The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-25 00:00:00

MERCANTILE SHIPPING.

DEAL, Jaw. 241—Wind N.E.—Remain in the Downs the
Severn frigate..
„
PORTANOUTII, Jan. 24.—Iirind arnylskor.
sailings is-day.
/I nwic .24. —Wind -E."..:—Airived. the • Lekester,
Hammond, with mails, &c. from Holland.
CrItAVESEND) Jaw. 24..—Put back the George, bound far
India.
'rhe
• • America; Turner, from • Savannah, was on shore in
Bootle Bay on Wednesday, but was expected to belot-off.

, .
The East India Company's outward-bound ship Thames
was in lat. 36. I. S:•long. 7.2. E., on the Ist of November, all
well. The Regent was- to leave Angier Roads for China, on
the 17th of September.

CONFESSION
OF A MOST NOTORIOUS OFFENDER.

• Our Readers cirifedt fait to recollect that
amonk the last gang of unhappy' criminals who expiated their
offences with their heti tit" the Old 'Bailey, were two young
men, named Frank Pardons and IYijLia n Corlet alias Wei. son. These persons, it may also be remembered, were con-
victed of a burglary and Stealing to a large amount in money,
in the Blue Anchor publicebouse, kepteby Craw
ley, a man minted Cra
ley, in. Blue Anchor-yard,' Rosemary. one, aht use which had
been long A notorious . fiash-hoete, dr place frequented by
thieves .1; and where these men and Rohr) others succeeded in
carrying off the whole sum which the publican had set apart
•for the payment of his brewer the next day. In the accounts
given in the newspapers of the execution of these guilty men
zt was stated, and truly so, that Purdom to the last denied
being in any way concerned In Crawl9o3 robbery, though he
had been in the public house several tones in the course of the
Sunday evening on which it was committed. It was also at
the same time stated, that he confe.sSed to the Mcrae that
" he had been a very bed fellow," andethat he deserved to die
by the hand of the executioner, thouglrriot for the specific of.
fence of which he had been found guilty: How truly his over-
burthenel and self-condemning conscience might force him to
admit that to have been his desert, will best appear from the
following minutes of his confession, taken down trom hie own
lips. by one of the wardsmen who sat rap with him and his un-
happy partner in iniquity the night previous to their execution
We shall lay before'our readers this tairrative, in the writer's
own phraseology, and simply add a few observations to eltsei-
date parts of it which appear obscure, or but hardly hinted at.
" A true copy of the confession of Frank Purdom and Wm'.
Corbett, which took place the night before their execution.
"I remained in the cell No. I, with the above-mentioned men
and John Roberts' who was executed .!for highway robbery--
When land my .brother wardstnan entered the cell, William.
Corbett made use of the horrible expresiften_, May my soul
never enter the kingdmnof heaven if Puttlem and my brother
.Joseph are not totally innocent r—Fudom staid, in answer to
this, if he (William Corbett) had stated that at the time of their
trial, they would have been acquitted but lie would not do it,
but endeavoured to hang him (Purdom), and save himself.—
Purdom then said, Wise was executedle.should be murdered ;
not but that lie deterred hanging, twelve yours ago. Ile then
went on to state that he had been guilty of every crime imagin-
able--even murder. Hs said that the woman whom he loved
with was not his wife, but the wife of hie cousin, and that by
Purdom she had three children, out of which three the eldest
Is now living. The youngest died during its father's confine-
ment in the cell, but as to the second child, the death of that
lays at his hands.
" He went on to state as follows t--That when the child was
about four months old, he was obliged to conceal himself, for
having nearly killed a man whom he had robbed ; and during
his concealment at home, he most cruelly beat the woman above
spoken of; and when the' Infant was crying, he took it by the
arm, and threw it to the other end of the room against the wall,
making use of the horrible expression—" There you little —,
go to____;" after which he said, the child breathed no more !
" He also said, his cruelty to the woman (the mother of the
murdered innocent) ought to have hung hint; but he had
escaped the hands of justice for that. He said at that mune
time there was a watchmane who had not been out of his bed
for eight months, through his (Purdom's) having beaten him.
" Ile also stated, of the Gentleman who was a clerk, and
who was robbed near IVldtechapel Church, and who afterwards
died of his wounds, he declared that he was concerned in it,
and was a long time out of the way during the disturbance and
while the hand-bills were out, whereby Ilis Majesty offered a
