The Sun.
London, England, 1807-02-24 00:00:00

DREADFUL CALAMITY

The general anxiety of the public, on the dread-
ful event-that took place yesterday,-in the. Old Bai-
ley, induces us to resume a subjea'-in the highest
ileg_ree painful: It has been said' that the whole.' of
zhis itotrid calamity Nir:t occasioned by the fall of:: a
man who sold pies, but as the:Crowd was so great,
it is probable that a similar circumstance must have
happened in several places, though the origin of the
unhappy event.. has not:
,been yet; ascertained. Not
only the whole of the'area in the -Old Bailey was as
full as possible, but all-the-adjoirt. Mg streets to a con-
siderable extent, and every moment the crowd was
augmentingat every avenueto the fatal place. The
pressure was so great, that' in all parts the cries of
murder" were heard, accompanied with the most
terrific screams, .particularly frorn the female parr of-
the speetaters, many of whom were seen in .ahnost‘
expiring situations, without the possibility of the least
assistance, every one being compelled to exert 'him-
self for the preservation of his own life. In one
part the violence of the pressure was so strong,-that
the greatest scene of confusion ensued—a large bo-
dy of the crowd, as in one convulsive struggle for
life,: fought with the most savage fury with each
other : the consequence was; ',the. weakest, par
ticularly- the women, tell a sacrifice. - Screams
were heard from the poor -sufferers, and from the
keysQns who witnessed the scene from the dit=
ferent windows. Help was- called for ; but the
crowd was so great, that no person could penetrate
it. for some time. About fifty persons in all were
trampled under foot, ten of them women A con-
Siderabletime elapsed before the constables could
clear the way ; at lengththey-eft4led a passage : on
raising up the poor sufferers, some Werefound with
broken limbs ;'others with dreadful bruises many .
were quite dead. One of the women had a. child. in
her arms ; finding it hnpesSible to save herself, she
threw the infant .from her; on the heads
et the multitUde, the child was.savecr; but in an in-
stant the unfortunate mother. was- literally trampled
to death. On the side of the platform next Ludgate-
Hill, about seven tell dOwn, and were trampled to
death.; but the chief scene of the calamity was on
the side of the platform next to St. Sepulchre's
church, about .sc) yards from the platform. 'When
the criminals carne out for-execution, the buZ. of
that fait, ran instantly and generally about. Those
who were on Snow-Hill, in Newgate-street, and
towards Ludgate-Hill, who could 'not see, pressed
forward in. an enormous mass, and with irresistible
force. persons within twenty or thirty yards of
the platform were squeeted, till with fear and.preS-
sure they could not breathe; it was extremely
warm, the weakest fainted and drbpped, others tell
over them; the shrieks iuld confusion were ireinen-
dously horrible. ' The doors of some houses in the
street were burst open, hundreds rushed in, panting,.
speeChless, and almost expiring. -
As soonas the general terror had began"to subside,
and the crowd began to retire from the scene of
"horror, several atilt; dead bodies were, carried to St.
Sepulchre's Church ; others to a neighbouring pub-
lic-house,. and the greater part SQOII after 10 St.-Bar-
tholomew's Hospital'. Language is not adeqtiate
toeXpress the feelings of those who thronged around
the ChUrch and the Hospital, demanding, with
breathless Solicitude and' atutiety, 'a
sight of the un-.
fortunate sufferers, in whom they expected. to
discover a brother, sister, or father, or some' other
tleAl- add natural friend. Hundreds were bruised,
some. more or less, limbs broken, the flesh torn
the less of othats, &c. Whan 'till mob 'Was

•
crpared away, gme.alhuhdred. pairs of sires N7Z-erc
picked up it, tire str ets, with b00r..., cloaks, bonnet's,
&c. beyond numb:. Such of the wounded
could walk; regime.. to their 11-ernes ; those whost;
wounds are of a serious, and fatal de.,cription, we
conveyed to St. 13artholornev,....; The
lowing*Otticial repOr, was made from the Flospit.',i
about two o'clock
REPORT FROM ST. EARTHOLOZ,IEW'S fiOSPITAL.
• _

