The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-27 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR.

Sin,—Since receiving the above letter, lan, credibly informed,
that on the night of the 20th inst. the blood again commenced run-
ning from the face of the girl. and that a large quantity discharged;
that no emissions of bone or dcslt have since taken place ; but that,
on the evening of the 19th, one or two large pieces of bone caine
out of the eye, below the eye-ball; that they were seen coming,
and their progress plainly marked, until they came entirely out;
that the girl complained of considerable pain while they were tom.
ing out ; and that one piece of bone came, out through the skin
above the eye, and that the appearance was precisely similar to
those that came out of the check ; that no hole, opening, or aper-
ture, could at any time be discovered ; and that the girl- continues
in perfect health, free from the most distant symptoms of pain or
soreness. It may be conjectured by some who have not had ocular
demonstration of the above facts that it is all a farce—that it is
effect-1 by artifice or the slight of hand; but, from the well-known
respectability of Mrs. Prices and the residents in her family, as
well as of many others who have witnessed the same, together with
my own scrutinizing observations, I can pronst, most arrequitwewliy,
that such is not the case. R. M. EVANS.

11UNTS ACCOUNT OF THE LAST MOMENTS OF

THUIt TFI. L.

The following statement was, we are told, drawn up by
Mr. Hamlet ; and it is said in an Evening Paper, on the
authority of that gentleman, that hunt has received a
general respite. We suppose the criminal will be trans-
ported for life:—
While we were upon trial, Thurtell treated me very distantly ;sod
when his brother was giving his evidence, I could not help express-
ing my astonishment at het attributing to me the very expressions
which John Thurtell himself had uses! respecting our being '• 'furpin
Lath." I said, " Good Cod ! here's work." John replied, " es,
don't alarm yourself; you'll have more of it presently.; we have
not half done with you yet." But when he afterwaids, in address-
ing the Jury, wanted to lay the whole crime on me and Prubert, I
was lost in astonishment, and everything appeared enveloped in
mist. But I shall never forget his horrid expression of countenance
when he spoke of Barber Beaumont and Mr. Springfield ; I was
really frightened to look at him.
Directly we left the bar, Thurtell addressed me in the most
friendly and familiar manner, and, shaking me by the hand, said,
" all up, Joe; we must now make the best of it, and behave
manfully. I forgive you for every thing with all my heart."
As we came along back in the chaise, Thurtell asked Mr.
Wilson "if we were not to be executed in the gravel-pit opposite
the gaol ?"—Mr. Wilson answered, " he believed so."' Then,"
said Thurtell, " nape you will have two half-hundred weights to
my legs, aid a good fall, so that I may die instantly" I was greatly
l area begged him not to talk so. Thurtell replied,
c`'eLrenl:d tell me, old fellow; what's the use of repining. I hope
you will meet your fate like s man, as I shall do. I am prepared
now, as I told the Judge tonight, and the sooner the business is
over the better."

While we were on our way, Thurtell expressed a great desire to
have some refreshment, and addressing Mr. Wilson, said, " I hope
you will be able to give us something to eat, for I am almost ta-
mishecl."—Mr. Wilson replied, that at was against the law to allow
any thing but bread and water ; and that a gaoler would be liable
to lose his situation, and forfeit a hundred pounds, if he broke
through the rule.—Thurtell said, `• I how, old fellow, you will
manage to get something better than that."—Mr. Wilson said, be
would try what he could do when he got up to the
.prison, and be
dare say that the Sheriff would not be very strict in obeying the
law. -

After we had been kindly n1'71121101 with some refreshment by
Mr. Wilson, I was confined in one cell and Thurtell in isnother.
Thymighout the night of Wednesday 1 was in great Merest' and
anguish d mind, as I fully expected that I was to suffer on the
Fry morning, with Turtell but early in the next day, Mr.
Mown told mee,
be believed I was not theu to be executed.—
About twelve o'clock on Thursday Mr. Wilson came to tell me
that Thurtell wished me to be in the same cell with him, and
I accordingly went. fht entering his cell. 1 found him talking
with Mr. Sutton, the High Sheriff, and with Mr. Franklin. Mr.
Sutton told me that Thurtell was perfectly reconciled to me, and
wished me to be so with him ; and Thurtell came and shook bands
with me, aed said, " I do freely forgive you, Jce ; but 1 have no
one to thank for this but you."
We were together at the condemned sermon on Thursday, and
while In the pew I was greatly affected. Tburtell endeavoured to
sooth cue, but at the same time said, " Hunt, you brought it all upon
yourself; if you had not told where the body was, there could have
ban no niaL and we should have been safe. I answered, "It was
to be „so and it cannot be helped ; and if it had not then been
divulged, it must have came out at some other time."
In the course of the afieruoon and evening Thurtell talked a
good deal about the trial? and said to Mr. Wilson, " If it had
taken place at the Old Bailey we must both have been acquitted,
for who could believe a wont that Probert
swore, after hb stating
that Hunt told him where to set him down, when it was wen known
that Hunt was never there in his life ; this ought to have been
enough to have acquitted us."
Thurtell also said to me, " If I had known as much when the
trial was first to have come on, as I do now, I would have asked
Mr. Hanner to let you say I was innocent, and that you and Pro-
ben did the murder; and I am sure Mr. Harmer would have con-
sented, because, If I had been cleared, you must have been ac-
quitted, and Probert only would have suffered.
He several times declared, that he would not change situations
with Prober', because his sufferings would won be at an end, but
Probert must lead a life of wretchedness.
In the course of conversation, Thurtell told Mr. Wilson, that
if he had been acquitted, and obtained his liberty, there was
one man whom be should certainly have destroyed, but he would
forbear mentioning the name. hlr. Wilson said, " Then it is
much better as it is, because you would only have been anon
deeply in crime."—Thurtell answered, " Perhaps It is, and I am