free pardon to any accomplice giving inforination, and a large
reward for the apprehension of the murderer or inurilaers.
" I then requested him to allow me to put it this confession)
to paper, and asked him if he would sign it ?. Ile saidNo ;
neither did he wish any mention to be niade-of it, until after it • was all over (meaning his execution); buttle then wishetinto
to
"communicate it to whom it was peeper. .. I then asked him if lie had any thing'else to cotnmuni-
cate ? He asked Corbett what he had done with the remainder
of the 400 sovereigns which he had to his Aare, there being
only three of them in the robbery ? Furtioniconunued that he
ought to have been in it, but they, put him in the hole (watch-
house). Corbett said he had only 1701. 14s. left, and that he
had made over to Mary (the woman with whom he had lived).
He said the concern which they were here for (in Newgate) had
cost him nearly 601. Purdoin then said, he (Corbett) ought to
have been sent to for his having sent hint (Purdom) in the
bole ; but he supposed they should meet there to; ether.
" I then reed dlfferent prayers to them, and,Rohberts advised
Purdom and Corbett to confess the
.whole to. nits, and then they
could devote the remaining part of their time to prayer. Pur-
dom then said, there had been great exertions to had out the
perpetrators of the murder of a wornan,and that a parish
.officer had made great exertions to find it out, but without
success.
" He then clasped his hands and fell on his knees, and hoped
God would forgive him for having 'mingled his hands' with the
blood of so many. He then went into 'prayer, and when
they heard Mr. Barrett (a turnkey) come to unlock them et
five in the morning, they all fell on their knees, and thanked
God that their time was so near at hand. They both (Pnrdorit anti Corbett) then wished me nut to mention it (meaning this
confession) until all was over.
(Signed) " Rtezienn `Peyton.
" To John Wontner, Esq. Governor."
The above may be depended Upon tee,far as it goes, es cor-
' veying a true sketch of what this unhappy
man uttered in tile presence of the person appointed to attend upon him during
the night and morning previous to his being. cut off from the number of the living. It is indeed awful to contemplate the
short but too successful career' of guilt which he had run, foe
at his death lie was not more than 27 years of age, though' fur
a long time he had been known to the police as perhaps the
most desperate thief in London, and as one'who It was sup-
posed would stick at nothing to prevent his falling. into
hands of that, justice which at .length ,ste fatally vittited his
enormities.
The watchman alluded to in the above confession was en old
man who hail made himself obnoxious to Punions and the rest
of his gang, by watching their motions, and not unfrequently
defeating their operations. On this eccount they Otto night
attacked their victim in 'a body, end beet hind fie, dreadfallY that
his life was despaired of for a long time.
The Gentleman mentioned as a clerk, whis was robbed rota
murdered in Whitechapel, was the lamented Ale. Nathaniel,
Wild, who, Mahe month of August, 1821, was knocked down
by a blow from a bludgeon, anti robbed, in Union-street, Whitechapel. The blow fractured his skull, end of that wound
the unfortunate Gentleman died, leaving, a ,wife and several young children.
The 40W. mentioned as part of some spoil, supposed to be
connected with a successful 4aul'whith the. gang made of 1,280 sovereigns at one tune, while Poulton: was confined in the /,+4.2e
or watch-house on some minor charge, and which confinement
he always ascribed to the cunning of the rest of the gang in e
order to Ire* him out of his share of so rich a, booty.
The murdered woman, about whom the perish officer"
had made such unsuccessful -exertions, there can be little
doubt, meant MTS. Donatty, tied " the • pariah tficer,"
'Pa lore the vestry clerk of St. Andrew,Bulbs rn ::.far Purdeot
had before Spoken to the persons attending him about that
Mocking einem, but always very obscurely, adding that it would
all come out time. enough when he wategenee"
It is dreadthl to ram upon the tinpeeparet Stele in vo,ich
Punt= and Corbett were on the nialtennir;inorhiog
to their execution. The etteinkest vita Tat and
crintination took place between them. Indeedto such a frights
height did they carry their altercation, that the wardsnten Vatel 4
ing them-expected many tinned that they would have come
blows, and were often tin the point of calling M. the terekey,
repress their violence. Towards morning, however, they eteei
more calm and resigned, and both, especially Pardon), met tht
fate with composure and uncommon tiaanness.—(Moreiner
Paper.