The National Register.
London, England, 1818-09-06 00:00:00

CHAD! LS lIUsSEI".

A few day. after the execution of If maey, a lon deelara-
t plliJii44,llo. 1611 j, !I w gA CAlled liii C ; co-
pi .4 it, that the piddle taie,ht It ire the menus .if it dgiolg for
thelaselve4 ;lint, at the 'lame time we expreo.eti oik is
CVIIV,N nr inennxiatency and lis'kelointl. The acconnvi.
haweverom•eitled tir 4otim imutenx. who had not
41.e11 a •Ificient paim W inseAigate add wei;;lt all the circuit'•
ittaile,4 of the ease. FM' Ui. 1#10,..1b1e 1.31-p4 ,C of removing
all Muth, nn **abject au ititereolug In the oararter of our
lii il by jury, a gentleman well acquainted wills the proceed•
r.!,1.4 111114V/11 vp the follow tug able so:Armen. ; i.f whirls it
unt to aattch to say, that it Wit the quertiou tanniiletely id
real.

Tito pmar protiatei against till wretched min upon his trial for
the muraer of Mr. bird and his hons.:l/42cper were to conclusive, that
per= who was pc.nuat could doubt tl'a.:;uAt!ze of tip. veri'gct. The
Ju4c, the jury. Lie spxtators. the :or the prisoner and
a faiust hint, all left the Courtlmpreesee wrest one contiaou fc.iing of
Isis
rite public tturel lees sablectumtly been diSquictal by what has
falsely been csll.sl the Confasion of (Marin ; and h the
doubts of teas who, net forming their judgment upon tide evidence
colletively, have ratter} upon detached torts. and .1-awn their em-
elusions. .t. if dis intik; rested upon single eircumstancs.s, and not
upon the general tendency of the wind:.
With Baton/sigh cznviction upon my own mind that Charles M—
acy was the very murderer of Mr. Bird. and not a mcre aceon,plicc,
let nie remtest your molars to weigh attentively the facts tutablisit.si
upon the trial. compressed into as narrow a compass as possible;
and, having fonne,.l their judgraent upon the testimony of the wit-
nesses, let them determine how far the declaration of the convict
weakens or corrolorates that judgment.
In canes like the present, direct evidatee of the hand that struck
cannot be looked for. It is neither in the broad face of day, nor in
the presence of lockers on, that then/tin:ern. in common, p;rpetrates
his crime. But a chain of circumstanc..s will often fix the guilt with
equal cgrt.::lty upon the criminal, and the. very artifices he uses tbr
v 141111.
Bird's house. upon the murder beii..g discovered. was most
ace:irately examined, not by one percon only, but by many; and
it appeared impossible that the inunkrer could hale entered the horse
la any osier wav than by 'ho stre:t .loor, awl it was equally evident
that alit:is-ion had not 6ern os.tailed vi,;, two:, for the back door I
was bolted on the insilc. he sl:utters all fa.,tencti ou the inside, and
no mark of Weaking. o. of aey instrument having been mud to force
en entrance was discooratige. The side gate was vise chained and
rdlocked inside.
It was proved by Ifatinali Cooper, that on Satitrelty even
big, liar 7th of Fab. at 20 minutes Or half an hunr anus. etcht
o'clock, the housekeeper was seen standing inside Mr. Boot's
house talking with a person at the door, and that Mr. Hull
was leaning forward from the parlour. The time is distinctly
marked, fur the clock struck eight as Haunnh Cooper left her
!muse on the NVotilwieh Road, - and, it tieing a very fog;;)'
night, she walked slowly, and tan speak with precision to
the time. . _

In the hall, where Cie body of Mary SiIEMOSP, was found,
Vf3s a C.ititileSliek, with a witch- email*. in it, which scenic(' to
leave been lighted Mot for a short time, anti to have gone out
cenin. A quantity Of blood had How, d from her wounds,
round the head, in the aunt oh: re it then lay; and near the
• was :another pool of blood, a, if the body had been re-
moved front the place %%here it first fell, and which, liad it
-iv:dinned to lie there, would have prevented any pc-son,
!mending to go out at the hall door, from opening that door,
about at the same time tnovi.ll; the body. The maid had
aaavitril very nmeli is the hall.
Although the barean where Mr. Cirri kept :tits cash an I
rapers had been ransacked, n private drawer containing bank
n tea had tveen overlooked. _