In the course of the evening, Martell told several anecdotes
about Probert and his associates, perdeularly Lawyer and
Mr. IL ; among others he said, that Probert and these two MUDS
were in the jigger at Gill's-hlll ; that it was a moat successful Int-
sines.. for they were getting 3601. a-week when the following acci-
dental oircumstance broke it up —The man who set up the still,
and worked it, passed as Prohert's gardener; and from his work-
ing occasionally in the garden, and wearing a suitable ems, every
body in the neighbourhood supposed he was the character which be
assumed, until one evening he went to a public-house to smoke his
Rpipe, where there happened to be two Excise Officers, who knew
im to be an old hand at private stills, and they directly sited him
where he lived I,—As this question was in the liming of the pub-
lican he could not disguise the fact; and he therefontsaid, " I ham
left off the old trade, and have gone to my own business, and am
living as gardener to Mr. Probert, at Coinage." The
Excise Officers appeared satisfied with this explanation, but the UMW
went home as expeditiously as possible, and communicated what
had marred; expecting that they might be men lisvound
with a visit, they all set to smelt, and removed every vestige of the
illegal distillery In the course of the night. Next morning, sure
-enough, the officers mine, but found they were too late, sod get
nothing for their journey.
In the course of the evening Thurtell road to me and the people
who were sitting up with him, and about one o'clock he prepared
to go to bed; before he went to sleep, he asked me to rmd to him
the Lord's prayer, which I did ; and he then fell into a sound re-
pose, sad although there was occasionally a considerable noise in
the room, and every time I moved or turned, my fetters made a
great clank, be did not wake outright, but only now and then, while
I was lying by his side crying, he muttered out in a low tons,—
" God bless you, Joe, I hope you will hr wired."
About seven o'clock Mr. Wilson came into the cell with same
breakfast, and Thurtell was then so sound asleep, that 111 r. Wilson
was obliged to shake him by the arm two or three times before be
awoke. _ .

Mr. Franklin, the Ordinary, came soon afterwards and assisted
him in his religious duties ; but when Mr. Filanklin proposed to
read prayers, Thurtell said he would, with the Clergyman's per-
mission, read them himself, and he read them aloud most beauti-
fully. After we had taken the saaament, end about a quarter of
an hour before he went out to suffer, Thurtell said to Mr. Wilson
" I hare one more favour to request of you, if you can oblige me; '
Mr. %Fawn asked him what it was ? Thurtell raid, " It is to tell
me how the great fight terminated ?" Mr. Wilson said, " he did
not know, but would go out and inquire;" he did so, and on his
return, he said, " It his been a very hard fought battle; it lasted
for two hours and tire minutes, and Rpeing was a great deal pu-
nished, but he has won it." On which Thurtell said, "I am glad
of it, (lad bless him ; he I. an old friend of mine."
In about live minutes after this, the Undrs-Sheriff cams into the
cell, and he said he was quite ready. As we were walking to the
place of execution, Thurtell saitl—" My courage has not forsaken
me up to this moment," and then shakiug his head at me, he said,
" Joe, Joe, you should have kept your own counsel, and then it
would not have been thus !"
We were now near the last door which he had to pass to ascend
the scaffold. and I, in the groa:.kat affliction, took his hand to bid
him a.flaal farewell ; he received my baud in one of his, and lift-
leg up the other as high as the handcuffs would permit. he clapped
it down upon my grasped halted, sad pressing it fervently, he said—
"WU bless you, old fellos; I hope you will be saved!" I pressed
his Model to my lips, and was tottering with agony, and should
heie din& down on the ground had not Mr. Wilson "Ad SOON
toidtascfskindly cone to my assistance.