The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-13 00:00:00

DISSECTION OF THURTEEL.

but nbt being quite prepared, it was postponed till next day,
at 11. o'clock., He went up stairs to Mrs. Pigott's room. ,Soon
after, at half-past 8, the bell rang, to give notise that no more
strangers would be admitted, and that those who were in Must
go out. Jacobs knocked at Mr. Pigott's room to inform him
that he could not stay longer. Soon after Mr. Rot;lio'_ came
down stairs ; as he advanced, he heard a noise on the'stair-
case. He heard some person say, " Here he i;;." Somne:one
had-preceded him down stairs, and was seized instead of him.
He was forced out to the back of the prison. He said he was
immediately seized by a person named Bennet. He said he
immediately afterwards missed his pocket-book, and that
Bennet was the person who took it. I asked him if he knew
the person of Bennet. He said he had known hint a consider-
able time. I said, there were two or three Bennets in the pri.
son. He said he could not be mistaken, it was Bennet whc
was concerned in the prosecution with Oldfield. I asked if I
should send for Bennet into the office. He said he did not
wish to see Bennet, but he wished to have his room searched
immediately. I went to the chambers. Bennet was coming
down stairs with a light in his hand: I told him I had some-
thing to say to him. I searched his roomsboxes, and linen,
acclosely as I could search it, and found nothing upon him./
Bennet produced the keys.
,I searched for:, rsed. Irsoroseo4
pocket-hook and six, 10/. notes, which were lost. 'I found ses
veral notes, but none so low as 101. I crane back and told Mr.
Roubel. I had the pocket-book cried, with a reward of 101., in
the prison. Bennet had no intimation of the search I Was to
make.
Cross-examined.—Mr. Roubel said that one. Gore had treat-
ed him ill as he was going out. I told the circumstance to
Gore; who said, " How could he lose six 101: notes, when he
toldsine he had lost 60 sovereigns ?" °Mr. Roubel said, I said
601., and not sovereigns.
William Hewitt called—Remembeas a warrant brought to
the prison by'Mr. Roubel. When he lodged it, lie asked me
if Mr. Bennet was not to be put in the strong room.
Mr. Allen, Magistrate of Union-Hall, called.—l attended
three days at the prison. Mr. Roubel was there every day, it'
thy memory is right,* attended by Mr. Platt. Every witness
was called, whose name could be suggested as parties likely to
be implicated. The result was, that five or sin persons, Hav-
ing been charged either with the felony or the assault, were
discharged. The charge was for an assault with intent to
commit murder. My clerk took the examination in full. I took
rather a full memorandum. On the examination there were
posting bills produced with the numbers of the lost notes in
them.
Cross-examined by Mr. SCARLETT.—Mr. Roubel satisfied
me that one or two of the numbers had beets introduced by mis-
take. lam not quite sure that the mistake was not brought to
his recollection by the opposite party. I recollect now perfectly
that his attention was calle.eto it by Mr. Harmer, solicitor to
Mr. Bennet.
"Re-examined by Mr. Anor.PitTeS.—All the witnesses were
called for Mr. Roubel. He stated where he had got the 101.
notes which were lost. I don't recollect.what was the name of
the banker.
John Escudier, late Proprietor of the Pulteney Hotel, was
present on the night of the tumult—saw Mr. Bennet before it
took place—remembers a scuffle and noise. Bennet lodged in
the staircase of No. 8; he was in the grocer's shop with several
other persons. He came after that to me—before the noise—we
were together. He was standing by the side of me. He was
not very Well at the time—the gout had just left his feet. On
hearing the noise, we went togethe; opposite the state-house—
that is near the gate. The noise seemed to come from the
other side of the bench, near the pump which is called the
dolphine
neverrdus: It e n nearer
was
o the pump
dark, and we could not see the pump.
Bennet was in
tt
my company while the noise was going on at the pump, He
was rather clumsy to walk at the time ; I did not see him take
p uPrnap m tPfs'a n I
that,ire r e
t whichurned ist° about No. e .
03 3 o nrd4O yard
any part in the transaction ; the noise lasted less than a quarter
of an hour. Bennet had on a black coat and waistcoat, and
white handkerchief. (This description of the .dress differed
given in the depositions as to the plaintiff.)
from that Cross-examined.-1 heard the people cry out" Informet."
that the person they were pumping upon
against Bennet and Oldfield.
John -El't
zserald was prisoner in the Bench in September
last ; remembers the night of the tumult; was then on No. 8-
staircase ; there was a person named Brown. in the shop with '
me ; I heard the cry of " Pull up" several rinses ; Brown and
I came out, and stopped at the bottom of No. 8 staircase ;
Mr.
Bennet lived on the same staircase, and lie came up to us. We
heard the handle of the pump going very fast. Bennet cause
fladd idionfootrin heared them say
from towards the tap. We remained there; the pump is from
2 i
yards from the staircase. The tap is still further from
tllO
11e to
gpaie was shut. He went a few yards towards the pump,
Mr. Bennet I never lost sight of from that time
but seeing Mr. Roubel coming back, he returned to the stairs
case; he was not out of my sight the whole time.
AR
Cross-examined by Air. SCLETT.—I became acquainted
with Mr. Bennet, it might be a week or a fortnight after he
came into the prison, which was 12 months ago. I have never
had the pleasure of his company since.' I did not know that
,firs Roubel was to be brought into the prison. I found it out
afterwards. I heard the,cries in the room; then I came out on
the staircase ; the cries were " Pull up."
John Brown, prisoner in the Bench on the 24th of September
last. Saw Mr. Bennet at the time of the riot, who remained
t
close to the witness the whole of the time, and took no part in
the transaction.
Cross-examined—Bennet bought nothing of me. I don't
keep a shop. I don't sell oysters. I did at the beginning of
the season. I don't know that he ever bought oysters of me.
1 have no particular acquaintance with dir. Bennet. I can't
say when I saw him last. I' saw Oldfield at breakfast this.
morning. I had no particular acquaintance with either of them.
do not move in Mr. Oldfield's class of life; there are different
classes in the Bench.
Charles Hanfield is cousin to 'the defendant, and printed
the bills proclaiming She loss and reward.—(Bill put in and
read.)

