The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-05 00:00:00

IDSTONE

The wretched man, Willis, who, as our readers are
aware, was convicted at the last sittings of the Central
Criminal Court for the murder of. Sergeant-Major Shcp-
perd, of the Royal Artillery, to which he belonged,
was yesterday executed upon the new drop in front of the
gaol at Maidstone. He has all along entertained a strong
expectation that his sentence would be commuted, and that
he would not be executed, and upon one occasion he alluded
to the case of the soldier Rickey, who it will be recollected
was convicted of the murder of his officer at Hampton
Court, but who subsequently had his sentence commuted
to transportation for life, and said that he expected the
same result would occur to him, as he considered Rickey
equally guilty as he was. Two men have been constantly
with him since he has been in the gaol.
It is stated that a communication was made by Lord
John Russell to Lord Bloomfield, the Commandant of the
troops at Woolwich, to the effect that if the military autho-
rities considered it advisable, for the sake of example, that
the prisoner should undergo his sentence at Woolwich, his
Lordship would give directions to that effect; but an
answer was returned by the Commandant, stating that it
was not considered advisable or necessary that the execu-
tion should take place at Woolwich, as it was considered
from the feeling that prevailed in the regiment relative to
the crime that such an example was not necessary. It was
therefore arranged that the execution should take place at
Maidstone as usual.

When the Rev. Mr. Winter went to visit Willis tb e
night before his execution, he appeared to be still impressed
with the idea that he should not be executed. On being
asked some questions he made the following most extra-
ordinary statement. He said that the night before his trial
at the Old Bailey he dreamed that he was tried for the of-
fence, found guilty, and sentenced to be executed at the
Old Bailey ; that he was brought out on the scaffold,
the night-cap put on, and rope round his neck, but just as
he was about to be turned off the Queen's pardon arrived.
Mr. Winter begged of him not to entertain the slightest
idea of such a result, and he replied--" While there is
life there is hope."
The culprit retired to rest on Wednesday night at his
usual hour, slept soundly the whole night, and at seven
o'clock he was awakened by one of the turnkeys ; his
breakfast was given to him soon afterwards, he ate it
heartily, and afterwards walked about the prison yard with
the greatest unconcern and indifference.

Mr. Palmer, the Under- Sheriff, arrived at the gaol soon
after eleven o'clock, accompanied by the javelin-men. He
proceeded to the cell where the prisoner was, and found
him conversing with the Chaplain, apparently not the
least dismayed at the dreadful preparations that were going
on. When the prisoner was pinioned, the Sheriff asked
him if he wished to say any thing, or if he wished any
communication to be made to his parents? He replied,
" No, I have nothing to say." He was then asked whe-
ther he admitted the justice of his sentence. He answered,
" I do not." He was again asked whether he
wished to say any thing, and he gave the same answer.
During the whole trying scene the prisoner's wonderful
fortitude did not forsake him for an instant—not a muscle
moved, nor a limb trembled; in fact, it may be truly said
that lie was the only unmoved person amongst the assem-
bled group. It was a painful spectable to see a fine youth
evidently gifted with more than ordinary courage and
fortitude, about to be consigned to a premature and vio-
lent death.

The whole of the melancholy procession having been
completed, the culprit, who in the interim had been stand-

ing in the corner of the cell, casting his eyes from one to
the other of the assembled group, and apparently anxious
to see the signal that was to consign him to death, was
requested by the Sheriff to move forward, ho imme-
diately did so with a firm quick step, and it was necessary
to request hint to walk slower. He then walked with a
firm step along the gravel walk in front of the gaol to
the entrance-lodge of the prison, above which the scaf-
fold was erected. The sialit of the drop did not appear
to have the least effect upon him ; he mounted the
scaffold with a firm step, and gazed calmly• amongst the
assembled crowd. In less than a minute the bolt was
withdrawn, and the unhappy youth very shortly ceased to
exist.

The crowd assembled, although numerous, was nothing
equal to that which was present when the man Seeger
was executed for the murder of Hannah Giles. A groat
many soldiers were present, and women with children in
their arms.

The body, after hanging about an hour, was cut down,
and arrangements made for its interment within the gaol
yesterday evening.

SUBTERRANEAN FORESTS.

