The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-21 00:00:00

THE CONVICT RUSH.

NORWICII, FRIDAY EVENING,—The guilty man who
is to meet his fate to-morrow continues to eat and sleep
well, and to enjoy life to the last. The accounts that
have appeared from time to time as to his depression of
spirits are entirely without foundation. Ho exhibits no
sign of repentance, nor any desire to purge his breast of
the tremendous crime which must he preying on it.
Those who have the best opportunities of judging are
strongly of opinion that he will die without confession.
He perseveres in the most solemn declarations of his in-
nocence, and upbraids Emily Sandford most bitterly, as-
serting that she forswore herself at the trial, and that
had it not been for her evidence he should hare been
acquitted. Yesterday he asked the turnkeys if they had
began to fix the machine; but no answer was made.
He then expressed a hope that it might be a
fine day. The Rev. Mr. Brown, chaplain to the gaol,
the Rev. Mr. Andrews, and the Rev. Mr. Blake, of Fel
mingham, have all been most assiduous in their efforts to
bring the unhappy criminal to a duo sense of the awful
position in which he stands. But these efforts have been
attended with very little apparent success, and, to use
the strong but no doubt accurate language of a gentle-
man to whom I applied for information on the subject,
Rush has exhibited sincerity in nothing except in the
practice of deception. The expression appears to be a
contradiction, but it is difficult to analyse the workings
of a murderer's mind, and the same idiosyncracy of cha-
racter which led Rush to purloin so dexterously the 40/.
cheque from the note-book in a crowded court, with all
eyes upon him, may account for his realising the old
aphorism, that a man who begins by deceiving others
often ends by deceiving himself. Last night, as pre-
viously, he slept very soundly. The account which has
appeared as to his interview with his children is very
incorrect, as will be seen by the following extract from
the Norfolk Chronicle:—
" On Monday last Rush had an interview with his
children at the Castle, the younger ones coming to take
their last sad leave of him. Mr. Soames, their uncle,
did not accompany the family, as had been stated; nor
did the Governor of the Castle introduce them into the
cell; nor did the prisoner offer up any prayers, either
during or after the visit. Other particulars given are
sheer invention. The family came from Potash and
Felmingham on Monday morning; and the two parties
met at the Bell Inn, Orford-hill, whence they proceeded
to the Castle. The interview did not take place in the
cell, but in a room appropriated fur the use of those vi-
sitors who may wish, and are permitted, to see any crimi-
nal; in Rush's case this permission has not been given ex-
cept to his nearest relations, and the members of his own fa-
mily. When the latter arrived on Monday, he was informed
of their being in the Castle; he buried his face in his
hands as if he was much affected. Being taken into the
visitors' room, and placed in such a position that the
Governor could hear and see everything that passed,
his children were immediately ushered into the apart-
ment, and, as may be supposed, a natural outburst of
feeling ensued; but on this occasion, though the
wretched man protested that he was innocent, ho was not
guilty of the religious hypocrisy described. Ile did not
offer up any prayers, nor recommend his children to the
protecting care of the Almighty, as stated. After an
interview of half an hour parent and children parted,
some of them not to meet again in this world. When
the family left the Castle a crowd of people collected
outside the gates to witness their departure. They re-
paired to the Bell, whero Miss Rush remained; the
other daughters, after partaking of refreshment, rlteh-
turning to Felmingham, where they areresi
their governess in a house which Rush built thereinabi'out
four years ago. Mr. James Rush and his younger
brother returned to Potash; but the former returned to
Norwich on Tuesday, and, accompanied by Miss Rush,
had another interview with his father the same evening.
This interview was repeated on Wednesday."
We also annex the true particulars as to the lost cheque,
which have been misrepresented:—
In the pocket-book of the prisoner, exhibited in
.4
court,
there wss a cheque for 401. On the night afterte
the conviction information was given to Mr. Pinson, the
governor overnor of the Castle, that this cheque was missing ;
and he questioned the prisoner, in order to ascertain, on
the part of the family, whether he had got it. Mr.
Hugo wal aboultv tak9 4Wa7 all his papers, and ha