The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-10 00:00:00

THE CORPSE.

When the corpse had ht en costumied three quarters of
an hour, the lisntienitii and irons were unscrewed and taken ,
off; and on the expiration of the hour, the executioner
untied the knot and the corpse was lowered into the arms
of two javelin-men, by whom it was borne into the gaol.
It was then stripped and x atu initl. The vertehrir of the
nt ek were found to be completely dislocated. There was
at first a slight discoloration of the lice, but it gradually
subsided, and rewritesd nearly to its natural hue during
life. The featuns were not distorted.

The clothes of the deceased were of course claimed by
the executioner, hut by some arrangement, satisfactory to
him, ally have been sent to Thomas 'clrurtell, the brother
of the deceased, pursuant to his request.
The corpse, after having been denuded, was extended at
full length in the chapel, the head being supported by a
bible. It was then delivered to Mr. Colbeck, the surgeon
of the gaol, by whom it will be " dissected and *ludo-
milled." according to law. The rigour of the sentence will
be in no respect abat4 and it is intended finally to pre-
serve the aieleton and deposit it in the usual place. No
cast of the face will be allowed to be taken. This is a
concession to the (apnoea wishes of the deceased and the
feelings of his family. Ile objected to any cast being taken,
because be was apprehensive that it might hereafter be
seen by wane of the members of his family, under eirctim-
stancea ealculatud to renew painful recollections and pro-
long the memory of his misdeeds.

DISSECTION OF THE BODY.
At three o'clock yesterday Mr. Colbeck, the surgeon,
gave a receipt to the Sheriff for the body. He will, we un-
derstand, merely cut the body, so as to• expose the dia-
phragm thereby to fulfil the orders of the sentence. The
body will be afterwards conveyed to London, to St. Bar-
tholomew's Hospital ; there it will be anatomized, as
the facilities of re-uniting.the bunts, and formng them
into a perfect skeleton, will undoubtedly be greater than
could be afforded at Hertford. Although no cast will
be taken of his face, yet yesterday there was a person
at the gaol permitted to take a cast of the hack part
of his head, for the Phrenological Society. It is sup-
posed by those who are skilled in this species of eccen-
tric erudition, that tho organ of murder is there developed ;
and it is, we presume, with a view of ascertaining bow far
his head corresponds with their supposed notions upon the
subject, that pains have been taken to procure this cut.
The east will not be multiplied, however, and is exclu-
sively granted to this society. A better subject fir dissec-
tion cannot, perhaps, be found than the body presents.
It is in a state of perfect soundness ; the skin is of a clear
wholesome colour, and the limbs of a fine muscular form.
The appearance of it bespeaks the unfortunate man to
have been, at the time of his execution, in the enjoyment
of that rude health and full vigour which belong to the
prime of manhood. Repeated applications through local
influence, and other channels, have -been made to take
busts of the whole head anti neck, but the High Sheriff
has uniformly rejected all such applications. The ear-
nest entreaties of his friends for the delivery of the body
to them have not been more successful than the applications
for his bust; the unpleasant intelligence was conveyed to
them, that the sentence of the law must be carried into
complete execution.

Thus perished John Thurtell, in the thirty-second year
of his age—a memorable example of the evil consequences
of that attachment to sporting by which so many young
men are ruined ard so many more depravad. May
same of those who arc entering on the path that Ittl
to his destruction take warning by his fate! Atrocious
se wee the deed for which be justly auXered the dread-
tol penalty of the -law, his Inreittitte. hid Myhre frit
the public mind no small share of sympathy for his
sufferings. His address to the Jury had induced some
to believe him a man cr talent: his deiivery of it was
certainly imposing and impressing; but the compo-
sition of it has been, we understand, attributed to
some rhetorical friend ; if so, the merit of it must be'
confined to his remembrance of it by rote, so as to super-
sede the necessity of reading it. Whatever may have
been his talents, a life of dissipation and the pursuit of
pleasure had impaired them ; and although his mind
might have furnished the foundation for a clever man,
there was no superstructure of int fill learning or know-
ledge raised npon it. His talents could not make him an
object of public sympathy ; his singular fortitude consti-
tuted his chief and perhaps his only claim upon the feelings
of the public. lie looked at death steadily, and met it
unshrinkingly. Had the determination of character, the
self-possession in danger, and the bold intrepidity which
he displayed during the whole trial, and to the moment of
his death, been enlisted in a good cause, he would have
been an invaluable citizen. Ile certainly possessed many
ingredients of character which go to constitute a great man.
In the army, his courage, firmness, and promptitude,
might have raised him to a station in which he might have
been himself the glory instead of the shame of his family.
" Had his soul but Mitred in virtue

Witil:lltb;sPiritthat it dared in evil."
The most affecting part of his address to the Jury was the
contrast which he drew between what he then was and
what he might have been. His expression of regret, that;
he had not fallen in the field in defence of his country,
was manly, natural, and energetic. These considerations,
In spite of his enormous guilt, have made him an object'
of public compassion. No one can lament the num, or
deplore his fate ; but every person must regret, that the
fine qualities of mind which he possessed should have
been perverted to the commission of so black a crime
as that for which he suffered an ignominious death.
That he was not unaffictionate, is proved by his last
cares being directed to the feelings of his parents.
He fell into evil society, where he met with none to-
wants whom he could cherish any sentiment of regard.
This was his misfortune. Ilis unsuspecting genero-
sity, when he entered the " play world," made him the
dupe of every sharper he encountered. The victim of
his revenge was one of those who early profited by his
uncalculating rashnese. He has now paid the awful forfeit
of the law, and feelings of abhorrence for the crime are
partially immerged in sensations of sympathy for the cri-
minal. Held, but not audacious—guilty, but not base—
the principles of human judicature have necessarily sacti-
tierd him, and preserved worse men, his accomplices,
who pollute the surface of the earth, without one
virtue to redeem their infamous variety of vices. Public

attention had ne‘er been so strongly directed to-
wards the murder of an individual, as towards that of

