The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-16 00:00:00

THE ROBBERY' AT EARL COWPER'S.

EXECUTION OF JONE:i AND WEAVER AT

HERTFORD.

l'estenlay morning, pursuant to the directions of the
Learned Judge, Mr. Baron GARIIOW, who went the last
Home Circuit, William Jones and George Weaver, who
were convicted of the robbery, and desperate burglary,
in the house of John Haynes, Esq. of Hasting-fordbury,
steward to Earl Cowper, underwent the last sentence of
the law.
Tire circumstances attending the capture, conviction, and
even execution of these criminals, were so many and
extraordinary, that the crowd of persons, principally of
that class called small fanners, who thronged into Hertford
to see the execution, was very great indeed.
It, perhaps may be remembered by our readers, that in
the night of the 9th of June last, the house of Mr. Haynes
was entered, by the drawing-room window being forced
open, and five or six men, armed, proceeded to Mr. Ilaynes's
bedchamber, having previously secured his son, a lad of
fifteen ; they covered tip Mrs. Ilaynes with bed-clothes,
knocked Mr. Haynes down, tied his arms behind his
back, and rolled him up in a carpet, and then proceeded to
rifle the drawers, and a cheat, whist) they plundered of
money and securities to the amount of 'mar. with which
they escaped. and were trend on the road to London,
through Watford, and the green lanes, as far as Edgeware.
The burglary had evidently been a long time concocting, as
it is now well ascertained by Mr. Thomas Nicholson, the
Under-Sheriff of the County, that the robbery was planned
' by some person who well knew Mr. Ilayness affairs, and
who also km w at about what time he would be receiving
Earl Cowper's rents. The robbers were eight in number,
and had gone down front London on the evening of the
9th of June, and, after accomplishing their purpose, re-
turned in two light chairc-carts by the route which we
have stated, which is contrary to theme they went. A re-
ward of :mu guineas being ottOred, in the course of a month
after some of the police apprehended Thomas Harris alias
Long Ned, Thomas Davis, Charles Green alias Schofield,
' John Marsh, and Frederick Sullivan ; and about the same
time seine of the City Police apprehended a man named
Dudfield, who is now awaiting his trial at the Surrey
Assizes, on charges of being an accessary before and
after the fact, and with receiving the securities and notes in
that county. It is thought his fate is somewhat involved
in that of the two unhappy men who suffered yesterday.
A very long Investigation took place in the case of the
others, the result of which was, the discharge of Marsh
and Sullivan, and the committal of Harris, Davis, and
Green, and they were capitally convicted at the Summer
Assizes. Mes. Haynes swore positively to Green, and de-
clared he interceded with his companions to prevent her
being ill-treated ; and this circumstance was considered of
so mach weight in Iris favour, that the sentence of death
was commuted to transportation for life, and he was imme-
diately sent to New South Wales by a convict ship, which
sailed about that period. With respect to the other two
men, they were left for execution, although Harris posi-
tively snit continually declared his innocence, and on the
vitt called his wife and two children to prove an alibi,
who declared he was at Astley's Amphitheatre on the night
of the 9th of June. But this testimony was unsupported
and the unfortunate man was left to his fate. The
day before that appointed for Lis execution, Davis, who
was really concerned in the robbery, made some dis-
closures, totally exculpating Harris, and solemnly pro-
testing that that man and Green knew nothing about it. In-
quiries were made, which have confirmed this statement,
and on the morning appointed for their execution, the
Under-Sheriff communicated to them the intelligence of
their being respited. Since that time the most persevering
and extensive investigations had been pursued, and the result
was, that the entire ramifications of the plan were fully
discovered, and Weaver, Jones, and another were appre-
hended. The latter person was admitted King's evidence,
and at the last Assizes, upon the clearest and most com-
pleat evidence, the two prisoners were found guilty. They
were traced from the time of planning the robbery, on the
7th of June, to the morning of the loth, after its accom-
plishment. Indeed, so hopeless did they themselves consi-
der their case, that they at one time contemplated pleading
guilty to tho indictment. Since their conviction, Harris
lraa received his Majesty's most gracious pardon, and on
Tuesday Mr. Nicholson communicated to Davis that his
sentence was commuted to transportation for life. Davis
me-ire-el the commuuication very sullenly, expecting to be
liberated altogether. Another of the gang was tried and
transported at the Old Bailey Sessions in September last,
for a different offence. So that out of the gang, which
consisted of eight, who concerted and executed the robbery,
five have been discovered, not including Dueltield.
The conviction of the two wretched men has created a
very great sensation in the county in favour of Harris,
whose innocence has been clearly proved. 'file two rum,
Jones and Nl'eaver, had long been attached to the profes-
sion of pluni.•r, particularly Jones, whose alias was Country
Ili1;; and, from the circumstances of atrocity attending
I this robbery, much feeling was nut evinced towards them.
Their demean-lir was at times marked by levity, and at
others by appearances of contrition and thought. On
Tuesday tl:ey took a last farewell of some friends. At eight
o'clock the Under-Sheriff, Mr. Nicholson, attended by his
office», demanded his prisoners, who were led from their
cells and pinioned, and from thence across the garden of Mr.
Wilson, the keeper, to the niiil door, where the scaffold
was erected, and the London executioner was in nattiness.
Tire Rev. Mr. Franklyn read atom!, as the group pro-
ceeded to the scaffold, the Burial S_rvme. The culprits
moved quickly and walked with much carelessness of,
mariner, and, on melting the foot of the steps leading to
the platform, ran, or rather jumped, swiftly up, and nod-
(line to CUllle pursuits whom they recognized in the crowd,
smiled, and took up a position close together under the
fatal beam. Jones then commenced talking to the execu-
tioner and 11'eaver, whose boasted courage seemed suddenly
to quit him, and Iris conincuance assumed an expression of
dismay and horror. The arrangements being completed
rice exenitioner retired, and Mr. Wilson giving the signal,
at five minutes past eight o'clock the drop fell. The crowd
assembled was very great and orderly.