It was proved upon the trial, that a considerable quantity
eg property belonging to 31E. Bird, and which had been seen
to the horse a' very short lime before the murders, WAS in the
prisoner's possession, and in the saine box where a part of
the, stolen property was found, were clothes of the prisoner's
3:4inrd with blood. . _ -

One pair of the eciters, Identified as the prisoners,
were not only stained Leith spots of blood, but very much
marked v ith splashes of vomit Mg. The iirisuner absconded.
rpott his apprehensioa br fal►ricatcd a lung story, to induce
a belief that he foetid the prop.•? ty, but this story was runt ta-
-I:icted in every part l'v ■eciir..lo •witnesses. He attempted
to a (Timid lot 1118114 cl from the morning of the Sa rtlay. vh.
the •ile-r was perpctrated, till the arternmin of Stifiti.ty; but
all the witnesses he relied MI tie pl'OVt! Itis being a* the 'ricer's
Mead, at the time the mut der was committed, Ail oiled, that
the cattiest time they could fix him there was a Quarter pas*
woe.

it was proved that Charles Ibisscy was engaged to till'•
witb his brill her. Thomas liitsse. at Pcekdaiii, at one o'clock
Oa the Suodav when ;he der was discovered; he did ioit
go there t.II the evening. but kciit loiteriii.; about Greenwich;
and when his brother .isked him why he did not come to
act, his reply was, that there had ucen g holt ible nutrae•
in Oreettwiell, which had made the town like a fair,
and that had torevelited ; re us, to dine with his bro-
ther at Peckham at utie icrlock„he 1111 l st have set out at least
en hour before the murder was discovered. It was these.
tore evident that lee must have had a ,;nifty knowledge o: the
rourder, st,td that the reason he gave rould not have been the
cane ufhis oat going to dim: with his brother.

The maw In %%hos:: home kept his clothes had,
aLmit flortilittltt before the twarder,l.et a covers hammer,
wi,h a hammer, in the judgment of several Niirgeut.s,
were both the mos drrs perpelimed. • This r.,,ry taytt amen'
was 101.11 Sal A pull clime to ilia til.t.ee •where tiamiey'A box
%vat, kerr, dust. Ito the lane whets: he said he 101114 the war
ant 4.1,•5e In the enacts It.etse or het foritt.er ist tater, awl
s% Itiril bo had hells ill the lii of geitait; water rot
eleanillt ids ismstt e:tAise„

114.1 4415 her permit tweet the murderer, he sliest fse.t bar..
stolen Itn• Isirionser front Lettnu'g, nod artei gym sls, by similes.,
deposited it, uttcre it would furs,. else link or "si ehr!n of
etressm.l,lm•e, too connected to be till rim etreet of a••4l.lenl.
Thes.e were to sir of the pristrip.tl Cis ,wll.oaiii•cs s,t• the e‘i-
deuce ovum whirls !Ise verdict of willi.l mostrdes was gi‘l.6l
ax rtsdit ett.islest kftietie!.. Alusty snisous ei7costo,itt.ieex
n 1111,4.1141 stts•nattls Iv the • prousiueut feature, of the
e wilily!, is j. Ilse Iti•aseetroqtry to Joel' upon rums heelis•l
▪ e•surirsts4don or the :e4.lntst fact% sire to be fairittl nias-eys
sir,. str.,ll ; tur lie a:lsogres 115.1 I ssssss er m sa,ed oil
the rests. 111 1 lir orturt-ts, that he lbw%it iislu the ustond
vtilo. is .v a. 1113111 hr eis% -cottootoot of ilo• 1116 r
▪ kills .narked seith blood and corms, it.
the halo wises the Isa l) ••I til.uy !ibis: vr.s. 1115.500 Mar-
des

_
'rite azf.r.c, .et tt:l npon h. 1 till hati been anticipated
on the n%UU. I , t 4:.1,W11 Witn.Li....4 I) fax, in
as U•
. . . . . . .

hlu seat le 'Late. Cie time he went to Cie Tiger'n !lead rlip es
being 7 h eontraletel by the evidence of those
who went p• 0.44.