William Weare; for nevtr, in the history of any age or of
any country, has there been perpetrated a murder of such
fiend-like ferocity, without a single mitigatory circum-
stance to retrieve it from the most condign abhorrence.
Great, however, as may be his crime, he is now " num-
beret) among the dead, ' and the sacred sad immunities
due to the departed should not be withheld from him.
' Let us hope that his contrition has been full, sincere,
and perfect ; and let us hope, too, that a disgraceful death
and the posthumous celebrity of an infamous fame, which
his guilt has earned for him, may be in the eyes of Him
" whose mercy is infinite," a temporal punishment to
atone for much of his crime, and facilitate his attainment
of " the brightest gift the Godhead can bestow—the par-
don of a penitent sinner."
Hunt heard of the execution of 'fhurtell without con-
cern, and simply observed, " lle has justly deserved his
fate."

Mr. Herpes, the Secretary to the fressury, arrived in
town on %I ednestlay.
(rtes Passsca..—The packet-ship New-l•ork, ('apt.
George Maxwell, arrived here on Thursday last, after ene
of the shortest passages, we believe, yet made between
New York and this port. She sailed on the afternoon of
the 16th Deeember, and arrived here. on the morning of
the tat instant, being little more than fifteen days !-7
Plycr.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS'•

Slll,—ln justice to Mr. Noel, I feel myself bound to
eve the following statement:—
(In the erening of the 29th of October, I was at Mr.
Noel's house, when a person I have since learnt to he Mr.
Ilexworthy, .!alled and informed Mr. Noel that circuin-
stanbes bad induced him to suppose a Mr.Weare had been
murdeted. I accompanied Mr. Noel that evr nine to iVat-
ford ; was present at the interview between Messrs. Clut-
terbuck, Mason, sad Noel, at the Essex Arms, when Mr.
Clutterbuck, in the presence of Mr. Mason, repsested Mr.
Noel's assistance in examining John Thurtell and Joseph
Hunt, and which Mr. Noel accordingly did. The cireuno-
Sianees under which "the confession" of Hunt was ob-
tained are fairly and truly stated by Mr. Noel. Mr. Noel
was in my opinion fully authorised to act as he did by the
Magistrates; and the offer to Hunt was sanctioned by
them before the confession was received. Mr. Noel never
saw Hunt but in the presence of the Magistrates, exrept
as stated by Mr. Noel in this (lay's l'aper.
I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
H. H. SALMON.
Eickrnansworth, liertfordAire, Jan. 9, 11824.

SHIPPING MIT ELIGENCE.

CUSTOM-HOUSE, JAW. 9.
11111141 TENTEICD lI•WAIDt.

Aurora, Hollet;(11oplins, troker), from St. MA's, New
Brunswick.
Bee, Hudron (A ttwood, broker), from Ilsarourgb.
Sally. Dune (Andrews, broker). front Listron.
Pyramus, Brodie (Pirir„ broker). from Matra&
('True, Roberts (F. nonfood, broker), from Cape of Good Hope.
General Elliot, Frank (Rol:, broker). from flottenburgb.
Belly's, Nicholson (Castecdieck, broker), from Hemburgh.
Orestes, Aieholson (Beatron, broker). from Pctorsburgh.
Vitastea. Forbes (Thomson, broker), from Jamains
Edward, hl‘Kenzie (Bentley. broker), from Memel.
Zephyr, Sandcrtnm (Capt. Sanderson), from Gottenburgb.
Annahrence (Proud, broker), from Pillau.
Antra, Sanderson (Chapman, broker), front Petersburgis
Courier. Retries (J. Marshall. broker). from Riga.
Tiber, Reed (Mitchies.ll, broker), fruits Warberg.
X. V. Z., Estrogen (Andrews, broker), from Riga.
William, Lonv (litehieson. broker),from Morel.
Lavinia, Illoriison (Fowles, broker.), from OtallenbUrgh.
Zealous, \Food (Adam, broker). from Lisbon.
Drake. Williams (L'Okey, broker), from Ilamburgb.
She rt (('lark, broker). from Riga.
Stockton. Gibbs ( Duley, broker). from St. John's.
Lord Nelson. Dunkin (Capt. Donkin, hmker).from Goromburgb
Aurora. Sousa (Kremer. broker). from Memel.
Aimable l,liaa. Granden (Simon, broker front Dunkirk.
Ceres, Schuh: (Benham. broker', from Memel.
Catharine, Wessels i ('astendif.:k, broker), from ditto.
Carl Wilhelm, Marckwardt (Schatz, broker), from ditto.
Drie Vriendcn, Honnerbult (Baker, broker), from Rotterdam.
Dantric, Domaosky (Benham, broker). from floozie.
Furst Ilarderiburg, (Castendieck, broker), from Stettin.
handsturm. Brook (Benham. broker). from Pillau.
Mathilde, Smidt (Benham, broker), Rom 3lerneL
Neptunus. lirsdrnhal (Bremer, broker), from Dantzic.
Nimrod, Fowler (Hopkins, bruiser), from New York.
Spes Nova, (hoe (Windt-. broker), from Christiania.
Twee Gebroeders. Bruins (Hotfoot, broker), front Amsteraam.
Jos. ll.—Exx E orb m TW•IIII9.—The Robert, for Barcelona;
Viscount Exmouth, for Gibraltar; and Wilflain Fairlie, for India.
CLEAUINti ourwmtus.—The Berwickshire, for India; and
Aurora, tot Abeam.