The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-27 00:00:00

JVENING SUN

CikPTURE OF THE
MERDERER
OT MR. BURDO.N.

inslme for Hodson and policeman Edward Bristow,
.„.569, .o have been indefatigable since the murder of
ail; H ardon in their endeavours to capture Blakes-
ley' on Saturday afternoon last, having ob-
lame 1 some clue to his retreat, started off for
Bee fordshire, a person answering the description
ofd ilakesley having been wandering about that neigh-
be'' ar'nood since Wednesday last, in a distressed and
agitated state. Front information received on the
ro ad by Inspector Hodgson, and Bristow .the police-
It an, it appeared that on Wednesday last, about twelve
0.1 clock, a person' supposed to be Blakesley, was seen
`if -4 the neighbourhood of Potter's-bar, asking charity at
• !veral public-houses. On. the following morning, at
name o'clock, the same individual was seen at Bell-bar,
al )(rut two miles front Potter's-bar, on the Hadfield-
road. He was then in a very dejected state of
ind. 1..) ion the police obtaining this information
bay made . further inquiries on the subject, when it was
Ascertained, that a person answering the description of
ithe man • rho had been seen at Bell Bar, had
been beggi 'ig at every public-house on the road,
aitating 'dr it he had been unfortunate in bu-
'and was without the . means of procur-
. jug: :rt sing; e meal. He was afterwards traced to
the. Grerit rd at` Hatfield Woodside, where he told a
very disire tale, saying that he was almost starving,
and that ho luiluld receive with the greatest thankfulness
e'r\nt a co' *f potato, when relief being refused him,
he put up hr, hands apparently in a state of desperation,
rail out of the house, and took refuge under the hedge.
'Upon forth .er inquiry being made, it was found that from
• Hatfield he went begging to the Angel at Langley, for upon
the polic e squiring of the landlord of that inn he told them
that a r est iecta ble-looking man, answering the descrir2-
tion they gave, had been at his house on Friday ; that be
appea red ,in a very distressed and low conditioa,
and. that :out of charity he gave hip, a
per ny. Upn n further inquiry being mace at
anc.,4ley Toll-bar, it was discovered that a v4Qeson
at iswering Bls kesley's description had plea Jed want
IC, the toll-bar• man, and had asked him to -purchase a
irtir brush, a cork-screw, and a razor-strop.. This the
tell-man declined doing, but he gave hie,. 2d. out of
charity, whi ch, it appeared, he aft arwards spent
at the Thr ie Horse Shoes for a
.pint of beer.
While he was; at the Horse Shon% ne asked some
drove r that w•a: ; there to purchase th': razor strop, offer-
ing :;.t for a pent; y. It appeared he did not give a penny
for it, but a pap, rof tobacco. Yenna Langley the police
ivi!nt to Welwyn where they fo'rod that Blakestey had been
inAuiring most anxiously for a .Lc..alon paper, but could
ne t obtain the sight of one, k-n, this neighbourhood he
els.) asked for t •harity, and several pence and other
thlogs riven b im. lie U. AS afterwards traced to the
• Moo- liens, It t the Lo' "ton side of Hitchin, where he
also folicited • illarity. 'in Friday he was at the Rose
and C. own a t Eitchir where he asked for a London
paper, which he appe's..ed to read with great trepidation,
and afterwards to drop it suddenly on the floor. It-
was suppose a that he was in Bitchin all day on
Saturday, lit/ lug tnpon charity.. About two o'clock on
Sunday mon ling, a policeman belonging to the Hertford-
shire constf .bula ry force, as he was passing through
Hitehin-ma' :ket, thought he heard a person moaning,
atiti ippare' .ttly fin distress, and upon going to the place,
whence Vie so unds proceeded, he discovered Blakes-
ley, who ':stauti that he had no home—that he
was in great; distress, and . that -he did not know
what. to do. Upon this he was taken to the
stati on-',rouse as a vagrant. When there,
he asked ti as officers present,. if they had seen
the London tapers. with the account of Mr. Bur-
ton's • murt' in them, and upon his being told
that they b ad; he said, " I am the man that committed
the murde C." Some time after Blakesley had been taken
into cpsti Inspector Hodson and Policeman Bristow
arrived • m Hitchin, and from information they received
?proceed .ed immediately to the station-house, where Bris-
. . tow at , °rice recognised Blakesley, he having known him
_:for a -4r• umber of,years. Immediately on his seeing Bris-
tow, ..'illakesley• inquired how his wife was, and upon
flaeinf ; told that . she was better, he thanked
:God and said that he felt much easier since
—lle had acknowledged the murder. Inspvector Hod-
' 'n and Bristow arrived in town this morning from Hit-
? pia, leaving Blakesley in the custody •of inspector
i; llalbin, of the Hertfordshire police, who refused to
•?..