NATIONAL 11,EiIIPerra

w:len lie gated that ou he west front hii wa.slia-
wfutan's dirmtly w I.e4ton',l. alttir tfinnar, and t'init it was then 4
o'cita.k. the wa.lierworiran herself mated. it was only R.
When he said that he saw the person get over die wall at 6, arid
that he aftwaartl: went and hid the bundle. which must have taken
some time, ha was contradicted by Lofton, who ctated that it was not
more than half paat S. or 20 minutes tp 4, whim Ifu.ssey was COlrie,-
ing with him.
When he estertal that he did not seethe pieces of bu.d.L,l.elonging
to Mr. Bird, wii;ch wete found in his rosti`MlOn. till the Saturday. Ml.
lowing the muri..r, Thonris Hartley provalit to has,: fallen from his
pocket on the Monday precedirg.
When he would hare shown that the stains of blood on his clothes
were Imm a wound received by Ilarelton. in getting ...ver the wail,
it turned out that he hail not on the ::amt clothes uri.er. 'Latium gut
his wound.

The extravagance of Charles Hussey's declaration is manifelt in
every sentence. Considering the character of the man, and his con-
duct upon this horrible assassination, it is not, I trust, a deficiency of
common clinrity in use, to feel that his statement, as exculpating
him front the actual murder, is totally unworthy of credit.
He atitits, " that he planned the tubbel, and proposed it to
-two other pAsons; that upon the very day of its being agreed upon
they met, but did nothing that evening ; that a week afterwards they
met again, and Hussey (by his own account the chief actor in the
getting up of this tragedy) advised its being prneacdcd with that
• evening. lie having p-ovided a hammer for the purpose of 'streaking
open the den; that they went all three at half toast eleven, but find-
ing no ani.a er ass returned to the knocking, and a great many people
pasAng a: id repaseiar, they hecione thAteartened, and that upon lins-
say recollecting what his washerwoman laid said alieut Mr. Bird's
early house, they gave stp the undertaking for that night." taless
11 use). and his companions went with the -determination of rousing
Mt. Bird, and inducing him to give an *demi, the hammer pro ideal
by II witty must have been the worst instrument possible for the pur-
pose be intended it.
Inquiry has been made of Iduisey's washerwoman, who denies
positively that she had ever any conversation with him relative to
Mr. Bird. nor did the know there was such a person as Mr. Bird
residing In Greenwch.
11 is drc!aration p tweeds to state, " that the three agreed to meet
in the Park at a i•retain spot and go front thence to Mr. Bird's house,
which they accordingly did, b •tiveen tmi nine on the evening
of the muttler. The plan vK:s, A was to k:iock at the front darn,
and B. to get smear break oivit the side door. and so proceed roand
to the back window. While this was doing, A was to engage the
servant in conversation until such time as .he found B had got in;
that B had great difficulty in doing this, but at last did."
To those who have seen the ran-IVA-b. the fidsehood of tt.is part of
the acenunt must be pnlpai,fe: and if Davey had recolle...ted more
accurately the front of Mr. titers house, 'his story probably would
have been differently fraMed.
T!ie side door, which B w..a fo got over, is without any opening at
the top, and the wall it billgS into is as high es the second-floor of
Mr. Bird's house; getting over it, therefore. could never have bun
a part of the
.plan and as, when the murder was discovered,
door was chanted and paellockai on the inside, an I had not Ire!
broken at all. it is quite clear B did not get in at the back. while
A was keeping the housekeepr in convert:l6on et the front dour.—
Besides the absurdity of this pneh is sielf-evident. Aaat to keep the
housekeeper in conversation et the front-door. while 11, at the back
of the house, was doing that which must have immiaiiately given an
:alarm-to Mr. Bird ant th^ inn ekeeper, at an hour when the least
alarm Mould have been Inflaweil by thasivery.
The tkelitta:ion goes on to state •• that B. after some difficulty,
got in, when A inniscdiately knocked trawn and killed the savant
with a mallet he had provi.lcd hat, •.ft. with, mat B rushed through
the passage and' strugglA Mr. Bird, wh-,m he soon slid SIT
with the hammer winch lies.sey had given him; that while this
was going on, flearaey was standing clo c to the Ti..-er's Head, and
wad to waistle if he saw any one %rat, coning, A% hiclihe did twice• as
there were two persons that !.;mud ; but az. the alpha wa, very
foggy, and it :cal itlittle before ;iglu in the evening, may seemed to
take no notice of the light of the candle which the servant lump in her
hand nt Mr. Bird's door."