The discovery of a subterranean forest in the bed of
the Bonding Pool, at South Stockton *, would not have
caused so much surprise, had the geologist known where
to look for those hitherto illegible records of former ages.
In the infancy of his science, he naturally directs his
attention to those districts which bear upon the surface
imposing indications that they have suffered great
changes ; but it is to the desolate moor, the barren
heath, the level fen, and the swampy marsh—from
which the forest and the wood have disappeared—that
he should look for the mighty revolutions which or-
ganic or elementary convulsions have inflicted upon
the vegetable world. The absence of scenery and the
want of traffic renders districts like these almost a terra
incognita to tourists and savans; but the geologist, and
the historical antiquary too, would be amply repaid by
deviating into them. For instance, let them turn east-
ward from the old Roman road which leads from Lin-
coln to London, and a few miles' walk will plunge
them into the vast fen, which, for thirty miles, runs on
a dead fiat, on the west side of the river Witham, from
Lincoln to Boston. Here they will find a subterranean
forest, to which what is yet known of that at Stockton
bears no sensible proportion. Probably for almost o.
hundred square miles the once " gigantic monarchs" of
the forest lie entombed under the earth, snapped off
at a few feet from their roots, and all prostrated nearly
in the same direction. This is the appearance in which
the extensive drainage works throughout the dis-
trict present them ; but in many parts they lie so near
to the surface. that (either through the sinking of the
light soil above them, or the wasting of it by
winds, which in dry seasons carry it off in
clouds like the sand of the desert) they are continually
as it were, forcing themselves again into the upper air.
The farmer knows when and where this process is
going on, by the absence of all verdure above them, and
immediately gives them a " lift " for his own be-
nefit, for when the bole of tree comes up entire, the
wood, like that at Stockton, is of great price. Thougb
when it first comes up damp it seems mouldering and
rotten, by a little exposure to the air it becomes so ex-
cessively hard that. no tool of ordinary temper will work
it ; but it has this remarkable property, that it always
rends easily,, and as straight as if it was sawn. When
with much labour it is worked into fancy articles of fur-
niture, its colour and polish resemble those of black
marble. The size of these trees may be guessed from
the fact that the writer, a few years ago, saw one
" lifted," which contained 1,440 solid feet in the bole
alone ; and himself " lifted" one which contained 1,000
feet in the bole, and measured sixty feet long to the
first arm. Connected with the striking phenomenon
of the trees occasionally making their appearance above
ground again, it should be mentioned that, as might be ex-
pected, the broken arms and branches do this so abun-
dantly, that the farmer is compelled to collect and cart
them off the land. As they stand thus collected into
heaps, a field presents the appearance of having borne
a heavy crop of black stumps. Indeed, the soil
itself, when examined, proves to be little more than
wood reduced by decay to pulverisation. As to the
cause of this wide-spread devastation, we have no
record, nor even tradition of it. That at Stock-
ton has been supposed to have been caused by the
Roman soldiers, because they were in the habit of fell-
ing considerable quantities of wood as a substratum and
binding, for their roads, and because one tree appears
there to have been cut down. From this evidence of
the " hand of man having been there," it has been sup-
posed that man must have been the author of the
whole ravage. But this is by no means conclusive.
Man was no stranger to the subterranean forest de-
scribed above, for things fashioned by his hands have
been found amongst its ruins ; and though a tree, or
many trees, might be discovered which had undergone
the operation of the axe, it would rather prove the re-
verse, than that man had been the destroyer of the
whole. The question, however, is not only a curious
but an interesting one—just such an one as, if solved by
the combined researches of the antiquary and geologist,
might do something to elucidate the dark pages of our
earlier history.

* Ought not this to be
.Stocking? In the two accounts
the writer has seen it is printed each way, but it is imma.
terial to the statement above, or the reasoning founded
on it.

MURDER.—BRISTOL, JULY 2.--The maais-
trates for that part of the county of Somerset which adjoins
Bristol have b
investigating the circumstances connected with the
death of a man named Richard Rowe, who was shot by a
pistol bullet on the night of Sunday last, at Long Ashton,
about five miles distant from this city. The deceased was
lately an excavator employed on the works of the Exeter
Railway Company. A man fired a pistol at him through
the window, the ball from which entering his head at the
eye killed him instantly. He fell down before the window,
from which he was scarcely distant a yard, and the perpe-
trator of the horrid crime immediately effected his escape,
and has not yet been apprehended.
THE CROPS.—During the past week we have
had an opportunity of viewing the crops in most parts of
Cheshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire. Grass is gene-
rally thin, but the showers of the present week will quickly
improve it. Grain of all descriptions never looked better.
In Cheshire the farmers have sown more wheat than has
been sown for several years. Pears and plums promise to
be a most abundant crop, and strawberries look extremely
well. Apples are likely to be scarce. Potatoes will be
n to the
plentiful, and
market.largeT
he
seasonsuppliesi
s will
altogether immediately
very be brought
ifavours.
ble to the growth of vegetation ; and there is every pros-
peer of an abundant harvest generally.—Manchester Tunes.
DEA TH BY BATHING.—BetWeCiI seven and
eight on Wednesday morning Thomas Blaby, a young man ,
of respectable connexions, who had been but a few days
in London on a visit, from Worcester, was drowned while
bathing in the river Thames, near to the White-house,
Chelsea. It is supposed that he was suddenly seized with
cramp,: as he sunk without a struggle or cry for assist.
ance. The body was carried away by the tide. A friend
of his was rowing in a wherry (from which he had plunged
into the river) at a distance Qf about twenty-five yards
when he went down.

