The Sun.
London, England, 1824-08-12 00:00:00

ROBBERY AT EARL. COWPER'S.

Yesterday was the day fixed for carrying into
execution the awful sentence of the law upon
James Harris and James Thomas, alias Davis,
convicted of the late robbery, and attempt to
murder Mr. Haines, steward to Earl Cowper, at
Hertfordbury, on the 9th of June last ; but it
did not take place, in consequence of a respite
for a few days having arrived for the unfortu-
nate convicts. The circumstances of atrocity
attending the attack upon Earl Cowper's steward
are fresh in the recollection of our readers. It
having appeared in the course of the evidence on
the trial, that Green had re\isted the proposal of
his companions to murder Mr. and Mrs. Haines,
and that to his opposition the preservation of
their lives may in all probability be attributed,
Earl Cowper is said to have exerted all his
influence to obtain from the mercy of the
Crown the remission of the punishment of death
in his favour; and not without success, an order
having been dispatched in the course of the week
following, notifying his reprieve during his Ma-
jesty's pleasure. The case of his two corn-
pauions, however, was viewed in a very different
light, and the law was therefore, as regarded
them, left to take its course. Davis, although ex-
tremely penitent, and freely admitting that he
had, by his former crimes, justly merited the
ignominious death which he was about to suffer,
yet strenuously persisted in asserting his inno-
cence of the particular offence for which he had
been sentenced ; and also repeatedly affirmed
even in the course of Tuesday last, that Harris
was not present at the robbery. Harris's assevera-
tions of his innocence have been incessantond made
with the utmost violence, declaring that the
execution of his sentence would be a judicial mur-
der, and imprecating all sorts of vengeance upon
the heads of those who had in any way contri-
buted to his being placed in that awful situation.
In the course of Tuesday in particular, his con-
duct was most ungovernable, the paroxysms of
his rage frequently bursting forth into the most
frantic expression. The perseverance of these
unfortunate men in the declarations of their in.
nocence, induced Mr. Nicholson, the Under
SheritF, to institute a particular inquiry among
the servants of Mr. Haines, as to their certainty
in identifying the prisoners as the individuals
with whom they were engaged on the morning of
the robbery, the result of which seemed to have
left no doubt whatever of their identity. Repre-
sentations, however, were made to the Secretary
of State, in consequence of which an order from
that Right lion. Gentleman reached the gaol
at ten o'clock on Tuesday night, respiting their
execution until Friday next, accompanied by
a letter to Mr. Wilson, the gaoler, directing
a full and accurate report to be made of every
statement and declaration that had been received
from Davis since his trial. On receipt of these,
Mr. Under-Sheriff Nicholson repaired imme-
diately to the cell in which Davis was, confined,
and earnestly and solemnly exhorted him, in or.
der to further the ends of justice, to make a full
and true confession of every particular with which
he was acquainted relating to the transaction iu
which he had been implicated ; intimating that he
had it in his power to postpone his execution for 2
days ; at the end of which period, if it were dis-
covered that he had made a false statement,he would
certainly be hanged; but that if his story n ere
I rue, it was possible that his life might be spared—
but that he must not flatter himsclf hit any hope of
escaping ultimate punishment. Davis thereupon
proceeded to make a most ample and circurn-
stantial confession, implicating, as it was stated,
several persons, but exculpating entirely himself
and Harris from any share in the outrage upon
Mr.. Haines. This confession was taken down,
and signed by the prisoner, and forwarded in the
morning to the Secretary of State's Office. The
unhappy man was afterwards placed in a solitary
cell, and no communication was permitted through
the night between him and Harris. Two other
convicts, W. Marshall and C. Cartwright, convict-
ed at. the late Assizes of a burglary in the house
of Mr. Gordon, at Berk,hamstead, underwent the
last sentence of the law yesterday morning, in
the usual place of execution, in the front of
Hertford Gaol. After the execution, the Under-
Shetiff and Gaoler, nttended by their assistants,
proceeded to the cell in which Harris was await-
ing the awful approach of his expected fate. On
the door being opened, the unhappy man stepped
forward ; his appearance being that of a man
much flurried and agitated, though conside-
rably cooler and more collected than he had
been on the previous evening. lie was then asked
if he still persisted in the declarations of innocence
which he had so repeatedly made, and he answer-
ed," Yes, lam; I am innocent--I repeat it—l am
innocent." Ile was then informed, that the exe-
cution of his sentence was postponed until Fri-
day, t h
faut r t thl er
(titl7r intervals wouldt
hieJecemployed
hait
making ti
he had better bestow his attention in preparing
himself to meet his doom, as nothing should pro-
long it beyond that period, unless his innocence
could be clearly established in the mean time.

E WAY TO Comes.—A: man confessing
his sins to a priest, among other sins of which he
accused himself said, that a few hours before he
had beat his %%ire. The Father Confessor asked
him the reason why ? he answered, that it was
because he had so short a memory, he could ne-
ver remember the sins he had committed, but
whenever he beat his wife, she reproached him
with all the ill he had ever done in his life, by
which he was able to make a general confession
with very little trouble, and for ten-peace more
obtain a perfect absolution.

METHOD OF SAVING TUREK SHILLINOS.—A
labourer of Bridgewater, having been severely
scolded by his wife for neglecting his work, en-
deavoured to appease her wrath by informing
her that he had since the morning, saved 35.;
having drank at one of the illegal cider-shops,
twelve quarts of cider, at three-pence per quart,
for which, hod he, drunk it at an inn, he must
have paid sixpence.--(.Bath Journal.)

A letter froro Gottenhurgh, of the 28th of
JOly, says that the greater part of the town of
Marstrand is burnt to the ground.