The National Register.
London, England, 1818-10-25 00:00:00

CONFESSION.

During the time the inquest was being held at the Rocking-
ham Ana*, Dean was placed in a private room with May and
several other officers. Dean whespereJ to Mt% that if he
were left alone with him he would relate to him the whole
particulars of the dreadful transaction. May requested every
person present to leave the room, and the prisouer then made
the following confession, which tie give verbatim;—" On
Friday evening last. I met a young man named Joseph Wil-
liams, with whom I had long been intimate at Mrs. Halbert's
house, in Jacques-court, Thomas street. I had long been
acquainted with a young woman, named Sarah Longman,
daughter of Mr. Longman, at the Grapes, Chnrch-row, A Id-
gate ; my affection for her was extremely great ; I had for
AMP time corresponded with her. A dispute unhappily
arose; I wrote to her 'spot) the subject, expressing my regret
at the unfortunate rupture ; deperibed the very great regard
which I entertained for her ; implored her to consent to a
reconciliation; and begged that she would write me an
early answer. She never replied to my letter. Her father
called upon me, and wished that the connexion might be
discontinued. These circumstances bail an indescribable
effect upon my mind; I was miserably ;mho p,ty, was incapa-
ble of offending to any business, and gave myself up entirely
to despair. I endeavoured to prevail upon her to renew
the correspondence. I felt that I never could be happy in
this world without User, and determined to leave it. Thoughts
et* a dreadiiii description entered my mind, and must have
proceeded from the devil. I felt that I should leave the
world in a state of happiness if I conlil murder her, and de-
termined to perpetrate the deed. I hail been from home two
days, business nut being very brisk ; and tin Friday evening I
called to see Williams. at Mrs. Halbert's, and we both cause
out together, anti walked in company as far as the Surrey
Theatre ; we dui not go in. I told Williams that I wanted to
tier a gentleman in the Borough, and should go that way.—
We parted, and I returned to Mrs. Halbert's. After talking
no a very trientlis manlier with the family, I asked for a knife,
and they supposing that I wanted to rut some bread, gave
me a case knife. I took 'inopportunity of concealing it un-
perceived in my pocket. I shortly after went out wit% the
child to buy her some apples, which hissing done I returned
to the court. A sudden thought came over my mind that if
I murdered the eh Id, who was innocent, I should not commit
so great a crime as iu murdering Sarah Longman, sho was
older ; and as lis seined had sins to answer for. In a mo-
ment I pulled the knife out of my pocket, put the child out
of my sums, held i• r head heck, and cni her throat ; iu au
instant 1 imagined ,hat I was in the midst or aaaa fire, and
the cowl atilite4l...l to me like the entrance of hell. I ran
away, not lithium; where I went, or what 1 did I wandered
about in a state of distraction, until 1 surrendered myself up
at the watch-lsoust

Dean has been ever since his comniitinent entirely 'lb-
ikutheil in meditation. lie repi -did that a Bible and prayer-
book, which were tumid at Las gings, and lead been taken
posseNsion of by May, the constable, might be given to I ;
the nooks weir delivered. and he has incessantly employed
himself in the perusal of them. He weeps very 311111:11, and
speak. in terms ot great affection of the child which was
^del ith•ed try his It..nd.
It appears that . tier Dean had committed the atrocious
Cut tale, air it ailed el i out until ten o'clock at night, and then lit
crosaeil the %AM.. nd entered a public house set Westminster,
and oil the !rollout g day he enlisted in theblhta Regiment,
find pas.ett the no. tot the same day, cud was to have been
snuru 111 on the morning that he ativendetethhionelt. It

- -
was noticed by the soldier with whom he enlisted, that 1m
appeared at times greatly confused, and would start suildpiily
as if labuuring under Mils nervous disorder, bat he could not
elicit from him the cause of his melancholy. On the Sunday
Dean wrote a letter at the public lions. lii Mr, Halbert, Ilse
father of the deceased, acknowledging that lie was the ninr
derer, and also his sorrow fur what he had done, The letter
was received on Monday by Mr. Halbert, and is now in his
possession.