HUN.
Pmt entertained an opinion that he was to suffer on Friday
morninn. with Thurtell; and under that impression he on
Thursday afternoon wrote a letter to his mother, which he sent
by the post, enclosed in the following letter to his attorney •:
" 'Sir, I shall feel grateful if vou will forward this to my unfor-
tunate mother, as I do not know where she lives.
" Your's respeetfully, " J. HtiNT.
"- The letter to his mother is as follows :-:-
" Hertford Gaol,, Jan. 8, 1824.
"My beloved Mother—This you must consider as the last
acknowledgment of my duty and gratitude to you for the inn_ form affection I have experienced at your hands, and the
kindness you have manifested tinting my unhappy sitna',ion. I
have been from my birth the child of misfortune ; but the ter-
mination of my untoward life is, indeed, dreadful to contem-
plate. It is, however, now too late to reflect on the past ; and
as it has pleased the Almighty that I must 'be prematurely
cut off from society,, I hope • I shall be able to meet nzylfitte
with confidence and fortitude, and that I shall meet with
forgiveness in the next world, although I cannot. receive it
from mankind in this. ;The only regret I fed is in the dis-
graceful death I mustundergo, because I fear it will fender
more wretched those whom 1 leave behind. • But do 'not, I beg
fof you, my beloved parent, destroy yzur: peace of mind by
retting at my misfortune; but pray to God for my forgive-
Mess when I appeal before that great .Judge our Supteme Being. I depart this life in peaCe with all mankind ; and trust
that God will forgive all those who are my enemies as .freely
as I de. J'rorit ,what passed When. I first made my &Ales-
sion, I did expect my life would be spaired ; buv..l: am
happy to. say that I have, notwithita!,ding, devoted the ,wltole.
of my•time, since my apprehension, to my God, not ine'rely
because I was a • guilty man, but . because,' felt I had long
neglected that duty which ought to be performed by every'good
Christian. Remember me kindly and affectionately to all those
I leave behind; and that the blessings of Almighty God may
be with You 'and my unhappy Wife, my dearest brothers and
sisters, is the most fervent prayer of your.unhappy son,
JOSEPH HUNT.."
.
-1-lERTroun, J Arz. 12.—Hunt continues to decline, aidd is reduced almost to a skeleton. During the whole of Sunday he
• was so very ill, that medical aid was obliged tote :called to his
assistance. Be was•rnuch disappointed on Saturday Right? and
'more so on Sunday morning, having fully expected inforination
from London that his sentence was commuted tutranspornition,
forlife. 'lndeed so prevalent was the report in Hertford, during
the whole of Sunday, that the inquiries at the gaol were.
num-
berless. No decision has yet taken place.

