The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-02 00:00:00

-POL Z-C 2,, IN TBLLIG ENCB,

WORSHIP-STREET.—James Barker, a power-
ful raan, dressed in a smockfrock, and described as
a labourer, was chargeil with the following extra-
ordinary outrage ;
Mrs. Jane Twocock, landlady of a roadside
tavern at Bow, called Clay-hall, stated that she
securely fastened up her house at 12 o'clock the
night before, and as her husband was out upon busi-
ness, she and her niece seated themselves in the bar-

p?.rlour to wait for her husband's return. In this way
they sat till two in the morning, the lights being
out, when she heard the garden gate opened, heavy
footsteps advance to the side door, at which there
was next a; reat noise, and the next instant the
door, which had been secured with two bolts and
a spring lock, was burst open, and the prisoner,
who was a perfect stranger to both of them, came
in, walked round the bar into the parlour where
they were, and, grasping her niece by the hair,
forced her down, exclaiming, " If you call out I will
murder you." Witness pushed him aside as well
as she could, and, hastening to the front door,
opened it, and screamed " Murder !" and " Police!"
A neighbour named Johnson fortunately heard her
cries, and hurrying to the house with an inspector,
who also fortunately happened to be near, they
seized the prisoner, who was standing in front of
the bar when they entered, and did not attempt to
escape, and she gave him into custody.
The niece said she was much hurt and alarmed
when the prisoner seized her, but, on hearing the
cries of " Murder !" raised by her aunt, he released
the witness, and ran out of the parlour.
Inspector Kerrison deposed to finding the pri-
soner as descried ; he had a common pocket-knife
about him, but that was all, and, though the door
might have been fastened, he did not think it had
been strongly fastened, as only one bolt seemed to
have been shot ; there appeared to be nothing the
matter with the lock, but the staple looked as if it
had come off easily, and he produced it. He thought
the prisoner was sober. _ _

The prisoner, who seemed bewildered at his posi-
tion, declared that he was not sober, or he should
.not have acted in the way he was described to have
acted. He was a workman in that neighbourhood,
and could have one of the best of characters seven
years long.
The inspector said that, from what he had heard,
ho believed this to be a fact, and that this was the
first offence of any kind he had been known to

Mr. Mansfield said he was willing to take all
t his into consideration ; but, drunk or sober, the
prisoner had been guilty of very gross conduct in
Y reaking open a door at such an hour and seizing
Fl young woman in that way, He should order
'him to pay a penalty of 10s., ',)r go to the House of
Correction for 14 days.
The prisoner was locked up in default.

LAMBETH.-IVBAiam Lane, 3, Hatfield-place,
Westminster-road, coffeehouse-keeper, was charged,
in compliance with -a warrant having the signature
of Mr. Commissioner Mayne, that " he did know-
ingly and wilfv:tly permit the same to be opened
:and used by other persons for gambling," and F.
'Lunn, Bedford-street; Covent-garden ; Henry Slow-
'bon, 9, Tifyvvley-street, York-road; G. Watson,
Bryan-street, Commerciabroad ; William Biddle,
5, Uniert-row, New Kent-road ; G. Champion, 4,
IPento';i-place, Pentonville ; G. Hereford, Leather-
ianc,, Holborn ; and William outhwaite,
street, Euston-square, .were charged with being
*,licre for the purpose of gambling.
Mr. Neale was engaged for Slowbon, and Mr.
Denny for Lane.
Mr. Superintendent Biekerson, of the 1., division,

produced the warrant authorising him to enter the
premises. He said that about half-past twelve
o'clock on Tuesday morning he, accompanied by
Inspectors Young and White and other constables,
proceeded to the house. They passed through the
coffee•room, and went across a yard towards a house
in the rear. There he, with the other officers,
reached a large room, in the centre of which was a
large table, round which were all the prisoners
except Lane. There were two wax candles on the
table, which was covered witk two horsecloths, a
tablecover, and a piece of green baize. The room
had all the appearance of a gambling-room. There
were on the table dice, a dice-box, cards, &c. The
thick covering on the table he believed was for the
purpose of deadening the sound of the dice. Each
officer took a prisoner into custody. Witness after-
wards saw the prisoner Lane, and asked him if he
was the occupier of the house. He replied that he
was, and that "it was a bad job." Money was
found to the amount of above £lOO in gold, silver,
and notes. All the prisoners were, taken into
custody and to the station-house.
The inspector added that the table was in the
yard adjoining the court, and there were produced
a backgammon-board, racing-books, the horse-
cloths, &c.

Inspector White proved having found above £76
in gold and notes, which were in a money-box in
the centre of the table. He took Lunn, who said
" it was a bad job," to the station•house.
Inspector Young produced 19 betting-books, two
packs of cards, &c. He stated that on Sunday
morning, between 1 and 2 o'clock, he watched the
room from a place from which he could see what
was going on. He heard a bet made of six half-
crowns to four, and he heard a man who was com-
ing out of the room say that he had lost from £l2
to £l4,

Several sergeants and constables proved having
heard bets made at the house at different times.
Lane denied that he had anything to do with the
premises where the gambling was going on, and
Mr. Danny, on his part, questioned the legality
of the warrant.

