The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-07 00:00:00

being used double, served foe a watch, or single mlOt be wan
round the neck. He then said it was more fit for a lady than a
gentleman, and pressed it on Mrs. IPfebert. He finally made it •
present to her, and put It round her neck. A bed was then of-
freed to Thurtell and Hunt. It was arranged that Alin Noyes
should give up her own bed, and sleep with the servant. They
however rather preferred to sit up, and she was therefore allowed to
retire to her own bed. Something it seemed had occasioned eter-
nise in the mind of Mrs. Probert indeed it was namely possible
It should have been oche Twin. Seldom was crime unaccompanied
with some disorder of mind or a demeanour which betrayed it.—
Mrs. Probert was induced, on retiring to her bed-room, to open
her window, and she saw Thurdell, Hunt, and Probert, who, as it
afterwards appeared, were preparing to go down few the body. One
of the horses was taken down the lane; the body was put on the
hone and brought up to the garden ; it was then dragged through
the garden to the pond, some stones were put into the sack, and it
was thrown to. Mrs. Probes would say that she saw some.
thing drawn along, and Prober minkt say what that unite
thing was. Mrs. Pmbert's suspicion and fears being thus
excited, she came down stain secretly and listened to the con-
versation. They proceeded to divide the booty. Thurtell
allotted to each his share, which was M. Ina., being the
total sum in the promenion of Wane at the period of his death.
Thurtell and llunt remained in the 'parlour. Probert went to bed
with his wife. As early as Silt in the morning., Thurtell and Hunt
wire out in the lane. SOWS Men ',nerved them dragging in the
bodge*. When the men approached them, Thurtell said— • I was
nearly capsized here last night." The man replied—" I hope you
was not hurt, Sir." -• No;" said 'Martell, ` I was not.' fhis
was said merely to amuse the DWI, as some excuse was necessary,
but it did n,,t succeed ; for, as soon as Thunell and Hunt went
away, the men concluded they had not been searching for nothing,
and they began to search themselves'. They first found a mass of
congealed blood, nearly a quart, then a bloody knife, and after-
Warn a pocket-pistol, which would be proved to be one of those
purchased for the purpose. The pistol had marks of blood upon
tr, ar.d human brains. as if it had turn used to strike nine one vie.
lenity. There could be no doubt that that was the spot where the
carder had been committed. The double.larrelled gun, back.
gammon-band, and carpet-bag wen taken to the lodging,' of hunt,
where they were afterwards found. Thurtell and llunt were en.
gaged to spend the following sunday. They went to town on Sa-
turdny. When they got to the Coach and Herne, it would appear
that Hunt boasted of his cash, and said, `` We are the lads that
knot bow to do the trick ;" and lie seemeel Hush of money. Thur.
telre bands were much 'scratched. On the Sunday they spent the
May at Probert's. Probert that day brought down) a new spade
with him, and be told his wife that he had brought it to dig
a hole tat bury the hotly. Ile paid a visit, in she course
a the morning, to Mr. Nicholls, his neighbour. who mention.
dthat the report of a gun or pistol was heard on Fri-
dley night ; and this conversation induced Probert, oo his return
to the cottage, to mention the report to Therrien and Hunt. It
etched the alarm of Thunell, who expressed his fear that lie
remuld be hanged, and naturally inspired him with an anxiety to
rentove the evidence of his guilt. Prober' was also anxious to
have the body taken out of his pond ; he said he would not suffer
a: to remain there. Thunell and Ilunt proposed to come down 00
Monday night, to carry away the body. They all proceeded to
town in two gigs; and, fin the purpose of greater security, the ser-
vant boy was sent up to town in (woe of the gigs. Ile was lino taken
to a house in the Strand, and finally left at the Coach and Horan.