• 1V omen

WouNnED.'7-Men,

WclllCll

Total in S. Barthnlrmew's Hospital

24
3
--27

5
-

. There are besides two lying dead in St. Sepulchre's
Church, and due at the Swean Public-house.:
Among the unfortunate vietims was ayouth be-
tween twelve. and fifteen; of tiAners Town.
was with his father; who felt him slip from 'him in,
the crowd. 'The father was also brought sensele,s'
to the I-Taspipl.; but is since:somewhat recovered,,
and is-continually inquiring if his son has eseaped.
The majority of the tlf-ferers appear to beol,a very.
-low condition in life.- Among the men are soint.
Jews and Frenchmen ; and of the female 4, many '
appear to be barrow-women. There-are-about fire
or six boys. 'Of thirteen men whd were brought
into 'one of the .Wrtirds in the morning,' seven are
since- dead,,three remain, and- the other three have..
been -taken away by their friends.. o(Slit men who
were taken to another Ward, five arersince dead
'so that comparatively, very feware expaded to-itrr-
vive the accident.. The Hospital has been a.
'of the deepest distress; as Ow telationS and
of the deCeased, oil discovefing who they
were throwriinto a state more easily imtined tht:l.l
described.

This a matter or some consolation in this drendfd
catastrophe, that those whose sits admitted of
relief were soon able to obtain it, as a great number
of the pupils in attendance happened to be collegi-
ed• at St. Bartholomew's Hospital at the time, and'
afforded prompt assistance; and Do&tor Powell, and
'a surgeon, who were both upon the spot, directed
their humane exertions. During this process,
gates. were shut; 'and due care taken to keep out
the crowd, which was excessive. After sll effOrtS
for the recovery of the 27 dead had proved fruitless,
they were removed to an empty ward, and there ar-
ranged with every regard to decency. The bodies
had been washed, and laid Out in a row of beds on'
each side of the room, with the clothes of each tied
in a bundle, under the head of each, and the fides'
so placed as to give the speaator a full opportunity
of examining 'the features. .: Some of the faces were
quite black, others were dreadfully- cut and disfi,
gured.. The bodies being thus arranged for the pnr-:
pose- of being .." recognised by their -relatives and
friendsi-at two o'clock the outer gates. were opened;
and the impatient trembling. mass that besie7ed
them, were admitted by twenty at a time. They
consisted of-women and men, whose children, ap-
prentices, or friends, were missing. On their en-,
trance., some • flew.to the melancholy, scene, others
trembled, and were afraid to approach the 'place to
which
.they- had been so. anxious to obtain- access.--:
Among the first ofqiiese unhappy inquirers; was a
man Who came to seek his apprentke; and found
his only child a, mangled corpse.. ; •
About half-past two:o'clock six of the bodies had
been identified by their relatives or friends, exhibit-
ing a scene of anxiety 'and' di-streis 'which no law=
gunge can describe. The'y were chiefly aNire,ntice;
and of grelit respealibility. As. soon as the hodie
were recognized, they' were put into shells, nisei t heir
names written in chiilfc upon thern;---Attlerrhan Sn A \
attended; and,, With. the City Marshals, used .ever:i
exertion to preserve order.