.14. deliver 'him up until he had received orders to that
3 effect from Captain Robinson, the Superintendent of the
,Force.
The prisoner was brought this morning in-eustody of •
the Hertfordshire police, and conducted before the Lord
Mayor, when the .fellowing evidence was given.

;-•-• EXAMINATION OF THE PRI-
SONER TIIIS DAY.
Saturday night; Robert Blakesley, for whose ap-
, yel'aension a reward of 1001. had been offered by Go-
-,ver invent, was discovered in the market-place at Hitchen,
He tts, and this morning, at six o'clock, he was• conveyed
• :in it post-chaise to London, and underwent an examma-
' t7":.on.' before the Lord Mayor, at the Mansion-611 Se. A
,Igreat crowd of persons assembled around the Mansion-
house ; and, besides the Lord Mayor, there were also
• :..present, Aldermen Marshall, Gibbs, Carroll, Kelly, Hum-
,: phery, and Pirie. Mr. Harvey, the Cornmissiener of
•, .P.olice, was likewisoin attendance.
The prisoner betrayed such weakness on being placed
"t: at the bar, that he was allowed a seat, and his-eounte-
hance (which was onlyinow and then seen from his hang-
... ing his head dawn), appeared exceedingly pale and de-.
pieted great wretchedness ; when he spoke, he did so in
a clear and firm tone-,
Robert Dean, of the Hitchen Police, said—Between
eleven and twelve ()clock on Saturday night, -the, 25th
-"listo I was on duty in, the market-place, llitchen, and I
431" V the prisoner, Robert Blakesley, loitering about
-there. I had received instructions from my Su-
s perintendent to be very particular in noticing
.the arrival of any stranger. After watching him some
?time I went up and 'spoke to him. He told me he was
.almost mad, and that I might take him into custody. I
asked him what for; and he replied, "I suppose you
:t-have heard of the circumstance in London." I rejoined,
"I suppose you are the man who stabbed the landlord
and your wife." Re-answered " Yes, the landlOrd and
oy wife, and Ido not mean to say any more." . I took
itn to the station-house, and he several times ejaculated
(A, I think I hear that shriek !—it is her's—f think.
her•now." Heivas searched at the station-house, and
t 1 e letters produced were fuund upon him.—(Letters. from
li: is wife and mother were here handed in). Ile had
st •veral trifling articles about him, but no nrniey. He
'As id at the station-house, "I did not mean
..to 'kill Mr.
o 3 ordou, but he got between us. I inter.ded to( kill my
and then myself."
William Rattan, City pelice-con;table 542, who saw
1114, prispner in Leadenhall-market, on the night previous
10 the raurder; identified the prisoner as 'being Robert
IllaktrAley. His evidence was nearly the same as he'
g 4, ve !..i.efore the 'Coroner at the inquest upon Mr. Bur-
14011's body.
IfelTh:',lio.s LORD MAYOR then qurAtioned the prisoner as
—Prisoner, what 'is y-our name ? Answer (with
mach firmness)—Robert '3lr.xesley. What is your age ?