MURDER AT RRONIPTON, KENT.
Fora week past the water in the well of the Duke of York
priblic.licusc, at Brampton, Kent, had been affected with so
nauseous a taste and smell, that it became unfit for use. The
servant, when dressing, fonud something hindered the bucket
from King ; the impediment was enpposed to be the lid of
the well, which had fallen in, and which wets thought to have
communicated the offensive qualities to the water. The girl,
however, lately thought that she perceived something like a
body, and on moving the rope back o arda and foreard. to
till the bucket, she found pieces of skin and animal sitestanco
adhering to it whet) it was drawn ; and within the last
few days the smell at the mouth of the well had become so
exceedingly offensive that no one would gn near it. On Se.
tinday morning the circumstances having become a matter
of couversation among some soldiers who were drinking at
the Duke of York, one of them uttered for * trifling reward
to go down the well, which is of great depth, aed clear it of
its impurity. He was accordingly lowered Jowl', bin before
he arrived at the bottom he was almost overpowered by the
(maid ellinvia, and celled out to the men who were lowering
him to stop. Having waited for a few seconds and recovered
himself, he proceeded till the bucket touched the water, when
leaning over its side, he with leriiiite horror and dismay, din
coveted a naked I an body ilmitrog on its hack. To be
certain, lie took hull of the hair, when the body rolled over,
and the air and scalp became detached from the skull, and
remained in his hand. Terrified in the extreme, and almost
reduced to insensibility at the horrid bight, he called to the
men it the brink of the well to draw him up. • One of his
comrades then went down with a skeet, and lowing rolled it
round the dead body, it was drawn up ; the soldier, however,
nearly tell a sacrifice to his exertions ; he was so affected
the foul air, that he lost his senses just as he came within the
reach of the by-standers, who caught bolero( him, and pre-
vented him from failing headlong into the well. The body
proved to be that of a woman about 37 years of age, Dented
Donnelly, the wife of a soldier lately discharged from the
98th regiment. She was far advanced pregnancy, and
being completely naked, it was immediately suspected that
the woman had been sundered.
A Coroner's Jury was suitsinoneil, and an inquisition taken
at 14 o'clock on Saturday last, which continued investigating
this mysterious *Nair until 7 at night, when the evidence was
read by the Coroner, and the Jury nut agreeing unenimously
in their verdict, at. adjournment took place till 1 o'clock on
Monday : fresh evidence Saving been obtained, they cote
tinned their investigation till b o'clock in the evening. The
following particulars came out se—
In the early part of September, the 98th regiment, to
which the husband of the deceased belonged, arrived from
Halifax. Donnelly was then quartered at the Doke of York,
at Brampton ; he came there accompanied by Ins vas and
two children, and was lodged in a room at the back of the
house, the window of which isabout five feet koin the well in
which the deceased person was found. The unfortunate
woman was about twelve years older than Doimellw; she was
very much attached to blot ; but was extremely. jealous, mid
frequently evinced that passion when he spoke to another ie.
male ; their quarrels consequently were frequent, and at times
particularly violent. On the night of the 17th of September
they quarrelled, and from violent words proceeded to blows ;
their couduct became desperate ; Donnelly forced his wife
towards the well, and threatened to throw her into it ; her
screams brought persons to her assistance. and she was re-
leased front Ins violent efforts to force her towards the well's
mouth. The whole of that night, however, she lay in the open
air, with her head resting on the steps leading into the public-
house where she was found next morning with her clothes wet
through with dew and rain. She was advised to go to her
apartment and change her apparel, which she did after some
time, and in the cosine of the day she became reconciled to
her husband. On the following Saturday night site was at
the club room nt the Doke of York in apparent health and.
spirits; after that time she was nut seen alive by any one to
the house.

Ou Sunday morning the 20th Sept. Donnelly came down
from his apartment and sat in tile tap room with kis tw •
children but without his wife; inquiries were made after her,
and he said that she had gone the preceding night on a visit
to her friends ; he did nut know when she would return :
that she had token 31. to defray her expenees, &c. To other
inquiries, he said that she was gone oft with another man.
A female, who Went into his apartment on the day sites Don-
itelly's wife disappeared, stated, that she sow every thing
about ►he room in the greatest disorder ; the clothes of the
deceased scattered about in all directions, and slue observed
marks of blood upon the bed linen. Yet,with all these strong
es idences of guilt, together with the violent (tendert toe i .10
the deceased on. the Thursday preceding, no suspicion ad-
pears to have been entertained of the murder until Saturday
week, after the body had keen lying iu the well fur more
than a month.

