The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-22 00:00:00

The Waterloo Road Murder,

The following painfully interesting letter, in re-
ference to the murderer Samuel Wright, has ap-
peared in the Week,lg Register, from the pen of the
Rev. Dr. Husenbeth, the Catholic clergyman whose
name has already been referred to in reference to
this matter :

Sir,—As so many erroneous statements have appeared in
the papers respecting the unhappy murderer, Samuel
Wright, and as my name, misspelt as usual, has been intro-
duced into the accounts of the poor criminal's behaviour
previous to his execution, it will, I think, prove acceptable
to your readers to have a correct account of the man, and
to see these various inaccuracies rectified, Samuel
Wright was not born at Ccssey, as represented, but came
here with his parents from Norwich, about seventeen
years ago, He was then about fourteen years of
age. His mother eoon after became a Catholic, and
he and his younger brother Michael came under my spiri-
tual care. After a due course of instruction, both were
admitted together to their first Communion in 1848. In
the year following, they both were cotfirmed here by
Bishop Wareing. Samuel continued regularly to approach
to the Sacraments, and to attend to every duty of the
Catholic religion, while he remained at Coesey. He was
married by me here to a Catholic yuung woman, nine years
ago ; and soon after this they left Cossey to reside at Lowes-
toft. Afterwards they lived in Norwich till his wife died
two years and a half ago, leaving him with two little chil •
dren, both girls. The elder of these ie just five years of
age, and is here with her grandmother, the mother of
Samuel's late wife. The younger is just three Sears of
age, and is in London with Samuel's aged parents. This
I mention, because in several accounts it has been stated
that both his children were in London.

I have also been thus particular in mentioning Samuel's
regular compliance with all the duties of a Catholic, because
the unhappy man dented, and persisted in denying, that he
ever had been a Catholic. He left Norwich and removed
to London soon after the death of his wife. Up to that time
he had continued in the profession of the Catholic religion.
Both his children were born in Norwich, and baptised by a
priest there. His subsequent career is unknown to me, but
I never heard of his actually changing his religion, nor do I
think that he ever did. He evidently fell into vicious
habits and evil company, and lost the precious treasure of
Faith, and, probably, all sense of religion. After
the commission of his last dreadful crime he knew
what would be required of him, as a Catholic,
before he could make his peace with God, and, most
probably, had not the courage to go through it, after the
wicked course of life in which he must have been for some
time involved. So, on his first committal at Newgate,
he declared himself a Protestant, and on his removal to
Horsemonger-lane Gaol he persisted in the same. If he had
chosen to turn Protestant, he was free to do so, and abide
by the awful consequences of renouncing his Catholic faith.
But the worst, and to me the most unaccountable, part of
his conduct was, that he denied ever having been a Catho-
lic. He admitted that he had been a few times in a Catholic
chapel, and was married in one, but persist ed in declaring
that he never was a Catholic. Thus this un happy man, to
his other dreadful sins, has added wilful lying and apos-
tacy ; and with these upon his soul, has passed into
eternity I