Sr nt N G CeNS.--t M Thursday afternoon, abort two
o'clock. as Mr. William Ilusa, of Ipswich, was on his way
to Holbrook, where he lately lived in a small farm, he
stopped near Freston wood to speak to Jacob Frost, the
woodman. When about leaving him, he inquired if he
could go through a path in the wood, which he had fre-
quently been in the habit of doing when he resided at Hol-
lintel:. Frost told him the:: was a spring gun in the path,
but he was sure it was pot loaded, as Mr. Burch had, dis-
chap d it the day b. for?, and another person had also told
him that morning it was not charged. Mr. IL accordingly
pntsuealds way, but he had not proceeded far before he
saw the gun, about a yavd from the path, and, stopping to
look at it, he accidentally touched the wire, which laid
across the pia, and the gun went off, lodging Nat of its
contents in his thumb and two of the fingers of his left
hand, which were so dreadfully shattered that 'amputation
was deemed memory. The operation was skilfully per-
formed the same evening, by Mr. Nlacnamara, of Ipswich.
—The keeper of Sir F. Agar, of itrenteleigh Hall, was
shot in the same manner one night last week, and about
forty shots have been sine? extracted from his thigh. ‘Ve
also learn that a gentleman who pretierves game in another
part of the country has been slightly wounded by one of his
1 own eng,ines.—Bary
Fu.s (In so.—A few eights agn a gang of poachers vi-
' sited Lord Sufilthi's coverts at Stanninghall, near Norwich.
No more than five guns had lieu fired before the watch
were assembled, and a large number of stout fellows got
together in less than a quarter of an hour. They immedi-
ately came up with the gang, which was found to consist
cf no fewer than thirty-four—but they ail Heal with the
utmost precipitation from the large force brought against
them.

On Tuesday last, at midnight, Wm. Clark, a bankrupt,
not appearing to surrender himself to the Commissioners
for his final examination, was proclaimed before the l)og
and Duck Tavern, in Hull, acenrding to the usual fonns.
A melancholy accident oecurrcd lately, at Muir Cambus
mill, Fife. An interesting girl, betwemt nine and ten
Years of age, had been incautiously swinging on a cart
leaning by the side of a wall, which came down upon her,
and although it was quickly removed, crushed her to
death.