The National Register.
London, England, 1817-06-23 00:00:00

John Castle, cross-examined by Mr. WetheralL

Witness came from Tuthill-fields prison, where be slept the
last night. Had been a prisoner since Stun:lay, the toli of
February, sedum he was committed no a charge of High
Treason, never had a promise of pardon inconsideration of
the evidence he was to give on this trial; he newer wanted
any pardon, having never committed any thing which required
a pardon. When he said he did not want a pardon, lie did
not refer to the charge of High Treason, but he referred to
two other things, of which, probably, the Learned Counsel
was in possession. He was ready to communicate .every
thing to their Lordships and the Jury. NV 011eS5 flews told
G. t rispe that he, witness, had been better o'S since the Spa.
fields meeting first took place. or any thing oldie guilt, %t it
nest said he was described in the list of witnesses banded to
the prisoner as a whitestnith by trade. The last piece of
smith's business he had done, was about twelve or -fourteen
years ago. Immediately he fore he was taken up and com-
mitted, he got his livelihood by making eltildren's figures, or
paper dolls. That was the actual employment or husine.ss lie
was in previous to .his arrest. But at that time he seas in
great distress. He had been committed to gaol •twice on
former occasions. Once to Guildford gaol, and the second
time to Abergavcnny evil. On the first occasion lie WOO
committed with Iwo others, on a charge of tinning oft. fotge el
notes. He was not tried for that Mintier, but admitted
King's evidence, and was a witness against kis companions,
one of whom, named Da via, suffered the penalty of the
death by the coinmon hangman. The other percent, named
Greco:may, -was Only transported, in consequence of plead..
dug guilty to the charge. This was tio IT or fine yt.ins ago.
He had no promise of pardon on that oceariun ; but being a
young mall, and innocently drawee into the (((( , the
moment lie was apprehended, he communicated to the pro-
secutors all the circumstance sof the ease. He is now about
2n or 29 years of age. The last hominess he did .us a aline_
smith, was .at Doncaster, Minot liiitricen years ago, wli n lie
worked as ate approntiee, being them almost a child. Was
born at South Kirby, in Yorkshire. Would not swear Ina
year or two of his age. Wa.. COIIIIIO !led 1.1 tA berrnvrilny
gaol Oil a charge of aiding the escape of a French prisoner,
, a Colonel Pavetty. Witness was to receive no particular
stem for this piece nt service. Warner likisulf was .emstitird
in Tothill-fields Brine:well for assisting the eseapeof French
prisoners. Witness was introduced to %Valour in eosin:-
pollee of payiiie a -visit to a -friend of his own in the same
prison, teamed Ketiectt, who had since been ha nod tier his
Orioles. Had keoun Kennett .two Or Oree years before.
:Dickens was eseeaned in this lust nientineed transaction.
Witness stared e« iii• examination it chief, Hint when Mt.
,'Watson, set!. speak Atith him in his lodging:, lie
'desired Lis Aide to r,, out of the moat. Llchad no.cl:4ldetia

.'VrNI n .