It may be judged how painful his sad history was to me,
who had known him innocent and happy, regular and edi••
tying, and had had him for several years under my spiritual
care. I thought it probable that a few lines from his former
pastor might produce a favourable effect upon this unhappy
man ; and accordingly I wrote to him on the 3d of January.
This letter has been alluded to in several papers, but its
contents have been wrongly represented. In the Daily
Telegraph, it was stated that my letter " fervently entreated
him to abjure the doctrines of the Protestant Church ;"
but I never said a word about the Protestant Church.
I had heard indeed of his denying his faith ;
but in my letter, I did not make the least allu-
sion to that denial. I wrote as if I supposed him still to
be, as I had always known him, a Catholic. I reminded
him of the happy days of his youth and innocence, and ex-
pressed my hope that all the religious instructions which he
had received here would revive in his mind in his sad con-
dition, and move him without delay to repent and make his
peace with God. I assured him that his crimes, great as
they were, were not too great to be forgiven by. God's infi-
nite mercy, provided that he sought forgiveness in the pro-
per manner; and that for this purpose I exhorted him to
lose no time in seeing the Very Rev. Provost Doyle, who
was a great friend of mine, and to place himself entirely
under his care, who would guide him safely after all to save
his poor soul. He was certainly well pleased with my "kind
and welcome letter," as he himself called it; and his brother
Michael begged of him to read it over and over again, and
do what it exhorted him to do ; but unhappily it produced
no further effect. He chose to be attended by the Protes-
tant chaplain.
Two letters have appeared in the papers, which he wrote
before his execution. One was written on Sunday, the
10th, and the original is now lying before me. It was ad-
dressed to his mother• in-law, the mother of his late wife,
with whom, as already mentioned, is his elder little girl
Fanny. The Telegraph gave this and another latter written
the next day to his own poor mother, as if both had been
addressed to her; but the first was to his mother-in-law,
living here at Cossey. In the first letter he mentions hav-
ing received " a kind and welcome letter" from me, but
makes no further observation upon it. Deeply as I have
felt for him, as his former friend and pastor, and anxious
as I was to do anything to rescue him front an
ignominous death, I must own that I could see
nothing whatever in his case to extenuate his crime,
or call for the extraordinary feeling manifested in
his favour. I am persuaded that if Townley's case had
not happened just before, little or no notice would have been
taken of poor Wright, or sympathy shown for him. Though
I grieve acutely for the shocking crimes and untimely end
of one for whom I always felt great regard and pastoral
affection, I consider his fate as but too likely to follow from
the course of his life in the latter part of it. He began, as
too many do, by neglecting his religious duties; by degrees
he became hardened and indifferent about them, and got
entanglt d in vicious habits and evil company. The precious
gift of faith was withdrawn from him, and at last his un-
controlled passions led him to that dreadful crime which
cries to heaven for vengeance. Though few go thus to the
extremity of crime, his fate should be a warning to all of
the dreadful danger of neglecting the sacred duties of
religion.

F. C. HUSENBETII, D.D.

Cossey, Jan. 16th, 1864.

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-LANE.

A very moderate supply of home-grown wheat was re-
ceived at our market to-day, and several samples same to
hand in poor condition. The demand for all qualities was
in a sluggish state, at Monday's fall in the currency. With
foreign wheat, the market was fairly supplied. The inquiry
for all descriptions was, however, much restricted, yet no
quotable change took place in prices, compared with
Monday.
Floating cargoes of grain were in slow request, on former
terms.

The supply of barley on sale was tolerably large. Good
and fine malting qualities were firm in price; otherwise,
the trade ruled heavy, at late rates.
Most kinds of malt sold slowly, at late currencies.

_
The supply of oats on sale was moderately extensive.
Generally speaking, tho trade was quiet, but at full prices,
for good and fine corn. . _

For beans and peas there was a moderate inquiry, and
the quotations were steadily supported.
The trade for flour was in a sluggish state. at about
stationary prices. Tho market Was well supplied with
English and foreign descriptions.

ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt Oats. Flout.
English.— 310 3lO lB4O 370 580
N'orsign.... —28,080 16,820 r- 11,130 1030 sks,
35,240 brls

THE SHAKSPERE CELEBRATION.

(From the 4thenceu2n.)