A clerk in the Bank of England called.—Produced four of •
the lost notes, which had been paid into the Bank. Two on the
4th and Gth of October, and one on the 25t1 of September.
Mr. Shuttleviorth; collector of the King's taxes in Maryle_
bone, received two of the notes produced from Mr. Robe' on
the.l3th of September... . •
A succes,slon of witnesses was then called to prove that most
of the notes mentioned in the posting-bill had been paid away
by the defendant previously to the night in question ; the 0b..!
ject of the evidence being to show the malice with which the
charge was made.

"The CHIEF .JUSTICE was of opinion, that there was no case
to support the charge of malicious accusation, which must be
without reasonable cause or probability, or otherwise no ,one
would ever undertake to prosecute in wriotous assault.
Mi. ADOLPHUS submitted, that the case must go to the
jury on the libel in publishing the plaintiff's name, for which
there was neither reason nor probability froth the previous
proceedings.
111 r. Scan LET T addressed the Jury for the defence, but.
fused to call any witnesses. •
The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE directed the .fury not to give any
verdict upon the matter of malicionsaccusation for the plaintiff,
as there was no evidence whatever to support it. Ile believed,
in point of law, that they must give him a verdict upon the
libelous insertion of his name, as the chief person concerned.in
assaulting and robbing the defendant. This, to •say the least
of it, was imprudent. The quantity of damages to which the
plaintiff; under all the circumstances now before them, would
be entitled, was for their determination.
Verdict for the plaintiff upon the libel only—Damages 101. i

ANCIENT GAMES.—Pallmall was a pastime not
unlike golf; but if the definition of the former, gi Ven by Cotgrave,
be correct, it will be found to differ Materially from the latter, at
least as played in modern times. " Paile-maile," says he, "is
a game wherein a round box-ball is struck by a mallet, through
. , .
a high arch of iron, which he that can, do it at the fewest blows 11 1
.T.T. i
or at the number agreed upon wins:" histo be obscrv- 1 ..;` SCAPE OF PONNiCTS, FROM THE II ULKS.:
—i-,0112.
ed, that there woe two of these arches one at either end of I Friday last, John Spencer, aged!29, and James Beckwith, .26,
the alley. The game of Mall was .a.fashionable amusement I contrived to escape from the Ganymede hulk, at hang,
in the reign of Charles II.; and the walk in St. James's Park,.l, spencer was convicted at sleafdrd, :Lineolnshire, in:Jar:l4,, y,
now called the Mall, received its name from: having been ap- 1 1822, and Beckwith, at Bradfdrd, Yorkshire, in the Jul of
propriated. to the purpose of playing at mall, where Charles i the preceding year, and each were senteneed* to even yeacs'
himself and his courtiers frequently exercised themselves in the i transportation. On the same:day,' Charles Elliott, John Diek-
practice of this pastime.
1 inson, alias Benjamin Suttle, and W. Ache, also convicts,
On Midsummer-day last, 24th of June, 1823, I effected their escape from the Ethalion at Woolwich. Elliott
there was ice in a Gentleman's ,rarden,in the
was con.. visted for high Way robbery, at the 04 Bailey Sessions,
:
! in v ebruary, 1819, as was also Suttle, for a similar offenc,r,
g ; ' the 3d July, 1822, and both were transported for life. • Ash
Plymouth Dock
-yard,
the thickness of a shillin .
was. als9 tried at the Old Bailey, lath January, 1823, when he
and on Christmas-day, the same year, a nest of
sparrows was found in the same] was sentenced to seven years' transportation.p.lee4,,,
,Iwniftohrmanataicocnuwaates
young house
yesterday received at each of the or aiees •
yard.
description of the men.