It is neceseary tc pause seek here, to notice another of the iecotre
sieteneies of•this very iniprotable story.
Iluesey states, that his post was els=e ti the Tiger's Head, and
that this transaction took place between S and 9 o'clock. It is to be
recollected, that the evening of the murder was the club night of the
Odd Fellows at the Tiger's Head, and that Hussey. being a member,
would eland a ehence or being teen by some of the members as they
passed him, wt ie lie stood Hoe to the Tiger's,. 'lced. The night was
very feggy, and might have shielded him from observation; but
this would equally have prevcn'ed him from knowing when les steno-
of whistling would b: propel ; indeed, the signal seems to have been'
useless, flint wile, according to his statement, twice repeated without
being no:iced.
no- declatce;on proceeds, •• that Hussey kept welch for about
twenty minutes, and thinking them a long time, aml tbat they might
diecosene:. he crossed the street and quietly upped at the door ;
no one ane wend, nor did he hear any noise. Thinking this strange,
he weet teethe ride door, and tried to get in there, but found it quite
fast ; he then returned to the front door, but could oat open it. lie
knorl:ed again, :end was at lase let in : he forgot by which bf the two,
hut he said, • We were ut the top of the house looking over what we
had found, and you alarmed us. "
This part of the snore is irrecatwileable with the former. If B had
ether git over the aide door, or broken it open, and bad tweed au
entrance into- the bask part of the house, the sone passage was Oinn
to assey; but he tried that way, and mid-not get in, alt...ns
If the*: supposed accomplices were alarmed by Huseey's knocking.
they would hardly bate opened the door without some cignol being
previuted v given, which they could Pear while inside the Louse; this.
ut so eery an hour in the evening, would be rather a dergeruus ex-
periment. The ketwk at the deer was loud enongh to be heard by
them while at the top of the home ; and when they Opened the door
to Hussey, they risked discovery flout aay person who might be pees-
trig. as there was atan,p iminethately over tite front door of the house,
waielinnght have shown the acme of blood.
Ile fnither metes, " that he went in, and in going up stairs
stumbled over she body of she sereant which they then removrd
out of their way. lie was shocked to l=am from them the fate of
Mr. Bird and the inaidseervant. but B said it could not be helped.
as they found diem, and particularly the ski man, so resolute. After
bcin an the hoes: 5 minutes. it was agreed that he should go out,
and in ten minute, after they both came to him. Ile was then in
the middle of the ee-oet, nearly opposite to Mr. Pird's house. anti it
wets so dark that nobody could see him. 'They then went into the
park, and from the light of a dark hewn. wl6-ii A bad brought
with Mui, they beeein dividing the pre eerfy which was tied up in a
sheet. There w eta prat many article:, but the smallest part fell
to his lot. They said, teat in the bareaa a greet many guinea% were
found, which it was agreed they sheen have, and nueseythe Bank-
notes and watches, ke. They then - .parated, and he went and (-hanged
himself. When he had dene.this, he came down privately, end •
went to 0 poodneer Vamitrea!-ternice, %cline he threw to the mallet
anl hanitoer, which Iwl been tied na in his bundle, and which the
'truer two men requested hitu to take aid, him."
If my conetruceea nf the term" cordeseion" is a eorred one. and
that it 111,NLIS kit ae owal of the with. the few irk sentences of
this man's declat a. :on destroy the poedbility of the statenitgla he made
in tot cedar °rayon theactifi:Ou. being tehotthei as a confession. Ile
affirms that he was ut the fete of Mr. airsi and ids bets
keeeer, and yet. sit :eked ae he was, Within 0:1C hour of Ole eqtllll.iS-
Ibi•S tot' this lauteiroes as eess;tintiou, of which he was the e,de mover,
tee could eo to a club mom, and sing two temps with his usual cheer-
tu:ness. drink, ennike, end sleep. rind within a few days tudowing to
the rave, as an idle s; cantor. the bodice of the two victims of his
ohms.

Alia can we for a .I,J:went cre iit that Mr. Bird's rccolnter.cas was
motive fur the i .ttp.let ; a poor infirm man, 3 yctus
might Last: beta ti•_(l to his chwit with a packthrvd

• SEPT.