levity;; he wte-a marrie d man; he did not know exaetlev his
• age.; he hail heil three, and one with which hi wile
tokens ried. II s wife was now in Yorkshire. I"he last
died three or tour sears ago ; the eldest, it' living, would now
be al t ten rears old; the mother of that child is !bine ;
that mother lived es ith him us hi% with. They were meth'
together at Dover-Mein church, her maiden name W. 15 Pretty-.
He lived with another wetnun named Toneues. He had
never 11131de•proposalm of marriage to another louse woman.
Lord Ellenborough here interposed, and said it was hullos:4We is
carry this ferther.
AVitness hail told the Court and Jury that his last employment was
sedlitig children' pictures and paper dull.:. Ile knew woman nam-
ed Mother Toe:ruts', who kept a lodging house in King-street, Soho.
Witness lived with Mother Tongues as her husband. It wee not a
ji hiss:of ill-fame. Ile did not lave there in the diameter of Bunters'
sly. but in the charaeter of htubanit. Ire had not,- however, been
;'sere tot the bet eight or nine months. Mrs. 'Pongees iv now dead.
the OW.inanning of the 2d of December. he wee; fronetlse Black
Dog, Dewy-lane, to Lonslor -bridge, and from thence he went to
meet the waggon. lie put the legs into the waggon. He then went
back to Lemlor 'bridge, vine e waito meet the blacksmiths. Did
nut bees any panic:Aar tisane of the faetory from whence the smiths
were to Mule. lie did not know or understand Met the smiths had
gone ta Stinnett!, on the 2,1 of December. He did eersee one there
himself on that day, for ke did not go to the 'nesting. lEd not say
that one of the Weteons end ('tenon had been to see the smiths.
Finding no smiths a: London-bridge, he scent deera immediately to
the Tower, len he found the 'rower-ante shin, and ell persoas quiet
there. H e auelis no speech on thut occasion to the soldiers ins the
Tower-wells. lie hel heels with the soldiers its the Tower, oa the
•Setstriey hefote: hut on tl:e 2d of December he didnot demand if
the sellers t i deliver the Tower nip. Finding all perfectly quiet ek
the Tower, he teen went up the- Minories, and everything there was
ale' quiet. front teener.. he went to the lloyal l'echange. Ile did
*it t ink that Hooper was taken in the ltos-al Exclienge. He
teen went up in the direction of Little Ittitsan, and he wen
.Mr. Hunt in Cheapside, near Bow Lharch. It wanted then
n'arat twenty minutes of eine o'clock. These was then ne
• tie or disturbance i n the city. He asked Mr. Hunt the
reason why he was so late in attending the Spa-fields meet-
itig. To which Mr. Hunt replied there was sotticient time
to be there ov one o'clock. Did not tell 71r. Hunt that the
Tower was in posseeeinii for an bolo,
cur make any observation to that or the like effect.. He had
porelmeeil am mere arms than two swords .owl a pistol. The
whole money redivided for carmine on the Flans of the con-
spiretors dill not item-col en% 'Fliere was a NI. note sent at
em: time. Reinembered dining with Mr. Hunt :It his hotel
in thine erie-street, Fleets-sieve,. There were present, besides
Mr. hunt, Preston, the two Wat sons,Thistle wood, Mr. Bryant
and others. The King's health was not drunk Ater dinner,
•that was left oat of tlee question. Witness told Mr. Hunt
an that occasion, that he had assisted in the escepe of some
From!' officers, and rt-Cl'iNt'll 500 i. for so doing. Ile did not
tecollect whether he meationed this before or after dinner.
Did not recollect any of the company present admonisilaing
him for the impropriety of his conduct or language. Was
not himself at Spa-fields on the god of December, Went
rased to different polilie-hewers before the gaol of December.
Went to the Stone kitchen at the Tower, an I at one time
there were seven or eight soldiers tee'.ent, but did not say any
thing particular to them. Did not give one sot hi a chiding
three: or four Clues. Having his attention again called to
the dinner its Butiverie-street, he slid the persons present
were Mr. Hunt, the two Watesons, Mr. 'f histlewood, Hooper,
Mr. Clarke, the elstiirmau of the Spa.fiehls meeting, and
others. He went to dine there becalm it was the pluee
weere Mr. Hunt put up at ; he slopped there that day until
tete:ten C, mid 7 o'cluA ; the plan for attacking the Batik
ee' I-Mgt:mil was to be effected by means of glass; bottles, or
eay thieg Is that the assailants could lay hold of. One
parry we:: to coat into its Itintees surrounding the. Peank, and-
oeother to get into the interior of the bedding ; the glass
bottles were to be obtained from the !lonics, whielrehmild be
broken open if tiny could be found therin. Recollected
giving the following toast after dinner on that day :—" May
the last of Kings be strangled by the mils of the lest of
Priests." The compeny desired him not to be quite et> vine
krt. lie proposed to drfeud liiincelf ; hut he was checked
by the conreany. Was not reprimanded fir the violence of
lauguage or the improprety of his conduct by the coot.
patsy shim present. Dr. %liaison assisted them with compu-
tations, and in three or four hours they were to have posses.
PlOll of London. They isle to say the twiny had joiued us.
Witness went by the ua:nc of Jackson,• after the second Spa-
'fields meeting, on the advice of Angel, who thought it pru-
dent, kst witness should be taken, as Heseper hail been ap-
Feuendil. Had semi Watson several times, hut he did nut
row his (witness's) eddress, and he Watson) consult:Mewed
to Min a plan fur ikstroying Government. disclosed
ehis on the. 6th or 7th of January, and was imprisoned on the
th of Febritney. Was its the room at the first Spa-fields
7:ecting, and lie boasted of putting his fist in a mettistrate.s
fere, who threatened to shove him off a table ; several police
otikers were in the room. Was not near the window when
Mr. Hunt epoke. `rook the name of Jackson by his own
choice. Was sepported since his imprisonent in
Bridewell by Mr. Stafford, who also gave him all laic
pocket money, and he el.° niece his wife five pounds in re.
brualy. to go to Yorkshire; bet lie never made her his
confidant, and sloes nut know that she could state what he
stead, but probably she might tell Brit she was desired to Tenve
the room on a curtain ronfereisee he held with Mr. Weesoa.
Thistlewood promised them money to take them out of the
conntry, if any thing should happen. 15 ill swear he never
hail access in Hyde-street, Blooruslowy, but lie mid Watson
jun. took the pikes to that house. HAS heard since of pikes
being found in the pc; ry, and was told so N udder.
Never was in that horsily after taking the pikes !hum, ext•ept
in assisting to remove Wine thilSg3, which he did in presence
°fold Watson.