When a hundred gentlemen meet to discuss a
question of taste, there will be at least a hundred
conflicting opinions to consider and harmonise; so
that a conciliatory spirit—a disposition to find out
the common ground of agreement—will be neces-
sary on all sides if any visible action is to ensue. In
the Shakspere Committee, this moderation of spirit
is absolutely indispensable to success. An act of
festive and reverential homage is one of the few
things which cannot be performed by a majority.
Yoa can make a railway, or vote a bill, by a show of
hands. But reverence for the great dead is an act
of sentiment and sympathy, only to be performed in
the midst of peace, harmony, and good-will. Take
away any of these pleasant cmditions, and the whole
beauty of the common design is gone. One angry
word will disturb a feast,—one explosive cry de-
stroy an act of w)rship. It peace and good-will
cannot be secured in the congregation, nothing that
is worth doing can be done. Are we incapable of
so much moderation of spirit ?
The Shakspere Committee consists of more than
four hundred distinguished persons, drawn from
the most opposite sides of the social circle—arch-
bishops and actors, judges and journalists, dis-
senting ministers and country gentlemen—a com-
mittee the very existence of which offers a great
example of toleration, and to some persons appears
to present an extraordinary suffrage in favour of
dramatic poetry and the dramatic art. Such a body,
of gentlemen must be expected to have very diffe-
rent opinions as to what would constitute the most
appropriate monument to the noblest of all poets.
In such a body—where every man is a leader, a
speaker, or a writer, with a claim to be heard—a
conflict of ideas was inevitable from the moment
that the site and monument came under discussion.
[here are perhaps as many projects as there are
members of the committee. As to the most appro-
priate site, voices contend for Temple Gardens,
Primrose Hill, 'Westminster, Kensington Gardens,
and Stratford-on-Avon. And for each of these sites
a great deal may be said, which the several partisans,
and the newspapers at their command, are saying
with great effect, and with a perfect want of unani-
mity. 'the same thing happens with regard to
every possible form of monument. A theatre, a
library, a statue, an obelisk, a column, a Gothic
cross, a Tudor chapel, an avenue, an alms-house,
and a cathedral, have been suggested. An edition
of Shakspere's works finds many friends. One pro-
posal is to create a fund to be employed in the annual
performance of a number of Shakspere's plays, at
one or other of the London theatres, on the plan of
the Moliere representations at the Theatre Francais.
These suggestions are, doubtless, made with a sincere
desire to see the poet commemorated in the most
appropriate and beneficial manner. The conflicts
which arise from these differences of opinion
are quite legitimate, for they exist in the very
nature of things. It is right to state our ideas—
to ask that they shall have fair consideration ; and
when they have been stated, and have had fair con-
sideration, it is graceful to yield them in favour of
plans which command a larger measure of support.
We hope and believe that such a course will be
generally adopted by members of the Shakspere
Committee; but we regret to see that some very
warm and sincere advocates of a Theatre, on finding
that their plans could not be carried in the com-
mittee, have withdrawn their names—a fact which
seems to imply that they consider the form of
monument to be of greater importance than all the
other circumstances of the celebration put together.
Surely this is an erroneous view to take. Are
there no bases on which all may agree ? In the
midst of all the discords of debate there seem to
stand out some few central ideas, around which all,
or nearly all, might gather.
We are all in favour of obtaining a large and
generous suffrage for Shakspere's art.
We are all in favour of observing Saturday,
April 23, as a general holiday.
We are all, or nearly all, in favour of celebrating
the birthday by the performances of Shaksperian
drama and Shaksperian music.
We are all, or nearly all, in favour of promoting
local celebrations throughout the country, to be
commemorated in various cities by the foundation
of scholarships, the creation of libraries, or the
erection of statues.

The site and character of the monument might
very well be left to time and the special committees
which have been appointed to consider them.
With regard to the question of the Executive,
we presume that the gentlemen who constitute it,
sixty-three in number—keep office only so long as
they retain the confidence of the committee which
gave them power. Since some of our contemporaries
state that the names of the Executive are not known
to the public, we may as well give the list :—The
Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Dublin; the
Dukes of Devonshire and Manchester ; the Earls
Granville, Clarendon, and Carlisle; Lord Brougham,
Sir Frederick Pollock, Sir Roundel' Palmer, the
Right Hon. William Cowper, the Lord Mayors of
London and Dublin, and the Lord Provost of Edin-
burgh ; the Presidents of the Royal Society, Society
of Antiquaries, Royal Academy of Arts, Royal In-
stitute of British Architects, the Architectural
Museum, Society of British Artists ; the R.A. Pro-
fessor of Sculpture, the Master of Trinity, Sir E. B.
Lytton, Sir R. C. Kirby, Sir C. Nicholson, Sir R.
G. Macdonald, and Messrs. H. N. Barnet, G. L.
Banks, H. G. Bohn, Rev. J. M. Bellew, Bayle Ber-
nard, Ernest do Bunsen, J. Stirling Coyne, W. F.
Cosens, Charles Dickens, W. 13. Dixon, J. Durham,
S. H. Foley, Ernest Garbart, George Godwin, J. 0.
Halliewell, F. Haines, J. C. Jeaffreson, S. Knight,
S. Levy, Samuel C. Lucas, E. H. Lawrence, W. C.
Macready, W. Marston, D. Maclise, H. Ottley, An-
tonio Panizzi, C. Reed, S.F. Robertson, D. Roberts,
C. Stanfield, W. Tite, M.P., Alfred Tennyson, F.
G. Tomlins, and T. Wright. Like every other body
of gentlemen, these may bt considered as ready to
give way at any moment to a majority. It their
ideas are not acceptable to the general body, let
those who represent the more popular opinion come
in and achieve the work. We cannot doubt that a
new Executive would receive from the present mem-
bers every assistance in their power, including a
conciliatory construction of all their acts.

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

Market firm. Sales probably 3,000 bales or more.

WEEKLY REPORT.

Week's sales, 25,690 bales, including 3,120 on
speculation and 4,560 for exportation. Actual ex-
port, 6,437 bales. Quotations :—Middling Orleans,
271 d.; Mobile, 27id ; Uplands, 27d.; estimated
fair Egyptians, 271 d. to 27td. ; Surats, 12d. to 254 d.
eek's import, 40,648 bales. Estimated stock
266,500 bales.