•Mr. Neale, for his client, observed that there was
no evidence to show he was gambling.
Each of the other prisoners made some excuse for
being there, and most of them observed that they
were not there for the purpose of gambling.
Lane was fined £5O, or in default one month's

imprisonment. The other prisoners were fined £3
each, the fines, with the exception of one, being paid.
Lane did not pay his fine.

EXECUTION OF HICKS.

STARTLING CONFESSION.

On Friday last, Hicks alias Johnson, was exe-
cuted on Bedloe's Island, near New York, for the
murder of the Captain of the Oyster Sloop E. A.
Johnson, and two of the sailor boys. The greatest
excitement seems to have attended this execution.
All sorts of boats and barges were laden with persons
anxious toosee a human being suffer on the scaffold
the last penalty of the law. The matter was treated
as a curiosity, and steamboat owners posted around
the walls with unblushing heartless bills with such
headings as "Ho for the execution " And they
did not calculate amiss : they received no small
share of patronage.
When Hicks was conducted to the fatal drop, the
first view which presented itself before him was the
identical sloop, the E. A. Johnson, in which he had
committed the murders, which was moored directly
in front of the gallows. Thus his last look on this
earth was upon the scene of his bloody deed. The
E. A. Johnson had a large flag, bearing her name
flying, and on the masthead was perched a sailor
who waved his cap and hurrahed as the murderer
ascended the tree. Her deck was crowded, and a
slight :murmur could he distinctly heard on shore,
when Hicks was placed under the drop.
Deputy Marshal De Angelis took a position on
his left and adjusted the fatal noose. Sheriff Kelly
came in front and moved Hicks to the centre. The
U. S. Marshal with drawn sword stood in front, and
before the black sap was drawn over the culprit's
eyes, Marshal Rynders advanced and addressed
Hicks as follows :
" Hicks, if you desire to say anything before your
execution you can address the people."
hicks replied in a faint tone, "I don't wish to say
anything to any one except my confessor. I wish
you to hang me quick." The black cap was then
pulled over the unfortunate man's eyes and amidst
yells in two seconds after he had expressed his wish,
the signal was given and Hicks was launched into
eternity. At 15 minutes past 11, the rope was cut.
Hicks trembled violently for some two minutes,
and then remained quiet. In four minutes a slight
plunge of the legs and a violent twitching of the
arms was perceptible.
After hanging 13 minutes he was lowered and the
doctors examine his pulse. He was allowed to hang
30 minutes before he was cut down, although life
was extinct in less than 15 minutes.

Hicks has made what purports to be a full confes-
sion of his many crimes. By his own account, Hicks
has been a sort of " Red Avenger on the Spanish
Main," having perpetrated a majority of his crimes
on the Pacific coast, among the Spaniards and Mexi-
cans. We make some extracts from the proof sheets
of the "confession." The amanuensis having taken
his seat in the cell, Hicks is represented as saying :
" 1 have long felt as though I were the Devil's own,
and that though he had served me so many years, I
must at last be his; yet I imagined he would not claim
me yet, but allow me to do his work for a time longer.
He had stood by me all my life, on ship and on shore,
amid the howling storms of the ocean, where every
moment the waves threatened to ingulf me; he has
snatched me from their deadly embrace on the battle-
field, in many a hand to hand fight ; he has seemed-
to stand by my side protecting me from danger ; and
when I have been in the hands of my enemies
and escape has appeared impossible, he has, until'
now, invariably opened the way for my release.
But at last he has deserted me ; in vain I call upon
him, he will not answer me ; and I dare not call
on God, for what
.pity -should he show a guilty
wretch like me P •
" For years conscience has slumbered ; I have
not heard her voice at all. No deed of des-
peration has seemed to me too desperate; no crime
has seemed too dark or bloody. My soul seemed
dead to all remorse or dread, and fear has been a
feeling which, until now, I have never known.
" Bat in this lonely cell, away from all the ex-
citements which have always been the support of
my restless nature—within these solemn walls,
where I see none but those who guard me, or those
who come to look at me, as upon some wild beast ;
here, where no sounds fall upon my ear but the
footsteps of the keeper, as he paces with measured
tread the long corridor outside, or harsh, discordant
clink of heavy doors slamming, or the grating of
bolts and the creaking of hinges—conscience, So
long dead, has at last awakened and now stings Lee
with anguish, and fills my soul with dread and
horror.
" I look upon my way of life, and see the path
marked with blood and crime, and in the still mid-
night, if I sleep, I act the dreadful scenes atieW.
Again I imbrue my hands in the red blood of my
victims ; again I rob the unsuspecting traveller, or
violate the most sacred sanctities of life, to satisfy
my greed of gold, or headstrong, unchecked pas-
sions ; and if I wake I seem to see my victims glar-
ing at me through the gloom of my cell, or hear
them shriek aloud for vengeance on my guilty head.
" The past is one great horror ! The future one
dread fear. A heavy, unsupportable fear is on
my heart, and I feel as if, did I not reveal its fear-
ful secrets, I should go mad.
" But I have resisted the impulse until nosy, and
would die and tell no tales, but that the history of
my life may serve as a warning to mankind, and may
benefit my wife, perhaps, though it will make her
bow her head in deep shame over the crimes of him
who is the father of her child.
" I feel that after I have unburdened myself of
the secrets of my life, I can die easier, and meet my
fate like a man, and though I may go to tho gallows
without hope, without repentance, without any evi-
dente of ought but misery hereafter, the thought
confession,Will
that the sale of this my perhaps keep
the mother of my child from dependence on such
cold charity as the world will show to a murderer's
wife, will make me stronger to bear the inevitable
doom, which is now awaiting me.
"l'or my own sake I would not have done this ;
but for the sake of her whose fate I have linked in_
life to mine, and for the sake of the poor little child,
who I trust will never know who was its father, I
give to the world the wretched historymy of life."
He then proceeded to state that wae born at
Foster, R. 1., in 18?0,.aind
ing his family, ail gives some details regard-
d his occupation, until he was 15
years of age. Then he ran aWay from home, and
commenced his-'."4'reer of crime by stealing a pack-
age of r,"Aas from- the railroad depot at Norwich,
CMln. Having been arrested and committed to jail,
he escaped and shipped on board a whaler, and fin-
ally reached the Pacific coast, He arrived at San
Francisco after many adventures, and became quite
noted there for several daring robberies, Ile was
also in the mining districts, and speaks of a
robbed miners' camps, and trains of emigrants, and I
of having as much stolen gold at one time as he
could lift. The police evidently got on his track,
and he sailed for Rio on board a schooner. He 1
says:—

