The National Register.
London, England, 1820-04-17 00:00:00

MAGENNIS AND BRUCE.

Bruce, it is still expected, will not be executed.
The firmness which he displayed on receiving sen-
tence, still remains to him. Placed in the awful
situation in which lie stands, no man could behave
better. He imputes no blame to those who doom
him to death, but he calmly declares, that, sustained
by conscious innocence, his solitary cell has no hor-
rors for him. His spirits, he says (he knows not
how it is`, ore good, and God is ever with him. He
speaks of his execution, not with levity or bravado,
but with perfect calmness, and humble resignation.
—Here a strong interest, not a factious one, is ex-
cited for him, a petition is preparing to be presented
to the Judge in his behalf, which, it is hoped,
added to the several circumstances which have ap-
peared in his favour, and the propriety of his con-
duct on the present occasion, will save him from
the fate which he at present anticipates.
firtitade which Magennis exhibited on his
trial has altogether forsaken him, and he now
appears profoundly penitent. He is busily em-
pluyed in writing a memoir of his life, which he
places in the hands of a Mr. Keeling, and which
v. ill, with copious notes, be published as soon as the
execution is over. Mr. Ke, iing, who has seen hint
at different periods during his con.inelaent, says, that
Magenuis is a man of strung eaparit:', and that he
has evidesitly read, with atu•ation, many theological
and metophysical works. Upon his first confinement
I,e affected great sanctity, and said, that he had been
a class-lender of the Methodists; babstoiwattly, how-

•
ever, he declared that he had been all the while
masking his real opinions, and vehemently denied
the existence of a God and the possibility of a future
state, which tenets he maintained with the greatest
firmness until sentence had been pronounced. He
had an interview on Wednesday with Birch, at
which he said, " Birch, I intended to shoot you ;
but the ball which wounded you was intended fur
Mr. Lloyd, of Stockport," the agent for the prose-
cution. He then added, " I merely considered you
both, as troublesome people, who stood in the way,
and interfered with my plans; and the sooner you
quitted the face of the earth the better. But then
I thought there was no heaven, nor no God; but I
have come to a belief now, and I would nut commit
a murder for the world." _ _ _

The following letter has been addressed by Ma.
Bennis to Mary Jones, Union Street, Stockport:—

" April 11, 1820.
" DEAR Fitiesins,—This comes to take my last fare-
well of you all, and I hope you will look on my last dying
words of advis is the last, yes, the last of all. My friends,
you all know well that my principles has been the cause
of my death. You all know that I have denied the future
rewards and punishments due to sin. Yes, strove to
make as many infidels as I could. Yon have been eye-
witness to my tearless principles. You know that I
feared neither God or man. My dear friends, lam happy
to think .bat lam hear. I hope it will be a blessing to
both you and me : let these words I am going to tell you,
strack your kart and soul with delight,and when you hear .
them believe it is true. I will tell yon no falsity now.
After I was sentence to death I come out of the Court
laughing, thinking I would be soon quiet. Thinking that .
both soul and holly would be soon dead, all that
grieved me was to think that a innocent man should
suffer for my transgressions. My dear friends, I come
into my sill, and in a little after a man come into
me, and begun to speak to me about my soul. I laughed
at him. He asked to play by me, but I told Imo I
wanted 110 priestcraft about sue. He reasoned very
fatly, and said he was no priest, and got me to consent
to kneel down; lie prayed and pointed out Christ to me
home. I have oftentimes denied in such a manlier that I '
begun to have a doubt of my own principals. After lie
went wit of my sill, I neeled down at my bed side, and
asked God for pardon, if I was sorry, and begged for
the truth. My dear friends 1 said Ito more, for I was
speechless. I fat down on my face to the ground ; and if '
ever Christ was revealed to man, he was revealed to me.
I see the necessity of Christ. I see the. future rewards
and punishments. I seen as it were Ilell gaping
for Itle, and all this time I did not speak a word.—
deluded that Day on the ground, for I dare say an hour in
1 was seized with such a horror to (Wok I had been so far
such a state of madness as was most shocking to see;
the tears run down my hardened check ; I sicd and
Ironed, and seed all my sins before me. So my dear ,
friends, rejoice to think that God has been so kind to
me, to reveal himself to such a Ratch nt the last boors.—
My dear friends, trifle no longer. Look to me. Look to
yourselves. Disbelieve no longer. Pray to God sincerely,
for the truth. Pray for me, and think it a blessing that
aaa eisior to everlasting happiness. If think of coming
for my body again Saturday, I could wish you to bring me
some old close to be executed in. I could wish you to have
my close to; keep them in remembrance of me, and when
you see them think on met Dunt grieve for me. Rejoice
for my desease. and think of meeting Inc in everlasting
bliss. You will have one thing to do fur me, and dont fail
to do it, and that is, to pay Andrew Manson the sum of
thirty shillings. You may pay them as you chase. He will
' take it at a shilling a time. Then my friends, I will dy
happy. I stud my love to Mary Galamore, and to the other
two men. and to all my friends, both small and great, and
:takes pardon of those I have led astray by my false doctrine.
So adue, adue, remember me.
" JACOB 31 A GENN IS."