WASHINGTON IRVING'S DEATH.—On November
the 28th, 1859, on retiring for the night, at half-
past ten, his niece Sarah, who always took charge of his
medicines, went into his room to place them as usual,
within easy reach. " Well," he exclaimed," " I must
arrange my pillows, for another weary night 1" and then,
as if half to himself, " If this could only end I" or " When
will this end I" she could not tell which; for, at the in-
stant, he gave a slight exclamation, as if of pain, pressing
his hand on his left side, repeated the exclamation and the
pressure, caught at the footboard of the bed, and fell back-
ward to the floor. The sound of his fall and the screams
of Sarah brought the whole family in an instant to his
room. I raised his head in my arms. Every means was
resorted to to recall animation, and continued until a phy-
sician—Dr. Carruthers, from a distance of two miles--
arrived, who pronounced life entirely extinct. He had
passed away instantaneously. The end for which he had
just been sighing—the end which to him had no terror
had come. His departure was sudden; but so he was
willing it should be. In the fulness of years, with un-
clouded intellect, crowned with the warmest affections of
his countrymen, and with au assured hope of a happy
immortality, he had gone down, according to his own
pathetic aspiration, " with all sail set." Who that loved
him would have wished to recall him ?—kviny's life by
his .Yephetv.

CHALE, ISLE OF WIGHT,
laLn.o2Eo.l3—oAlTheS SERVICES.—
he National Lifeboat Insti-
tution, stationed at Drighstone Grange, was instrumental
to-day in rescuing the crow of the schooner Thetis, of and
for London, from Portland, with stone, which, during
heavy weather from the south-west, had foundered off St.
Catherine's Point. The cost of this boat was presented to
the National Lifeboat Institution two or three years ago by
the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, by whom she was named
The Rescue. She has since thou been happily the means
of rescuing about 110 persons from shipwrecks

LONDON GAZETTE,—This Evening,

BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, JAN. 21.
The Right Hon. the Lords of the Committee of Privy
Council for Trade have received, from the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a despatch from her
Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at
.Hamburg, reporting that
the existing Customs and Excise duties levied in that
State, have been prolonged until the end of the present
year.
BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, JAN. 21,
The Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of
Privy Council for Trade have received, through the Sec-
retary of State for Foreign Affairs, the following transla-
tion of a Danish Royal decree relating to the temporary
customs' arrangement for the Kingdom of Denmak, and
for the Duchy of Sleswig with regard to the Duchy of
Holstein :

We, Christian IX., &e., make known—The Duchy of
Holstein and the provinces belonging to the same customs'
district are to be considered, from the 22d of this month
until further notice, as exempt from customs' dues with
respect to the import and export of wares of every descrip-
tion, and as respects putchase duties for shipping; but
the M.nister of Finance is empowered to accord exemptions
where local conditions or other peculiar circumstances de-
mand it.

From the same date likewise the ordinance for the king-
dom, of the Bth June, 1839, sec. 5 and 9, as well as the
corresponding regulations in the ordinance for the Duchy
of Schleswig, of the 24th October, 1837, shall be tempo-
rarily suspended with regard to the Duchy of Holstein.
With respect however to the payment of transit dues and
shipping dues and clearance fees for freights to and from
the said Duchies, no alteration will take place in the at pre-
sent existing arrangements.
All concerned in these ordinances are to conform
hereto.

WAR OFFICE, PALL MALL, JAN. 22.
11th Regiment of Foot—Ensign Spencer 13yng Astley,
from 15th Foot, to be Ensign, vice John Fane Ballard,
transferred to the 32d Foot., _ _ _

15th Foot—Gentleman Cadet Henry Bellingham La
Mottee, from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Spencer Byng Astley, transferred to
the 11th Foot. _

32d Foot—Captain and Brevet-Major Robert Stacy Coils
to be Major, by purchase, vice George William Wallace
Carpenter, who retires—Major the Hon. Bernard Mathew
Ward, from half-pay, late Depot Battalion, to be Major,
vice Charles Clapcott, who retires upon temporary half-
pay—Lieutenant Alfred Robert William Thistlethway te,
to be Captain, by purchase, vice Brevet-Major Colts—
Ensign David Bond to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Thistlethwayte—Ensign John Fane Ballard, from 11th
Foot, to be Ensign, vice Bond.