" , • ,
It' may be proper to give a few part!culars respect,
ing the Execution. As • soon as the do! k stt tick
ITlaggerty, who was comparatively a small:
man, came oft the, platform, apparently mnelt
pressed with his situation. He. took little notice of
thQcrowd; but was very Ai !ern ive to the Executioner;
while desiring hiin to stinid in a pat-Ocular spot 1.1:-7
defthe gallows. The cap was ithmediately put over
his face, :the cord fastened; and -the unhappy ritAl
stood Motionless; without. uttering a single Word.
Hollott;ay nett/. came -in a 'very Unfeeling and
daunted way on- the platform, bowing repeatedly; ,
with his whole body, -to the crowd ; and, after a-
moment'spauSe; cried Out, loud enough to be heard.
by the multitude—"lnnocent liznocrq ! Gen tle-
7iien !—No Verdict ! No Verdia ! Gentlemen
?tam Innocent this 'moment; and while
in. the a6t of saying somethino. More, the executionet
proceeded to do his office, by placing the cap over
the face of Holloway; to which he, with apparent
reludance, complied; at the same' time uttering
some words. As soon as the rope was fixed round
his neck, he continued quiet.
At this awful moment the female malefi&or,
Godfrey, came on the platform, attended by the'Or
dinary of Newgate : she was dressed very neatly in'
white, a very good,figure, arid her decent deportment
excited mud) pity in the beholders ; 'the Clergyman' -
took much pains with her : she seemed very tranquil;'
and met her unhappy fate with much fortitude.—
Haggerty was attended by a Priest of the Roman Ca-
tholic persuasion, to whom he was. very attentive.--
Holloway repeatedly shook his body and head; appa-
rently objecting to the admonitions of the Clergy-.
man. ' Eliz.2Goarey shewed every attention to the
admonition'of the Ordinary; seemed very penitent ;'
and at the conclusion of a' short prayer, on a signal
froth the Clergyman, the drOp of the platform was
struck away, and they were launched' into eternity.
The woman was dead in a few moments';' the men
struggled much, particularly Holloway. TO the last
ni6ment HolloWay and Haggerry, persisted that the
were both innocent of the in-di-der for which they
suffered ; they were-136th convulsed for some mi-
notes. whole were cut down at five min' ttei
past nine; and carried away in a cart, covered witty
latpaurins, for diSseetiOn at Surgeons' Hall. -Hollo`
way Was dressed in a Short 116!l and frock, With a•
coarse frock over it, and corduroy breeches. "
gerty had on a marine's great coat, and was a short
-man in stature. Haggerty was an Irishman.
The sliperstitiousand disgusting praftiee of passing,
ththand of a dead malefactor over a wen, to ~k pined'
upon nven fernaleS on the gallows ; and one young
Nirom:-ItY had applied' the hand.Of ffolloway.• to her
naked knee.

It Ni'ill•hardly be ituagined that, even arnidst'this
scene of general consternation and horror,. some
wretches were dete6ted in picking poCketi, lust: 411
livered itlro:tte

TRIAL OF SIR f. PIERS.

Ki2J''s BENCH. DI:SI IN, F. 19.

CON.-FIRST DAY.

