The Sun.
London, England, 1823-11-10 00:00:00

PARtIJ PAPioittS.

THE MURDER OF MR. WEARS.

Saturday being the day appointed for the re-
examination of Tlitsmae Noyes, Miss Noyes, and Mrs. Pro..
bert, those iediviltials were conveyed from St. Alban's gaol in
two post-chaises and a gig to the house of Mr. Clutterbuck,
sit
Watford. They arrived about ten o'clock, and the examinee
don immediately Commenced. Four witnessea—namely, Sil-
ver, a publican; Butler, an ostler; and figgse a servant-girl,.
were severally called before the Magistrates and examifted.
The reporters having been refused admittance to the room in
which the examination was. carried on, we cannot state with
certainty the nature of the evidence which these persons gave ;
but we understand that it applied principally to the conduct of
Prohert deer the murder. They were bound over to appear as
witnesses op The trial..
A .Sueeday Paper having given sonic particulars of Mrs. ,
Probert'a evidence incorrectly, we subjoin the following. state-
meat, which may be relied upon :
Whin first taken before the Magistrates she betrayed great
agitation, and expressed, the, strongest reluctance to make any
statement at all. She declared she knew nothing about the mat.
ter, and could aot, therefore, give any information ; but upon
being pressed and warned of the consequences that might
accrue to hereelf and those connected with her, she became I
more communicative. She stated, that on the night in
question her husband.and Hutalthe latter of whom had been
there before) arrived. in Mr. Probert's 'gig ; anti Hunt brought
a loin Of pork into the kitchen, desiring that it might be
cooked, and then •returned to the stable. John Thurtell ar-
rived almost ildreitliately after her linsband end Hunt, and te-
. *
mainedin the stable with them for nearly three quarters of an.
hoar, when they all three came- into the huuse. They had
been seated but a few minutes, when Hunt and Thurtell went
into the yard, and. got the stable-lantern, . with which they
proceeded throttgh The garden, and out of sight. Her husband
remained behind. She thought all this was very singular,
but took uo notice at the time, because she knew that Hunt and
Thurtell were men of irregular habits, and therefore supposed
that they Were only after some " lark," as they termed it. When
they returned, they appetteed in high spirits, and sat down and
ate a .hierty suppet, JOhn Thurtell somewhat less so thati
Hunt or her husband, -but he did eat a considerable quantity.
Hunt was by far the Most merry of the party, and was once or
twice betrayed into egpreleions of rather an indelicate kind, and
was reproved by John Thu rtell. lie sung several songs in a firm
and unembarrassed manner. Soon after supper, Thurtell took
out a very elegant-looking gold watch and seals, and they exa-
mined it, he obsteving that it was a nice thimble (flash for a
watch,) The chain was not offered to her that night. Her
sister, Miss Noyes, retired to bed some time before she did.
She (Mrs. Probert) heard many remarks between Hunt and
Thuile% which induced her to believe that something wrong
had been done, and when she went up stairs she partly undressed
hereelf, and returned to the stairs, placing herself as near to the
bottom as she could, so that she might, if possible, hear
what pasted. The conversation wits in so low a tone, that she
could only catch here and there a word. She heard a rust-
ling of paper like . that .of bank.notes, and heard something
heavy thrown into the fire. She then heard it proposed that
the three should " go and finish the job." Her husband said
something which she 'could net hear, and Hunt and Thurtell
went out together. She was .store her husband did not go with
them. She did not like to venture down stairs, and returned to
her room and opened the window, in order to watch the return of
Hunt and Thurtell, 'She had been standing there for some time,
when she observed a light approach from (iill's-hill.lane, and
presently saw John Tluirtell and Hunt enter the garden. Hunt
liad alight in one hand, and with the other was assisting Thur.