Dwindle remained at the Duke of York after the deeesiacd
mieuiing for swore than a rot might, and fiequently con-
versed about his absent wife without the least emotion or eon-
fusion at the lime. He said sbe was gone ul with a fellow,
and would not tioublchini again, and since that period be has
cohabited with another woman.
'The Coroner summed up the evidence to the Jury ; he was
glad they adjourned. because Inure evidence ut great
Lame had been adduced, and trum that and the r%itlesice
taken on the first day they assembled, he had no doubt nut
that they wonid be Chic to cotter to a Sul isfictury cuucluaion
upon rho subject.
The Jur, , without hesitation, returned a verdict of " wafts!
inns der ugailltd the Ititshatod of the deceased," and .1 ‘t art.dit
has since been i,sucd tui his apprelleisqusi and cult/omit:lt IS
the County 6.iul.

A lettrr dated :IlonclirMer, the 19th. rays :,—..'rw• of
principal thii• lIINII set:etre& uu tiatisidi
emelt:ova olds is for ditteresit dem:, ipt luso. of ii,••.orac,ni. d
Food., fur South Alneriedll I,ll.llkeis Thor oldt ra c.. tae time
1141114 and Rio Jasietio ; two of Went ate 1., • con,tdrrable
amount ; and the letters, which accon.p4iiiel! ong
the cheering AftstirriliVe that th, ) it, Aft 6,111,N t d by
whet aof 111141 magnitude. 7 t.
conitilerable Nati,hietion ; al,d will, in • oicaeosr cowling,
wail the gloomy accounts as to not trade with the Cuittel
States."

t,•40

i rem the LONDON G.47ETTE, Saturday, Oct. 24.

lIIANICIWPTCY ENIARGF.D.
Tarrraura J. ling street, Goswell.strilet, builder, from Oct. 27,
to Doe. 15.

BANKRUPTS.
DT" N G. Jim. Lac et China Terrace, Lambeth. auctioneer, Ott.
27, Nov. 7, Mt. 5. at Gtt ldhal. Att. Mr. tlntlson, Staole Inn.
Wir.sov J. ILtilbon OxfnrtL,teee, bookseller, Oct. 27,
Nov. 1, Dee. 3. at Guildhall AU. Nind and Co. Thrognorton-

Sswacia .1. W. A. Limw-ttreet, spirit merchant, Oct 31, Nor. g,
Ike. 5. at Guildludi. Atts. Chaptwin and Co. Little St. Thomas
Apoatle.
ittlaT W. Sheffield, meretant, Nov. 5,6, Dec. 5, at Sheffield. Att.
Mr. Wil.l/13, Greville-atreet, Hatton Garden.
Gamtast R. Garstamt. Lancaster, grocer, Nov. 16, 17, Dec. 3, at
Lancaster. Att. Mr. Illaklock. Serjeant's Inn.
HAnr►:x Fleet-street. bookseller, Oet 31, Nov. 7, Dec. 5, at
Guildhall. Atts. Eieke and Co. Aldermanbury.
DIVIDENDS.
J. flush, late of Thateham. Berks. innkeeper, Nov. 18.
W. HAM, Esher, Surrey. victuall.u, Nov. 14.
A. Anderson. Philpot-'.sue, merchant, Nov. 14.
W. Browning, St. Mary Axe, wine aserclant. N0v.14.
W. Hopkins. Aldersgate-street, cooper, Nov. IL.
J. Lister, Nethetton, Ymit, merchant, Nov. 15.
S. nose. Swansea. dealer, Nor. 16.
14. Hance. Worcester. lineadrayer. Nov. t 6.
T. Gillant and W. Weaver, St. Michael in Beirrardite, Worcester,

drem,:rs, Nov. 16.
I.ester, Iltuton Garden. hardwaremast, Nov. 14.
W. Amen, Camb:trwea, merchart, Nov. 14.
J. P Thom pion. Gt. Newport•strcet, engmver, Nov. 7.
. Smith, Tabernmcle.walk, merchant. Nov. 10.
J. Pitcher, Back Toad, St. George. bricklayer. Now. 4.
D. Ilockl)land W. S. Hall, Brooke-street, Holborn, working gold.