RIGIIT ups. VALENTINE LOriD -CLONCIIIIRY V. SIR

JOAN BENNET DIERS, BART,

Thie Court was imeonimonly croWded,this morn-
ing at an early .hour. About elceen o'clock the
Crit4. Armes took his- place on the 'Bench ; and
the Earh of Meath; Mount Cashel, and Charleaiont,
and Mr. Henry, of Straffin, took their seats beside
rhe Jury bjng sworn,
• Mr. 'CURRAN, jllll. opened the pleading, by
. stating, that this was an action brOught by the Noble
Plaintiff, Lord Cloncurry, to recover a compensa-
tion from the Detensiant, Sir John Piers; for crimi-
conversation with his Lord Ship's wife; end that
-the damages were laid at tooArol.
The Sou C.ITOR-GEN ER A L. stated the case in a clear,
- • ener,otic, and impressive speech, which la,ted one
- hour and, forty minutes. He described the Plaintiff;
Lord Cloncurry; as a young Nobleman of consi-
derible Wealth, great, sensibility of -nature; and a
cultivated mind ; the Defendant as en ancient ta-
ron,q, a wido,‘6,,e, not very-. young, and not very
olu. Very :early it lite, he said, the Plaintiff and
..Defen!ant became acquainted—they were school.
fellows ; at a more aavanced period they met on the
Continent,' ‘• hen their intimacy and friendship were
renewed. Sir John, Piers was then labouring under.
some pecuniary embarrassments ; from this situation.
he was rescued by the liberality of the Plaintiff'--e,
who took -hiS • seturity, it is true, but who after-
, wards, when he was -obliged to accompany a be-
loved sister ni the Steal) of France, on'-account of
. her declining 'health, deposited that security in the
hands of his Law Agent, with a striut prohibition,
not to call for payment until it was perfedly conve-
nient to Sir John Piers. In autumn, 1802, Lord
ClonCurry,;aecompanied by two of his sisters, left
,Ireland some tirne in the ensuing December they
arrived at.'Nice, where General Morgan, his wife,
and daughter, were already settled, having arrived
only a few days before them. General Morgan was
a man •of distinguished connexion, and had served
with honour iu India ; his daughter was lovely in
her pet-Son, fascinating in her manners, and pine in
.her principles and condud. Lax
,Cloncurry be.
came attached to' her • his- proposali-- were approved'
of both by the . Lady and her father ; but their
union was deferred until the settlements coddbo
drawn, and the papers necessary for that prirpOSta
procured from England. Towards the endofJanuary,
1803, his Lordship proceeded to -Rome, where the
General and his family also arrived early in March.
Toe long expected settlements not having come to
hand, the young couple became impatient, and the
General having. consented no longer to postpone
their happiness, veryreadily accepted his Lordship's
assurances, that he wceild• Make an adequate set-
tlement as Soon as he arrived in 'England.; whilst
he pledged his own honour as to the amount of, his
daughter's_ fortune. Lord Cloncurry and kiss
.Morgan Were sliortly after united by Mr. Burns, the
Cilatilain of the Duchess of Cumberland, in the
preeinee- of their mutual relations, 3n-1 of all the
English of distinaion then at Rome. In Rome they
continued to reside until,autumn, 1805, and during
that period Lady Cloncurry became the mother of
tw-, children. In the Month of Odober, his Lord.
shi returned to Ireland, -and immediately after bo-
non.:rllly and liberally fulfilled his-engagement with
Gen. Morgan, by settling on her Ladyship a fortune
of t 0001. a 'year, in consideration of 50001. which
the Gen. paid him as her tin-tune, Lord Cloneur-
ry then retired to Lyons, his family seat near, the
city of Dublin, where, happy in the society of his
beloved wife am! infaat family, his leisure moments
were devoted to the most rational ofall pursuits, the
improvement of his magoiticent mansiOn and tlz,-
'nestle. Sir John Piers was then in the neighbour-
hei•d ; Lord Cloncurry and he Met at dinner, at Sir
n's; -of Castle BrOwn ;. an invitation to
Lyons was the consequence; where Sir John (lined
for the first time on the 4th of April. Scarcely
had ,he crossed the threshhold Of his old •triend; when
the setioetion of Ills wife seemed .to become his fa-.
vonrite object, and many circinmtances Were
marked by his Lordship's dothestics, indicative of
that intention. On the 15th of April, Lord and
Lady Cloncurry carne -to Dublin, that her Ladyship
might be presented at• the Castle. They had :left
one of their children in an ill state •of health in the
country ; to visit this child, and: to inspect - his im-
provements, Lord Cloncurrylrom time to time vi-
sited Lyon, where be sometimes slept for a night
• or two ; and it seems to haVe been doting his occa-
sional absence that Sir John •perpetrateehis guilty
purpose, as detailed in the evidence.- - On the 14th
of May, Lord and Lady Cloncurryareturned to Ly-
ons. Sir John Piers again became their guest, as
did Colonel Burton and Mrs. Burton, his Lordship's'
sister. Still Lord Cloneurry Was-confident in the
virtue of his wife, and unsuspicious of his friend;
until the evening of the 24th,_ nothing occurred to
alarm him. On that evening be proposed a walk ;
Lady Cloncurry pretended Indisposition. His Lord,
ship;, Colonel, and Mrs.'Burton -went into the front
lawn-, but by changing the direaion of their walk,
they came round to the ..rear of the house ; and
here„ to his astonishment, his Lordship found La
dy Cloncurry and Sir, John Piers walking together,.
she familiarly hanaing, on his arm. Lord C. had
no opportunity. fora remonstrance that evening.-7
Lady C. retired before him, and was asleep when he
went to- bed : but upon her awaking aboitt four
o'clock (he next morning, he reproached her with
the impropriety of what he had been a witness to.
Lady Cloncurry burst into a flood of tears, and sobbed
out, in words hardly prticulate, " Sir John Piers is'
an infamous wretch, 116 is determined,on .my
for God's sake , let me never see,him Lord.
Concurry tidt, conceiving the, whole extent, of his,
rnislOrtune,- not, supposing it exceeded Some inf..
proper familiarity otiered to his wife, rushed. out of
'her apartment. in search of Sir John ,he found him
shooting in a distant part of the demesne...:,-His first
care- was to get possession of his- gun, under' pre-
tence of shooting a rabbit ; he then said to him,
Piers, don't. be angry with me ; for God's sake,
-don't drive. Lady Cloncurry to infamy; quit this
place—go, God bless you." Sir John, after some
confused attempt at explanation, departed. Lord C.