EViINING EDITION.

,„, _}..._----------
TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE
BOROUGH OF IPSWICH
Club, .
efo July 4. 1839.
GENTLEMEN, R
Wednesday I heard for the first tinti of
0N
Mr. Gibson's intention to accept the Chiltern Ihm-
dreds. I was then at Liverpool; arrived here this morning,
and considered it most respectful to you to take the opinion of
some of the staunchest adherents of the Liberal cause as to the
course which I ought to pursue under the peculiar circuit-I-
t:antes of Mr. Gibson's resignation ; that opinion is annexed,
and I lose not a moment in laying it before you, with the inti-
mation that it is not my intention to offer myself upon the pre-
seat occasion as a Candidatefor the high honour of representing
t you in Parliament.
In making this communication, I cannot conclude without
returnlng my heartfelt thanks to those electors who have so fre- i
quently supported me on many trying occasions, and assuring I
them that they cannot continue their kindly feelings towards i
I me in a more acceptable manner than by using their best exer-
I tions to secure the ascendancy of the I.iberal cause.
With unchanged sentiments of the kindest regard,
i Believe rae, Gentlemen,
Your very faithful and obliged servant,
RIGBY WASON.
(Copy) Reform Club, July 4, 1839.
At a conference held this day at the Reform Club respecting
the course which, in consequence of Mr. Gibson's resignation,
it would be most advantageous to the Liberal cause for Mr.
Wason to adept, it was considered best for that cause, and was
,trongly recommended to Mr. Wason, to leave it to the Elec-
tors of Ipswich to decide, by their votes at the ensuing election,
without the appearance of any former Liberal Candidate in the
field, on the claim of Mr. Gibson, under the present circum-
stances, to represent them in Parliament.
(Signed) HENRY WARBURTON.
GEORGE GROTE.

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THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN.
The Public is respectfully informed, that the
PRESENT MANAGEMENT WILL TERMINATE
WITH SEASON.
TO-MORROW EVENING, JULY 6,
-WU: be performed the Historical Play of
KING HENRY V.,
-From the Text of Shakspeare.
King Menry the Fifth, Mr. Macready.
After which,
TLIE QUAKER.
To conclude with,
CHAOS IS COME AGAIN.
On Monday, King ileury V., with Fra Diavolo.

ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.
THIS EVENING, JULY 6,
Will be repeated the New Mystical Drama, entitled
THE PHANTOM SHIP.
Philip Vanderdeeken, Mr. E. F. Saville ; Amine, Mrs. H.
Vining
After which, the New Comic Drama, called
THE BREWER OF PRESTON.
To conclude with,
THE SEVEN CLERKS.

ROYAL SIIRIIEY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. -
Under her MAJESTY'S IMMEDIATE PATRONAGE.
GRAND PRONIENTADES MUSICALES ET CHAMPE-
TRES, and ERUPTION of HECLA COMBINED ! !
First Exhibition of the Extraordinary New Light,
KOWAPHOSTIC !
On MONDAY, TUE3DAY, and THURSDAY,
JULY 8,0, and 11,
A GRAND INSTRUMIENTAL CONCERT,
By a splendid Band, compesed of th,q most distinguished Instru-
mental Performers in the Metropolis,
Selected and conducted by ?Ir. Godfrey.
Commencing at Six o'clock.
At Dusk will be introduced, for the first tiote, an extraordinary
novelty, produced under the superintendanco of Mr. H. Carter,
called KONIAPHOSTIC, by which the Whole Gardens will
be illumined in the most brilliant manner with One Central
Light.
To be followed by the ERUPTION of MOUNT HECLA.
Admission One Shilling.
Hour of Feeding the Carnivora, Five o'clock.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
Morning 15 minutes after 9. I Evening 53 minutes after 9.