ten in dragging along mane heavy substance. Site could not see
what it was bat it was iqotnething very heavy and was envelop-
ed hi sack. They, went towards the tish.peed, which is con-
cealed from the view t.f it person in her situat.:at at the window,
by a 6v11411 sitrnbbery• ,They were tall of her sight for about ten
niinutee, and iten stic,aaw than return to the house, but the
candle had been put Out. It was more than an hour after this,
that her lin:Wend came to bed. She told hiM she was Sure
those men, Meaning Hunt and Thurtell, had been doing
semithing wrong; her husband, in an under tone, desired
for there was nothing the matter.—
her to make herself caly;
lie 'Seemed Much 'depressed in spirits. The next morning she
renewed her inquiries as to the 'proceedings of the previous night,
and he said that Hunt and Thurtell had been snaring par-
tridges, " and that you know, my dear (added he), is against the
law, and must be done secretly." Hunt and Thurtell break-
fasted' with them in the morning, and then went away. On
the Sunday they came' down with Noyes, her brother ; and in
the course of the evening John 'Thurtell said he had a little
thing in his pocket which he intended to make a present of to
her (Mrs. Probert.) He then wok a gold chain from. his
' pocket, and put it over her neck, accompanying the action with
this remark :—" This chain was given to me by a favourite
little Quakerees of mine, at Norwich, and as I have done with
her long ago, I cannot:do better than give it to Mrs. Probert, as
a token of my respect for her." (This chain she produced to
the Magietratee.)
Mrs. Probert stated nothing else material. She was
questioned very closely as to whether her husband had not' a
greater share in the transactions than she had , admitted; but
she declared shelled told the whole truth.
Miss Noyes was next called in, aad interrogated ; but she
professed an entire ignorance of the whole bussinguness, and said
she went to bed early, and therefore could g evidence of
the conduct of the parties after supper.
Alr. Noyes, our readers .are aware, was apprehended and
taken down ,to. Watford on Thursday. Ile was taken be-
fore the Magistrates ; but in. answer to their queetions he
professed a total ignorance of any thing connected with the
business under inquiry. Bishop, the officer, then suggested
that perhaps an order for the committal' of the prisoner would
produce some effect ; and Mr, Clutterbucle desired that he
might be taken away, ; When liiehop got out with him, he
wrung his hands, cried, and said he hoped lie should not be
committed. Bishop told him he must make up his mind to go
to St. Alban's Castle; arid he then said he should like to see
the Magistrates again, He wasagain conducted into the room,
and then etated that .in a conversation with his sister (Mrs.
Probert), she told him that she saw Hunt, Thiatell, and her
husband, .dragging the body of a person across the grounds,
and that Mr. Probert and. Thurtell were the men who had
hold of the corpse, and that Hunt merely held the =die.; She
also stated (to him) that het husband went with Hunt and
Thurtell when they left the promisee with the candle.
Mrs. Probert being recalled, persistesi in her story, and de-
nied that else had ever told tier brother that which he had
stated.
It has been stated, that John Thurtell was stationed behind
the dear of thee-hotteeiti Mancliestefebuildiegs, a pair
cif dunibebells, ready 'to` knock out the brains of Mr. Woods.
This will appear by the following circurnsumce tohave
been but too true. It was very naturally suppoeed h
that
the honest mentioned 'might cantain property Which should
prnperly belong to the _creditors ,of Thomas Thurtell under
hi' bankruptcy ; and.on Saturday evening, one of the mese
eenp,ere of the Coninussioners- of Bankrupt, accompanied
by enother person, scent to the Leuse and broke in at the beck,
door. They found an immense number of pewter pots and
meature.s all quite new, besides a vast quantity of other descrip-
tions of property, which there is no doubt the Thurtella had
obtained in a dishonest nituitivr .In the coarse of their search,
they found a pair of dumb bells in the first floor, anti these they
brought to Upeon of howestreet, and gave them into his charge.
The other preperty is placed tinder seal.
o St.
M,.. Clutterbuck's hem:an-and req
On Friday leer, an letter was sent to Mr. Noel, in.
forming him that his services in the prosecution would be
arrived
admitted
dis-
pensed with.
