The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-02 00:00:00

THE CONVICT MARCHANT'S
EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION.

The wretched youth, William John Merchant, now un-
der sentence of death in Newgate for the wilful murder of
Elizabeth Paynton, will in all probability, in a few days
suffer the last penalty of the law on the scaffold for the
dreadful crime of which lie stands convicted. Since his
confinement in Newgate he has been extremely peni-
tent, and has made a confession of a most singe.
lar nature, of the truth of which no doubt is enter-
tained ; and as the causes to which he assigns the
commission of the murder are so very extraordinary,
we lay them before our readers, and at the same
time give a short sketch of his history and character.
The father of of the culprit has resided in Chelsea
for upwards of eighteen years, and has always borne
the character of a sober, honest, and industrious man.
Previous to this be lived in the service of the late Duke of
Roxburghe in Grosvenor-place ; his wife was also in his
Grace's household. Young Merchant when about five
years of age was placed in the Chelsea National School
in Blackland's.lane. He continued there fur two years,
when Mr. Thomas Wilson, who at that time kept an aca-
demy, finding him to be a very intelligent, good-tempered
boy, took a fancy to him, and received him into his esta-
blishment. He remained with Mr. Wilson at his academy
at Turnham, and subsequently at Cranford Bridge, for
eight years, and obtained the respect and confidence of his
master and tutors. During this period the Rev. Mr. Vale,
a clergyman at Fulham, took a great deal of notice of him,
and frequently made him presents of money, which he inva-
riably sent home to his parents, who were in very reduced
circumstances. After he left Mr. Wilson's academy he pro-
cured a situation with a gentleman named Elwin, in Cado-
gan-place, with whom he resided two years ; on leaving he
entered into the service of Mr. Edgell, a county magis-
trate in Chelsea, and had been there about seven months
when he perpetrated the dreadful murder for which his
life has become forfeited. The unfortunate girl, Elizabeth
Paynton, was of a somewhat coquetish and flirting dispo-
sition. It does not appear that any person was paying
his addresses to her. On the Monday night preceding
the murder, the father of Merchant supped with his son
and the rest of Mr. Edgell's servants in the kitchen of
the house in Cadogan-place, when they all appeared
very friendly and sociable together. The deceased and
the prisoner played and joked. She trod upon his toes,
and several times placed herself upon his knees ; in
fact, her behaviour, upon the whole, indicated that she
was. in some degree attached to the prisoner. He did
not seem to seek her favour, but, on the contrary,
appeared to wish to repulse her advances, but not in an
unfriendly manner. On Tuesday last the father and mo-
ther of the convict, Merchant, visited him in the con-
demned cell of Newgate. The meeting was of a most
afflicting nature, and the old couple appeared borne down
with grief at the situation of their hapless son, and the
disgrace he had brought upon them. The wretched youth
appeared more composed than he had been at any other
period since the commission of the crime, and was employ-
ing himself in the perusal of some religious books which
the worthy Chaplain and other authorities of the prison
furnish to all persons placed in his awful situation. He
shed tears on seeing his parents, and both parties stood in
need of all the consolation that could be afforded them by
the attendants. The young man was sensibly touched by
their affliction, and offered up a fervent prayer that God
would preserve and strengthen them under the severe
trial to which they were doomed. They all knelt and
prayed together, and the parents supplicated the Redeemer
for mercy for their unhappy son. The interview was a
long and painful one, and :Merchant's parents earnestly
entreated him to reveal to them his motive for murdering
the unfortunate girl with whom he appeared to be on
such good terms only a short time before. In reply, he
emphatically assured them that he could assign no motive
whatever for it, for not a particle of ill feeling existed in
his breast towards her up to the moment he took away
her life. He was asked if it was through jealousy. He
replied that it was not, for be never had any regard for
her further than as a fellow-servant. He then detailed
the following particulars relative to the horrible tran-
saction :—The family were all out, and about three
o'clock the upper housemaid and the cook went out,
leaving him and the deceased in the house by them-
selves. The cook, as she was leaving the house, dared
Trim to get possession of a riband or pair of garters
which the deceased had displayed before the servants
in the kitchen in jest, and threatened to inflict some ludi-
crous punishment upon him if he did not obtain them by
the time she returned. After the cook had gone out he and
the deceased sat for some time talking together, and the
subject of the garters, about which there had been so
much foolish joking in the kitchen, was again brought up.
He improperly endeavoured to obtain possession of the
garters, but she resisted him, and at length slapped his
face, called him some ill names, and said she would get
him out out of his situation for his rudeness. He then
ran to fetch a razor to cut the garters, and get them into
his possession ; and lie then had not the least intention of
killing her, or perpetrating any other offence; in fact,
until he returned with the razor, he had not the most
remote idea of injuring her, but when he did return with
the razor in his hand lie was seized with a sudden and
unaccountable impulse which he could not define, and in a
paroxysm of insanity, in a moment, and without premedi-
tation, he cut her throat; she uttered one piercing shriek,
and fell bleeding at his feet. After committing this horrid
deed he stood fur a few seconds in a kind of stupor, and was
horror-struck as be contemplated the victim of his barbarity
as she writhed in the agonies of death. He threw the razor
from him, and falling on his knees by the side of the body
of the murdered girl, he cried bitterly, and offered up a
fervent prayer to the Deity for pardon for the crime he had
committed. A burning fever seized him, the officers of
justice appeared to his affrighted imagination ready to
seize him and drag him to prison. He shortly afterwards
left the house in a state of phrenzy. It was about four
o'clock when it occurred, and after he reached the street
the form of his murdered victim seemed to his distracted mind
to be constantly before his eyes, turn which way he would.
On that night he remained at Hammersmith, and he was to
terrified that he could obtain no sleep, and all night long
he listened to every sound, expecting that the authorities
were in pursuit, and that they would discover his retreat.
lie rose early on the Saturday morning and proceeded to
Windsor, where he remained until the following morning,
when he attended divine service at Eton College Chapel. He
could not remember the text, but some portions of the sermon
the wretched ntarderer thought so extremely applicable to
himself that his conscience would hardly allow him to stop
until the service was concluded before he gave himself up
to justice. On leaving he proceeded towards town with
that intention, but only reached Hounslow, where he met
the horse patrol, and gave himself up to him. The un-
happy youth added, that a journeyman carpenter had just
left the house when he committed the murder, but was not
the sweetheart of the deceased, and had only been making
some repairs. He was quite certain if the cook bad not
dared him to do what he did, and if she had not gone
out, the unhappy affair would not have occurred. The
girl's apparition had, he said, frequently appeared to
him in Newgate, but not since the sentence of
death had been passed upon him, and he had felt
more comfortable and resigned ever since ; the Go-
vernor, Chaplain, and turnkeys of the prison were ex-
tremely kind to him, and he fervently trusted, ere his life
was taken, that he should make his peace with God. He
said, he would prefer being hanged to transportation, for
then his parents would know what had become of him,
whereas, if he was transported, they would be always in
suspense respecting his fate, and he should never he happy.
The wretched youth has always been considered a harmless,
inoffensive person, and was by no means passionate. On
being asked why he pleaded guilty, when arraigned at the
bar, he said that he never in his life told a wilful lie, and
would not utter a falsehood to save his life. He committed
the murder, and his conscience would not permit him to
disavow the act. Ile is now extremely penitent, but in a
very weak state, arising from mental suffering. No day
has been yet fixed upon for the execution, but it is gene-
rally believed it will take place on Tuesday or Wednesday
next.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS.