- • •
In Iltieseys hoses ion, at the distance of a month after the mur.
dera, were bound the following articles, which would alone make a
tolerably large bundle, viz —C large sheets, a piece of n'w cloth, a
large cotton shawl, a silver soup ladle. a silver wine strider:. an old
cotton handkerellief, 2 shirts, 2 watches, and five IL BaiA of Elie.
land no:es, and two Yl. Bank of England tortes ; and Net he state,,
that the smallest share fell to his lot. Besides these, rings of some
value, and one of great apparent value, and a watch. were &mid cis
• his peron.
If they went to the Park to divitle this plunder, they must have
paced unnoticed through the streets svith their large bundle. or
through the Circus, to have got to the Park ; and as the gates are in
the eienth of Februery loyked at nine n'clock.uhen they 1:44 finishi,et
their tkrrtition, they would. upon their return, hare to get over the
Park call with their buntßm
If )ir. Bird had by Itim the guineas utirdt Hussey speaks of as
having becn found in'the bateau, they would pet bably have been in
the secret drawer, which *as neverthelesa undiscovered ; and when
he aflinned that share consisted of the Bank m tts seal the watches.
while the gold was retained by the others, he was not aware that it
had been clearly ascertained, OW, he had himself been dispositc.; ef
gold coin at a shop in tiewgate Street a few days after the.niurder.
That the valuable share of ease supposed accomplices could c,.n.
sist of it is difficult to imagine; kr, with the exception of some IT.t
and two or Circe artieles of silvcr. all that was lot on the night et'
the murder w re, found in the possessicti of Charles I I ussey.
If. a; ths, lie has thrown the toMmer and mallet into ti:e
nord Vansittert Terrace,-there would have they both ben found ;
but a :171!11:!:CT a only found there, (although; the pond has hem
twice thoroughly searched.) and with a li:tinnier only,etand not a
melba, v ere the blo s and fractures upon the liend.ecf but the mur-
dered persons inflicted. There was no nterk whatever of a wake
having been in any way used in this lionible work of deash.
With relation to his alleged companions in therobbery, Iftreicy
appmes to have evinced feelings of considerable indulgence; thr, al-
though lie plarued the robbery, yet he received the smallest chart of
the plunder, and took upon himself all the risk of the discovery ; for
he under:NA to dispose of the instruments of death, and kept in his
possession the bloatty clothes, which must; when discovered, add to the
other resumptions against him; and, white lie lurks about the
scene of the assasSiration, his associates, the actual murderers.
(whose names, be it known, are, by accident no doubt, the MOat
common to be found in the navy li,t) escape without a trace to lead
to their detection, or even their destination. _ _

nut. to COTIViIIC any reasonable inquirer of the fesehool of th,..
3ev's declazaeon, it it only requisite to compare a short computaeon
of the titne he gives, with the data furnished by the testimony of
accurate witnesses.

The ilee.nation alleges, Batt the house was entered between eight
and nine; some apace of time int Tvened Letween A knocking at the
door, and B overfeniing the difficulties he found in gating into the
hem?. Another allowance of time must be made for the commis..
sion or the murder, M. Bird having struggled a good deal. Hussey
minutes on the watch, before he went to the door to them
i.sseriates. He was in the house for five minute:. and tL,n %aited
ten minutes for thew. They went to the park to divide the plunder;
prabahly we should allow ten minutes forthis part-of the transac-
tion ; the division of the booty might take the minutes. Hmsey's
return from thence to dress. and the act of changing his clothed.
cannot be computed at less than a quarter of an hour. His then
going to the pond at Vansittart.terrsee, to conceal the hammer and
inailet. and his returning to the Tiger's Head, must have comma
at least ten minutes or a qtr.rter of an hoar more.
ily his account, thiblefore, of the uat.snetien, from the
idols of the murder to his joining Ii oln.ipaiiions at
the Tiger's Head. it would teqiiire, upon the most moderate
c,,iiiiintation. an hour and a half, and pri,bahl!, n 'much longer
hßute than mils calculation amounts to.