Dy Lord I:llcahoronch.—Was to pay the soldiers afler tretill7
ro‘m:ssion of the Blia;(. l he not" of the Bank were to be It': !toy' d.
red paymer t• made in cash ; for whelk purpose the plate of .Jl the
nobility and gentry. was tel... beiSld and usi&de inter natney. midi the
cap of liberty cnaraven en U. The mews were to be paid fur by a
cheek on Thittlewood, and if they refuted thtm, thwi they wets
to seise them by force.—Somerset Hons.:was to be the head quartet:.
'1 hey had no money in hand.
Zaecheus Banniater, examined by the Attorney-General.

Lived at 11, 111 c-!•trePt. in Dece:cber Iwt. 'The privy of the
hote.e wag then searched, wFcn pikes were fuuntl, which he nova.
had seen before.

Here Mr. Wethetoll cited the objectirn t.t},en in the cage of ilarly
by Gibbs (now Chitf,ft::!iee, Ctimcnor vins recurattl
in page 133, vol. 3n41, ct tient trial-9.lbley'6 edition.

('ross•exam it rd.

The premises were taken by Dr. NW..tsen, for his son. Thcl:cv
produoed bore a resemblance w the key ni th• shop door—it loot
like it The <trect tor had a roninwn Ite y. The p; icy su .1.4;n
the czr.i. The rest of tl: hour 4.: Lipka by seet,rai
The ',art' at (I rrtry were conaturet to the whnit ho us". To go t.
tLe yard, *as threugh the rat.:ao to the strtet dour, without gioing

II tr. Sl'..v

:ON AT,

into the silop. Witres4 had seer. ed Wateln with son. at -11 Ls
}:nose, a: different times. Ha ,;id nut know the elder WaLson ever
pt ti.crc. nor ever. ii his ou did. _ _

Jahn Vickery, ofH„,r of 114 w-street, deposed, that on the sth De-
cember he went to S.s. 30, Ilyil,:-stscet, Itlooutsbury, belonging to
Bannister. lie went to e area the shop or resin' on:npied by young
War en. 6. loge quantity oz pieces of iron woe found, eight or
ten in:he; hog, raercol at each end,to the number of 19$, They
have been all to his ppoosses sate two, ever since: they have bet n
locked up, wrapt in bags with his nALL They wcte never out of
his sight, until 11-? sealed them.
At Ti minutes, past 12. Attorney-Co:oral stared to their Lord-
slips, that he had call-xl all the witoe,...c:, thowht proper, a::1
Inel for the present finished his case for the prosecution.