The same Monday. i.s the evening, Thurtell and Probert came
down again together in a gig ; hunt was with them, and it was
tiZethat he should keep firs. Probert in conversation, while
rdtell and Probert dragged out the budy. It was then put into
'fhentell's gig, and Nelsen told Hunt it was ready. Thurtell and
Hunt went away with it at ten at night ; whither they had carried it
Peahen did not knew. It appeared they deposited it in a pond, a
considerable distance from hat cottage. It was thrown in in the same
manner as when it lay in the pond in Proheres garden ; it was still
covered with the sack anti weights! clown with a nuniber of stones.
They returned in the middle of the night. The next morning
the gig told the story of its employment. In the bottom
was a quantity of blood : and this circumstance, together with
the subsequent finding of the pistol, knife, and blood, led to
empty; which ultimately reached the ears of the magistrates,
trho had Thurtell. Hunt, and Prober' apprehended. It was
then found that Hunt bad resorted to other means of evading
the evidence of his identity. On the Friday, Saturday, Sun-
day and Monday morning, be wore very large whiskers ; Monday
night he shaved them off ; and teeing seen without them, pro-
duced, as the Jury must be aware, a very great change in his
appearance. On the inquiry before the magistrate!, it was not as-
certained certainly who was the person murdered. The body was
not discovered till the Thursday morning following, in a pond near.
They were directed to the spot by Hunt. It was not the intention
of the Conned fur the pmeeention to make use of any thing that
had proceeded out of Hunt's 11111 l ith ; but the fact he had fur-
nished them with they were enwled to. If stolen goods rose
pointed out by a thief, the prosecutes ass entitled to the fact against
the prisoner; but what lie said manna himself was not fairly
matter tel be urged to his prejudice. The conversations with ac-
complices were of a different naturo and he (.Ir. 4,.) should freely
avail himself of theta. Some of diem could thpend on the eve-
tinier of an accomplice. at least one who was undoubtedly an ac-
complice in concealing the body. He limit be presented before the
Jury ass had man; what good one would he concerned in such a
transaction ? The Jury would du well to receive his evidence with
jealousy end watchfulness; but it would be surrounded with such
confirmations as would build it up, and render it pigged__ credible.
Un some marts of the case there nub( be no doubt. There could
be no doubt that Thurtell Mt out lent London with Wean, and
that before he sensed at the cottage a shot was find an the road;
that he was In such a bloody state when he arrived; and that on
the Iredneselay after he war not able to efface all the marks of
blood upon I ;or that be his locket a penknife of Weare's was
found on hSje apprehension, and also the other of that pair of pistols
rnich wax purchned at liary-la bonne. Therefore, as far as
respected Thurtell, there could be no doubt whatever of his guilt.
As to llunt, the question would naturally arise, what could he do
at the cottage, where there was no accommodation for him ? There
was the property of IVeare found at his lodgings • and
round the neck of the corpse, when it was raised from the
pawl was found wrapped a fed shawl, the property of Mrs. Probert.
That shawl had been in the hands of Hunt, on the evening of the
murder. There was also the gold watch-chain traced to the posses.
stun of Thunell. As to the wan+, Thurtell, after he was appre-
hended and hunt had said banacthing by which he connived his
safety was compromised, had admitted to one of the officers, who
Inked hint what he had done with the watch, that while in their
melody he had put his bands behind hint, and thrown it oven the
hedge. Therefore, that Thurtell was the principal in the murder,
and that Hunt was an acennary before the fact, no reasonahle man
could doubt : but if, indeed, an doubt could arise, it was the duty of
the Jury to give the benefit of that doubt to the prisoners. The case
In his (Mr. Gurney's) opinion, was clearly and satisfactorily proved.
The Learned Counsel closest ati adelnrcs of an hour and a half, with
an othortation tn the Jury, which, from the noise in Court, we
could not hear. _ _

During the speech of Mr. Iluniey, Thorn-II and hunt listened
very attentively, but wholly unmoved by any apparent sensation of,
rear or re rut ; though at some periods there grass general feel-
tNr of horror throughout the vast crowd by which the Court was
Ued.