Compare this with the proof upon the trial. Mr, Bird and
his housekeeper were• seen alive at 20 minute: or half past
eight; and all the wit tes.rs agreed that about 20 minutes
after nine (one witness •aid IC ntinntc•s pn.f nine) Hesvey was
et the Tiger's Head; so the all these dilrei cut ellen mstanees
num, if they took place at all, have occupied octy 40 minutes
—a tltiii quite ineredahle to those a lro kr.,,w the relative
►itnadon of Mr. Bird's and Letton's houses and Grecuwick
Park.

Upon tlie,egrotimis, strengthened by other minor circum-
stances of corroboration, is my conviction bounded, that
Charles litissey's own hand inflitted the mortal blows upon
Mr. Medan(' I:is housekeeper; that he had previutosly secret-
or the hammer for the iikp ea. purpose; that he knocked at
the door at half pasl trt o'cliu k, and, la Ink speak h. gto the
mind. felled her to the ground with his right hand, anti thrust
to the street dour %vitli his left: that upo t Mr. Bird's advanc-
mg to the door. he was in like maimer struel. down by the
hammer ; that he made a hasty search thi ought Vie house, and
having moved the housekeeper ftom the front door. (as her
body 114.1 so as to pi event the drn:r front opening,) he
eat his jacket and gaiters bloody, and the latter mai ked with
vomit; that he took the bundle of things he stole to the dark
cell:trait Letton's, and threw the hainnter Ii 0 the pond : that
he then ,dianeed int. clotliesond Mont diately returned to the
chin, where he spent the evening, tim:ffected by the fon!
atinci• in which he had been engaged ; and that he depends.
ed mainly for hid acquittal upon' the early hour in the even-
ieg at Watch he mixed amongst the numbers of his club.
It may lie telt, and, indeed, has 10'03 urged, that flosselr
made his r •nfession after joining in the solemn office of recei%-
iiig the Sacrament, and that he could have uo expectation
then of escaping punishment. Whates er weight these coil-
alder:tin-ins might have in the case of an ordinary otioteler,
in the prewitt they have no weight with me. He received the
Sarranwtit,,:eitying his implication in the e.tience; and in Ins
WO leiter to his hi oilier bet:mettle tuba,); he exults, that how-
es er the gi natal opinion was against him, still while "there
is life there's hope." J. L. BIChNELL.
Gr.:cis% it'll, Sept. 1.

n utronn of gigantic
strength and stature. was punished by a scse,t drubbing. by a young
gentleman in thrac respects greatly his inferior. The gentleman was
tinning out uf (lan:try Lane into Flect-tst E., t, i 1 n gig drawn by a
vety spirited horse. The • Annan was passit.: ;:t the done, and put -
drovo'the dray so as net only to injure Cie gig, but to endruttlet
the sstety of the t!river. The youtg gentleman reinonstratcd with him
on his conduct. and was replied to by the most brntal abuse, s-com
period with a stroke or the wi:ip. Ile halt soon, however. cause ti
repent of his ruffianly emulnct. for the gei.tlcruen donnour.ting from
his vehicle. and giving, his horse in charge to a bystander, soon gavo
hip unweildy opponent so severe a dubbing that hs wes glad to
cry out for quartert having been tviniplettly yrived of sight, and
his countenance in oth; r respreta hearing simile testimony to tl-e
punishment he had so deservedly received for his brutal conduct.
lie r: r.'; pl.teed on his own they. and the charge cf conducting his
hoses was undertaken by another tincyntan who w,te raissirg
at the time. The gentleman drove off amitict the cheers of the
crowd, not havilig receivtal eau slightest apparent injury in the
ruled) tre. •

'I ii,p.l4v young min. named 111110,1 Harley,
ectifiiirtmall) employ Ed a+ 1t0.,1. cep. r an:l ca. 11,1 I. ill the
11..105*. of Mr Aruxa oder AtCattliy. an en:'ts••nl sees chant,
rePi.lina in the oily of Cork. absconded with a •niii et wine:,
arisotinting to newly fivr hundred poiiii•ls ; I.ii a., ri.ce %c.v.
nhn..a,n 1111111PliilllelY not ice d. He war trared to Du Win, and
tAi en iota ett.tody in a boat a Well ran endeavgimiiig to pot
Iwo the p nrkel for Holyhead, WWI the view, nlri
lualilyoor faking rAille in Allis siva. The whole of alto eta,
brazk LI property ‘$ 43 luund open him.

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