smiths;Nor. 14.
.1. Fairlamb. Wynyatt-street, Cowell Street-road, persian manu-
facturer, Nov. 7.
J. S. Rains, Wapping Wall, merchant, Nov. 14.
F. Pot:mnier, Corporation Row, Cdfrkenwell. distiller, Nov. 10.
T. Punlay. Margate and Sandgatt, stationer. Nor. 21.
J. Ashton. Tower Street, wine merchant, Nor. 10.
S. P. Seagar. Maidstone, deals, Nov. 17.
G. and S. Robinson. Paternoster Row, booksellers. Nov. 7.
D. Glover, Gutter Lane, merchant. Nov. 10.
J. Wollfe and J. Dorrilic, New Bridge Street, merchants, Der. 1.
W. Elgar, Maidstone. grocer, Nov. 17.
Vt. Ovine, Borough, Southwark. distiller. Nov. 10.
CERTIFICATES—Nov. t 4.
J. Walker, Upper Russell Street, Bermondsey, glue maker—C.
Blunt, Tatistock Street, Covent Garden, optician—G. W. Verden-
halm, Whim's Yard, Rosemary Lane, sugar refiner—T. Flower,
Castle Street. Holbarn, Jeweller—G. 'Sargent. Hastings, Sussex,
ship owner—J. Turner. late of dory Mill, near Hemel Hempstead,
Hertford, corn factor—T. Nicholls and John Marlow. Birmingham,
leather sellers—R. Bray, Gosport. haberdasher.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS
FOR THE ENSUING WEEK.
THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN.
'T..morro•.v—Romeo and Juliet—The Barber of Seville.
•Turniy—Fazio—Wedding Day—The Sleep Walker.
Wednealy—The Clandestine Marriage—The Barbet of Seville.
Titursilay—Adelgitha.

Tii: NATIONAL REGISTER.

LONDON:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1818.

Gibraher Chronicles to the 2Gth ult. are received,
from which the following are extracts:—
" The quarantine schooner returned from Tangiers
Bay on the 24th instant.

" Within the last fortni,;ht, the plague had consi-
derably increased in Tangiers, and spread even amongst
the principal Moorish and Jewish families.

" The Chief Priest of the town had fallen a victim

to the disease.
" The total amount of deaths from the Bth to the
123 d, amounted to 152 peri.ons.
" The plague continued to rage in all the villages in
the neighbourhood of Tangiers, and it had extended to
&vie villages in the mountains, to-the southward of
Tetuan.
" The accounts from the last mentioned town are
contradictory. A Nl:Air, however, who arrived at
Tangirrs, jlist I.w!*<;re the departure of the sohooner,
positively affirmed, that the dcatlis in that town
amounted to abent persons per day.
" Letters up to the 20th ins:. from Fez and Laroche,
state, that the public health in those towns continued
to be good. .

American papers arrived on Tlarsday, containing an
account received from the Island of Trinidad, of the
capture, on the 4th Aug. of Guira by the Independent
squadron, commando(' by Brion. The place was taken
by storm, and the attack and defence appear to have
been maintained t,ith the most desperate valour. In
several instances no quarter was giien. The whole of
the crew belonging to a principal ship of the Insurgents
Aveiv put to the sword by the Royalists who had effect.
cd a bearding, whilst the troops in the Spanish fort
gun boats were indiscriminately massacred. Al-
t: ongh the main fact is established of the capture of
the place, yet tlicse details seem very quesC,onable.

4n 1783, when Pitt came into power, the whole
c:pense of Govncnii.•.it nca exceed I:2,500,9001.;
r.ox ttlC poor-rulJs ai pcoz.,;:ii