted to be in hurgage-tenures. These burgage-holds are now the property of the Earl of Lousdale and the Earl of Thanet. Hog-sties have been deemed freeholds hem, and purchased by the Thanet and Lousdale families, at a price exceeding all belief. The contention be tween th2se two families has given the borough its only consequence ; but they have now agreed that each shall send one member. The electors of this place, therefore, bit down quietly to be represented by whomsoever its noble proprietors shall think• most proper. DiiounErtLY ASSFNIBLY.—Friday, as usual on Good Friday, a scene of the most disgraceful nature took place on Kennington Common ; all the bad characters of the metropolis appeared to be drawn there as to a common centre, and presented a scene which bafiLs description—jackass racing, gambling, throwing with -sticks at boxes, cat hunting, dog fighting, and cudgel playing, thrilled the amuse ments of that sacred day. The whole appeared to be arranged for the convenience of pickpockets, a Iw merous gang of whom were on the ground, and were particularly successful in their depredations, anti many persons were robbed in the mot daring man ner of their watches, hats, handkerrhiefs, Stc. DU L.—Another divutc has taken play, at Gibraltar, hAween au American naval officer and t.t (411(: r of the British army in that garrison. The parties acre Lieut. of the ':7th regiment, and Lieut Dowlibg, of the Hat y, ease was reported by the Canner to the conitnainkr nf tie garrison, with a request that lie iiMtlit be tried be a Court Martial, he conceiving t hat his conduct hail been perfectly correct. This request will refused. Toe AMC( ICJII ()Aker was brotight 14 a Gam Martial by order of his Commodore, :anal acquit ted, but it is uuderstooll that the Commodore, disap proving of the acquittal, has traiiitnitted the verdict. to the Prclident of the United States. A few ;lays after, the parties met, when the American Milccr threw out some reflections on the testi IllOny of Lieut. S—, ill cunse quence of the act& The result was, a message was sent by Lieut. S-- to the American Officer, which the latter relosed, ;n the first instancy. Imo Lient. S— having insisted upon honourable satisfactitai, a meeting too k pl a c e call the atonal gsotto I. Tile vali s es stoo.l at Mae paces distance, and by the fast lucid the America's tile British officer was woutted slightly in the leg; tut the second lire the ball of his adversary's pistol grazed one of his cu r 4 ,... ; am!, 011 the third shot, the ball passed through bts thiab, and brou a ut him to the r0.,a(1. The bus lavas here terminated, and Lieutenant S--, , vas t om eyed to the Military Hospital, where he was left in a fair way of recovery at the departure of the Roctilin., whivii has brought home the account of this allair. Pulmomary complaints have been very prevalent for some time past, in consequence of the severe weather and harsh winds; but it is pleasing to re mark, that from the lust monthly report of a Phy— sician of practice, that in the number of ca:•cs of actual consumption„so peculiar to our climate, there Las been u considerable diminution afloat!, compart to former periods. Cneshire Ass:zes commence on Wcihie , ilay iicxr.— The trial of Bruce, i tin.s. and PC031 , 11, rOr siaaning. at Ilircii, the coristatile, will probable take I,lace 41 1) . Fs 'Way ; that of Sir Charles ‘Votsely, iar sedition, &c. uti Saturday and Parsee Hari ison's on Mt:mail. ik= - r - —diiid