A palls:: of about ten minittertriek placc, when
Mr. NV etherall addressed the Jury in behalf of Dr. Wat:nr.
Ile began his spe..elt by oloservin?, that they had now arrived at the
the fifth day In the trial of an individual for treason of ti ,e most
extraordinary des:ription ever witnessed in this country, and shish
he sincerely hoped would r.,:ver apin be witnenedLa trial the
record of which lied no precedent is his Majesty's Crown-office,
and which ought not to he pre: oa the files of the Court. The
c.:.happy man at the bar was charged with four treasons. The
hardihood and villany of Castle, and the manner in which
he had ailed troni first to last, left in his mind no do:ibt what•
ever but this scheme had originally been formed !,v :inn, and
that the ft, . inifortmiate p:iseners hail become 1,;:.
The rains snare had hes a laid for Mr. Hunt, as lie was re-
line:A to abase, anal it was only by accident that he was- not
now placed at that bar, but fortunately, Isstrever, f,sr lidos
se!f. tae had escaped it. On this, however, he should at pre-
sent decline saving more. Wicked, scandalous and detesta-
ble as the evidence of Castle was, Le had not thrown out a
single hint respecting the Spenceans or ally similar society.—
Anil when the character of that individual—Of:it perjured, in-
ratnotim inshvidaal, was considered, was there a person who
could doubt that lie would not, in his evidence, have brotvglit
forward every thing which the blackest malignity could in-
vent ; for the whole of his evidence obviously emanated from
is mind corrupted with every species of malignity and wicked-
ness ? lie had been asked on his cress-esaniiiiation, if he
could produce the name of a single person who was to go to
Spa-fields? lint that infamous perjured fellow found it Im-
possible to tiling one :lame, nor could he describe one specific
thing they niennt to accomplish. If the July credited this
account of Mr. Dow line, the slawfliand writer, there was at
war of words, but nothing else. But it was rather Iturortit-
sate for Mr. Dowling, that he hal been confirmed by not a
single witness, and lie (Mr. Werherall) denied utterly that
such alines had been said as were alleged...

The Attorney-General Raid. he deadd not sit stilt and hear such an
menial, without denying it. The lea was not asserted by the !warned
Counsel. He (send endure to have hit arcerments wasrepresentod,
and his mesning perivrted. but he could not :lifter any-Ong ao los-
fuended to be Qledged as true.
„Mr. Wetherall resumed--Every thing must stand or fall
upon the testimony of Castle ; and, in almost every character
of the alphabet von can trace to bin a double alliteration of
crime. lie btandb before you the confessed bully or a bawdy
house, and acknowledged by himself to be guilty of bigamy.
Will you. gentlemen, believe hint ? Can yeti credit this forger
asset Won, who, at the moment he ,toot? before you, had con-
fessed himself to have worked out his own safety—to have
owed his very existence to the sacrifice lie made of a confede-
rate in a capital crime? In your presence he was forced, by
examination, to ecinfe3s himself guilty of larceny, even on one
of the unhapy prisoners at the bars 'There title, following him
Irons his; early life, where Ire lived-in site of those h 0111123 of
I.ldlal depravity, in a capacity which, even the very dissolute,
with one spark of manly feeling:left, would retolt—tracing
hint from the bawdy !muse in which he was the abandoned
bully, three ii ascending progre4s of his turpited, —after
saeritieed to the earnings of his !demi money one nits-
ereble man, and committed every description of guilt, he now
presents himself in a cause of high treason as the witness of
the Crown—pardon me, not the witness of the Crown, in its
ordinary :me epta lion, but the fed clothed witnese of the clown,
wearing on his body the apparel which Mr. Stafford, of Bow.
street, had provided for hint. Yes, gentlemen, the very clothes
on his hack were the insipient wages of that bleed money—of
that rctnuueration which, as a wile!, he ha:; set orr the lives of
the unfortunate prisoners at the bar, and which he did not
deity that on OVA' sari itice he did expect to receive.
The Learued tient lemen having aihrerted to the eel-silence of
Castle as to meeting Me. Hain iu Cbeapside ; but whatever
might be the warmth and indiscretion of his polities., 110 oat
had attempted to east an imputotiOn on his moral character or
Iris claim to voracity. And front his lips the Jury should hem.,
that though Castle said, (feelings full the tendenty of the
question,) that he only told Mr. Hunt the meeting at Spatields
was over, yet that gentleman wunld tell them, that Castle
told him the Tower was in their possession an hour before. --
Had not Providence, or Mr. Kent', own circumspection, pro-
tected him front s tch ao attempt-4; e but turned hie cur-
riele—s-ectild this detestable reptiic e mixed him uneonsei-
entionsly far it single moment ii, i n 'lb, i!istead of being here
attrauling as it witness, he would men t retie:duly hale stood at
the bar, to mnltiply the victims of that indescribable villain.
Had Sir Francis Bnrdett (lie meutitmed the came with re-
spect! for he-tuner, net prudeutly abstained from accepting
the invitation of attending the Spafields meeting, it not
possible that be might he mixed hit this ennspirite by the oath
of such a cm to be coutirtned by this paper oft'. 1'.:;.