Yesterday so soon as it was known that retal.4
tell's body was at St. Bartholomew's Hospital,
numbers of medical Men, pupils, and others has-
- ,tened to see it. The bQdy was pl-aced on the
table, in the theatre,. by order of Mr. Alma-
NETLY, who will lecture ;upon it, previous to
dissection. The head bad been shaved, and
an incision made just-above the left hip (from
whence a small quantity of blood had is-
sued) previous to it leaving Ilertford.—The
body is in good condition, and is that of a
powerful man,- and the whole figure in good
proportion.; the hands handsome, and the finger
nails according with it, upon which some pains
had been bestowed. The face is not handsome ;
-on the-contrary, it possesses' a brunt .characteti,
particularly in the lower part of it ; there was
about the. cheeks and eyes a character of hypo-
critical or' doubtfU-1 satisfaction. X. person had
care of the body, who prevented any sketch of
likeness being taken.

{ANOTHER ACCOUNT.]
The remains of Thurtell were removed on Friday night last
to St. Bartholotnew'slfospital, and 'placed in a room adjoin-
ing the theatre of anatOniy. The crowd of persons on Satur-
day who attended to view the body was very great, and as the
place in which it was deposited was so small, that not more
than eight or ten persons could be atimi\eced at a time--
there were continually numbers in arrear before the door of
the theatre. The body of Thurtell was -iensarltabk for its
muscularity and symmetry, and for the clearness of thi skin.
—lt was evident that, with a local exception, he had been
in a state of the most vigorous health ; and, from the appear•
ance of his limbs, it was difficult to imagine that they
even yet wanted some portion of the strength and
elastici7
which seems to have once characterised them. His features
were changed, though not, in the common sense of the word,
distortd. The principal change was effected by the relaxation
e rsivt.hiYi which unduew s
of the intiscies of the cheeks ; which its life were so powerful
al..] massy, and gave the appearance of dignity and strength to
mtouth
uftahc ea,
nadr.
the
e theupcpoenr s
lip,e qu
pazzany:e.rzegriviaerngetoatLhae
heavy. The eyes were half open, and of a fine blue, not More.
prominent than they are in many living faces, with the fixed-
ness of death. In Thurtell, when alive, they had appea'
titer small, and their colour not obviously remarkable. Threae hair having been retnoved,thehead appeared exceedingly well for ,
and the want of expansion ofthefereheadwasless remarkable than
in life.—The Crucian incision had been made (we believe at
Hertford). It was said that a finger was cut off' there.. We
remarked no such :circumstance when we saw the body at Bar_
tholomew's Hospital; and though it might hive escaped us,
we think from the geheral inaccuracies of the atate;Ments on the
same subject, that there is no foundation for the assertion. The
dissection had not been at all proceeded with. The corpse is
five feet ten inches and a half in length. Among those who
were most early and most anxious in their attendance, on Satur-
day, were the class of peOple called phrenologists, who were all
a-gog to find every common prominencebehind and above theiar,
which they ate pleased to call, " the organ of destructiveness," or
murder. Most unfortunately for the cultivators of this science,
it happens that the said bump or prominence, is not to be
found in the head of what was Thurtell—in other words; that
the organ of destructiveness was not at all ptominent or de-
veloped. This was " water in the shoes"
of the phrenolo-
gists ; but what was still worse, was, that " the organs of be-
nevolence" and.of " caution," were strongly marked. They,
however, consoled themselves with saying, that the organ of
courage was very large, and-that the intellectual organs seemed
scarcely developed. However, these gentlemen, nothing
daunted, will argue that the character of Thurtell just corres-
ponded to the appearances on the skull. Such is the advan-
tage which this science possesses-, that'll' the skull, according
to their theory, suits the previously known character of the
possessor it is well—if not, they make another character to
suit. The head of Thurtell having been shaved afforded the
better opportunity for these remarks.