The National Register.
London, England, 1818-08-16 00:00:00

THE NATIONAT. REGISTER.

remained inaensilde, and answered it by protesting
their innocence.

In the afternoon of Thursday their families visited
them, and to them lile.svieu they declared that they
were innocent, Chennel's 'MU sod wife pertbrnted this
melancholy °face. From his wife, he had been seperated
for some time. They never lived happil4,4, ogether,
and from his marriage., accurding to report, may be
Hated his crimes and tnisfoetnnee. They had only one
son, now five veers or age, who lived with his grand-
father, and who had only left old -'kennel's house on
a visit to his mother, two days before the parricide was
committed. We have not learnt at, whose suggestion
he was removed ; if at that of histather, it would be u
strong circumstance in support of his-premeditated de-
sign to perpetrate the crime of which he was convicted.
ehalcraft has left a wife and six children, three of them
being by a ihrmer marriage. His first wife is said to
have died a victim to his licentious andprofligate habits,
and be took his second from the workhouse, where he
himself was sent to be cured. We hare heard nothing
more of the last interview between the convicts and
their families, but that they both persisted in declaring
their innocence of the crime for which they were to
suffer. The her. Mr. Mann and Mr. Cole visited thew
late at night, and were requested by them to come early
this morning. They accordingly went a little before
7 o'clock. 9 being the hour appointed for the proces-
sion leaving Guildford. They found the prisoners
nearly iu the same.state of mind as when they left, them
the previous evening. They first went into the cell of
Chennel, whom they found up and waiting for them.
There appeared to te little change upon him since his
trial. He was dressed in the same clothes and had
the same heavy, inaniraate, sullen, and inexpressive
look. Mr Mann again addressed him on the subject of
his confession, after ashing him the state of his present
feelings lie told him, that leovever he might con-
ceal his crime fro in men, he c end not elude the un-
seeing eye of that G(' betbre whom he was in a few
hours to appear. He informed him, that there were
certain crimes which he was not required to reveal to
-the world, and thr which he hail to account to
his Maker alone; but crimes against society should be
confessed for the satisfaction of society. It was a duty
he owed to his country, friends, and neighbourhood to
make a disclosure of the Wier ; it ryes the best sign
he could giv- of his repentance for baring committed
them, and he hazarded his salvation by leaving the
world with a lie in lt:s month, by declaring his into-
cence, while conscious of his guilt. He begged him
to understand at the same time, that the confession, to be
satisfactory, must be voluntary, and that he • did not
mean to extort any thing which he was not willing to
communicate. To this considerable admonition, ut-
tered in the most feeling manner, Chennel returned no
other answer, than that they had nothing to confess ;
that he was perfectly innocent of the crime charged,
and that his life had been sworn away by false testimony.
Mr, Mann then proceeded to the cell of Chaleraft, and,
to an admonition of the same import, received a similar
answer, expressed only with more vehemence. The two
prisoners were then conducted into the same cell, (the
gaol of Guildford being without a chapel,) to join in
devotional exercises, and to receive the sacrament.
When the communion aliments were brought, and the
Bibles and Prayer-books laid on the table, Mr. Mann
again embraced the opportunity, before those sacred em-
blems, of making a feeling address to the prisoners oa
their situation and prospects, if' they partook of the
sacrament with a lie in their mouths, and having again
put the question, whether they had any thing to dis-
close, they 'replied succeseivelv that they were innocent,
and the 'service proceeded. Chennel received a Prayer-
book. Chaleraft, who could netread, was requested to
attend. The Psalms which the 11ev. Gentlemen read
were the 51st and 90th, the lessons were the 7th chap-
ter of Job, and the description of the last judgment
under the parable separating the sheep from the gnats
in Matthew. Chennel joined in the-service, and read.
the response' with an audible though feeble voice,. and
in a languid manner. He was several times observed
to be more attentive to the trifling inconvenience of a
fly bussing about his ears, than to the sacred duty iu
which he was engaged, and durieg the reading of the
prayers we saw him yawn three or tour times, as front
flitigue or listlessness, which he could not conceal. In
short the whole of his behaviour ands manner
was that of a man completely besotted in his
intellects or hardened in his crimes, deal to
any feeling of remorse, incapable of any spi-
ritual reflection, and insensible to any thing but,
visible objects. If we may be forgiven in making
such an allnsinu on el solemn an occasion, his cha-
racter strongly reotintlea us of that of Ilarnardine in
Measure jur Men.tur.% " a men that apprehends death
no more droulfully but as a drunken sleep, careleee,
reelless, and fearless of what's past, present, or to
come, insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal."
Chalcraft seemed more atemtive, and by the expres-
sion of his fur appeared to apply to hinetelf those
parts of the service that had a refercree to his
wretched aituation. When Mr. Mann had commu-
nicated himself and administered the communion to
the tither Rev. Gentleman who accompanied him, he.

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