CHRONICLE.—Things altogether look much more
cheerful in the City. There is evidently a better feeling
in the commercial world, and in the Money Market affairs
present a more wholesome appearance. In the English
Stock Market there has likewise been an improvement,
and Cor,vols advanced per cent., having been last marked
at 93 to for the opening. Three per Cent. Reduced
have also risen to 921 to ; but Exchequer Bills remain
at 265. to 28s. prem. Bank Stock is stationary at 189 to
190. This amelioration in the general prospect of affairs
has been much brought about by the arrival of specie from
several parts, and which is an important feature at this
moment, especially as things were of themselves improving
more rapidly than was expected, and the restoration of
confidence was so much desired, which could not be more
easily established than by an influx of bullion, so as to
counteract or overbalance the export of the precious metals
which is still going on.

Mrs. Younge, the mother of the stage manager
at Sutler's Wells theatre, a person far advanced in years,
was burnt to death at her residence in Wilmington-square,
Clerkenwell, on Saturday morning.
IMPORTANT REGISTRY DECISION.—The
Judges assembled yesterday in the (Irish) Queen's Bench
Chamber, to consider the question argued before them re-
lative to the registration of electors, which has create] so
much confusion amongst the assistant-barristers, namely,
whether upon a re-registration or second registration under
the Reform Act, it is necessary that the claimant should
make a new affidavit before the registering barrister, to
entitle himself to a new certificate. There were eight
Judges present, viz :—Bushe, C. J., Johnson,
Burton
J., Torrens, J., Foster, 8., Crampton, J., Richards 8.,
and Ball, J. The first six were of opinion, and gave
judgment accordingly— !I
that there could be ) registration
without an affidavit verifying the claimant's title to the
dissented
qualification from which such registration was to be effected,
and that no certificate can properly be granted to a claim.
ant seeking to register a second time or anew,. under. the
Reform Act, without a new affidavaint,dvßearilfly:injg., his title.
We understand that Richards, 11..
from their learned brethren, considering. such new affi-
davit to be unnecessary., argued the
Mr... Smith, Q. c.
case in support of the decision now pronounced and Mr.
Moore, Q. C., contended that, the swearing a new affidavit,
was not required.—Saunders s Aews- Letter.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER,—
Between three and four o'clock on Friday afternoon Jo
seph Houghton, aged fifteen yearq, errand-boy to Messrs. Lovell and Co., of George-lane, Botolph-lane, Eastcheap,
importers of foreign fruit, was in the act of stepping from
one barge to another lying in the river off Fresh Wharf,
London Bridge, when he slipped between them just at the
instant that a steam-vessel, starting from the wharf, heeled
against the outer barge and jammed it against the other
with tremendous force, catching the legs of the unfortu-
nate youth up to the middle of the thighs, He was fortu,
nately saved by a boatman from falling into the water as
the barges receded from each other. The bones of his
legs Were, however, crushed in a most dreadful manner.
He vv4s conveyed to St. Thomas's Hospital.