On Saterday, at half past 11 o'culese d
ocktistlor.bleßersonl
Alban's Gaol, to see John Thurtell, who,. we entlerstood had
appointed him his Solicitor. 'rite Magistrates asked Mr. Pearson
what proof he could 'produce of Tiluttell having selected him
for hie profesaonal advieer ? Mr. Pearson replied, that as he
wale bellied access to Thurtell it was impossible that he could
receive his appointment from his own 'mouth ; but it was no-
' torioue that he hid exprished his desire that he (Mr. Pearson)
nhouhi act as his Solicitor.. The. Magistrates desired that
Mr. Peertion should write to John Thurtell, toascettehe
whe-
tire aeme„l his „seietenee. if Thurtell, should answer in
the affirmative Mr. Peareon should be allowed access to him.
Mr. Peareon awn , left the house after etating his irdeation to
write w Thurteil hntuediately.
During the coulee of .yesterdev, smut hundred persons
visited Probert's cottage, and all the places in the neighbourhood
of which have been rendered remarkable by
circumstances connected with the trittrder of Mr. Weate,
We are enabled to state that Wears had been a WAitet at the
Olobe TAVettliTleet-street.

parents. Thus we really.give them far more of what is called
religious instruction than it is possible for their young minds to
digest;—and Mr. Brougham was perfectly correct when he
stated, in the House of Commons, that many conceived the
greatest evil produced at this establishment to arise from an ex-
cess of religious instruction for children so young. In point of
fact they have more Scripture reading than is practised in the
average of schools throughout Scotland.
Under all the counteractions from the causes mentioned,
esch day's experience proves the superiority of the new pita
of instruction over the irrational method prevalent in ttlti
society ; and bag thus supported by principles, in stria-
AcOrdance with nature, and producing the most encourag-
ing results in practice, I proceed, step by step, in our ex-
perience, the effect of which, up to the present time, cao
only be understood by a patient and attentive examina-
tion and observation of the children of the schools during
two ar three successive days, or while they pass through the
whole routine of their physical, mental, and moral lasoni-
and exercises.
My two eldest sons, who have studied the subject, have
taken an active part in the direction of the instituthn for
the list two years; and, judging that a large portionof Eh:
public cannot have the means of obtaining. the requiske Per-
sonal demonstrative evidence, one of them is about to tublish
an account of it, which will enable the world more correctly to
estimate both the principles and the methods that hate 6e12
adopted.
To conclude this part of the subject I may add, that thesffect
of what has been done at New Lanark can be known oily 0)
those who have actually witnessed the change in the general
character of the adult part of the population. They haveseeo
how unhealthy, dirty, indolent, nod demoralized they ono
were, and they can say whether they have ever, in any Aber
situation, at home or abroad, found a more healthy, more deo"
ly, more industrious, more moral,and more religious poptiatio
than the inhabitants of New Lanark. This change liaabeeti
effected without the interference of any law proceeding' in a.
single instance, on the part of the proprietors of the entallish-
ment. ' For the apace of 24 years they have not brought ose fl-
dividual to trial, or imprisoned one for an hour. The cleoP
has been produced by a steady persevering kindness, coniititi.
with a systematic removal of the eircooistances which ceieftf
excited to crime, and the introduction of others which pronised
comfort, good habits, correct morals, and 'happiness,
But the effects of this very partial application of the prk'''
ciples of the New System upon the dispositions, habits, ma
ners, conduct and intelligence' of the children in the sdools,
give us the best idea of what its full powerswill be, when they,
shall be called, unfettered, into full lestivity. The extent or
these powers, indeed, it is as yet impoSsible correctly to esti
mate ; for the children are still daily exposed to the Ohm°
of numerous prejudices anti errors, which are necessarily ,noe-
injurious in the formation of their characters.
In my next I am to explain what measures it is intentlek to
adopt, in order to effect the change from the Old to the Nell
System, without inconvenience or disadvantage to any ont.
ROBERT 0 WVI.
New Lanark, October 25 1823.