Twenty-seven- What is your profeSakiii ? I was
"brought upas a clerk 'An the counting-house of my father,
'wo is in the cloth, trade. Where did you reside ? In
asinghall-street, City. Had you any other residence ?
my Lord.
Edward Bris',ow, city police-constable; said, I have
• 7 known the pririoner three or fuur weeks, and I know him
1 he the pers, 3n who went by the name Robert Blakes-
,/,;', • eY• I am ELC' painted with his person:,
In answer to the LORD MAYOR, the witnesses said
4tato they had h'een bound over by the Coroner to appear at
;;Eri :the
.Old P,ailey.
The LORD MAYOR asked if the prisoner was suffi-
4ciently recovered to stand up ?
;tr
Bli•%tesley here rose, but was obliged to be supported
ae' two officers who stood in ate dock with him.
The Loan MA.rott (addressing' the prisoner)—You
:bwie heard the statement made by the officers against
au, and the depositions are now preparing, and will
• .Enortly be read over to you. l.'you have anything to
ispiz .say. now is your time.
;ra The prisoner, (holding dowuhis head)—No, my Lord,
mot:until the day of trial, when all the truth will come
.out. It is not as Mrs. Burdou has stated.
1,_.412 The depositions were then formally read Over and
andln the interim the prisoner whispered to the
•orlicers next hinA--" I wish nut to be left alone:" This
"being repeated. to the Lord Mayor, he replied—," Ver.)"
well, his wish shall be attended to."
Dein-,During the time he has been with us he •has
been supp'.ied with books, and be wishes that 'indulgence
t:: -to .be extended towards him in Newgate.
• r,
/HE LORD MAYOR—Very \Yell, he shall have proper.
16 .
The -drisoner was a acrwards removed to Newgate in
pc:e.t chaise that 'Jrought him from Hitchen, followed
td ‘' tlujtutinense crowd of personA.
rt.' 411;irttr b. -
Henry flardinge, as Secretary at War, has
• appointed
Di Captain Wood to be his Private Secretary.
od! .
- Dispatches were forwarded from the Home-
att,
si • (),„,fstleee yesterday morning for her Majesty at Windsor
‘-a
,•74,
Wily
;are a lady's stays, laced painfully tight,
:'e t:ae sr.rnme of one of Milton's heroes? Because the are
• "„„"g'..nr. St y
0.,
11F. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS._ The
of the Royal Botanic Society came to a decision, at
,„: meeting on Saturday, to terminate the premenaries for the
J.-4'cm. They had been fashionably attended, but the weather
• • .Z.2:10t0 likely to be again sufficiently propitious for the confirm-
' gee of this elegant amusement.
e h is said that the King of Hanover has sent a
1.:11 tribution of five hundred pounds towards a fund, now being
3,71 for the family of the late Theodore Hook.
l'it SLIDING SCALE.—Great has been the
-ter). irk favour of the sliding scale.. Its beauties and advan-
., it_g_Pa are just now most cleatly discernible. The averages
4,7 e, been forced up to that point which reduces the duty upon
0
To wheat to one rhiaing per quarter; and in the course of
ast week one and a half of quarters of foreign
.E,,, • Thi,at hm,o been admitted to home consumption at this duty.
Is the season when the poorer class of farmers are corn-
""ic 41-,;.ed to bring their grain to market to raise money, and in
2c 917market they meet the fotei n wheat at free trade"
4,P, 'What a glorious thin theng is the sliding scale for the
1:)4;J itli'4l°lietkn" of the British lagr:ne!' Carlisle Journal.
toilit ter received at Paris from-
" 4.
al ced to the Academy of Sciences the .death of the
Geneva has an-
Iguished botanist M. de Candolle, one _of the most
tri ,‘• •
n The
r its corresponding members.
General Steam Navigation Company s
Tarriv" 0 A:. ,trauatrt,
vu it the Ciustom-house yesterday with the Dutch
•