" Nothing of particular interest occurred on our
voyage to Rio, but after staying there six or seven.
Weeks, and spending nearly all our money ill gumb-
1g :;r1
and Ilonic:.a.il, wei.:;,,Leki all woAll robbing,,
and murdered all who resisted us.
" There is many a whitened skeleton bleaching by
that roadside now, on the same spot where it fell by
my murderous hand; and the traveller, as he rides

along, sees many a place where the grass grows taller
and greener than that which surrounds it ; but he
little dreams that its roots are enriched by the blood
shed by me. If I should travel that road now, I
should have plenty of ghostly company, fer, though
dead men tell no tales, and are but dead to all the

world beside, to me they are now living horrors,
and will insist in keeping company with me.
" I remember one day that, a few miles from
Montevido, we attacked a man and three women,
all of them being on horseback. We robbed them
and should have killed them all, but the women
were beautiful, and for once I allowed my heart to
yield to the feelings of pity, and we did not mur-
der them,

" I shall never forgot the look of those poor
frightened creatures kneeling at my feet, praying
me to he merciful, while my partner, Torn Stone—
that was his name, I do not think I have mentioned
it before—stood a few feet off, with his pistol at
the head of the man who was gradually divesting
himself of everything valuable he had about him."
After robbing this party they were suffered to
depart.

Re refers also to the numerous murders com-
mitted by himself and comrade between Santiago
and Valparaiso, the details of which are given. He
was on board the ship Anne Mills, a slaver, and
being in danger of being captured, he says the
slaves on board were all tied to a cable, and the
anchor thrown overboard dragging them after it.
After detailing robberies, murders, and ravishings
without number, he gives the following regarding
the murders on board the
OYSTER SLOOP E. A. JOHNSON :

" The sloop E. A. Johnson offered an easy prey.
She had on board, I supposed, from all the informa-
tion I could gather, something over a thousand dol.
lars, and the entire crew consisted of but two boys
and myself.
" I had never known of or seen Capt. Burr before
I shipped with him. He had never done me injury
or wrong, so that I had no revenge to gratify,. no
grudge to pay.
" He seemed a kind and amiable man, and would,
I have no doubt, awakened kindly feelings in any
heart but mine, and even I liked him. Yet, I en-
gaged myself to him solely and only for the cruel
purpose of taking his life, the lives of the two young
men, and making myself master of the money I sup-
posed he had on board.
" I calculated to do this as calmly as you would
contemplate doing any of the usual duties in the
ordinary transactions of life.
" I had killed men, yes, and boys too, many a
time before, for far less inducement than the sum I
supposed I should gain by killing them : and I had
too often dyed my murderous hands in blood in
days gone by, to feel the slightest compunctions or
qualms of conscience then.
" I never thought of the consequences of such a
crime. The fear of detection never once crossed
my mind. I had too often done the same thing with
impunity to believe that a day of reckoning would
ever come, in this world at least, and I never gave
a thought to the world to come.
" After engaging with Capt. Burr, I went home
to my wife at No. 129, Cedar-street, and lying
down on the bed, told her not to disturb me, as I
wanted to take a long sleep, and if any one came
for me, to say that I was not in. She left me
alone,. and I then deliberately matured all my plans.
I marked out the course I intended to pursue
exactly, and after I had decided upon everything,
I went to sleep and slept as soundly as ever I slept
in my life, my mind was so much at ease, and I
felt so contented at the idea of having at last an
opportunity of making some money in an easy way.
" The next day I went on board and commenced
my duties, and in order to ingratiate myself into
the good graces of the captain, I did even more
than could have been expected of me.
" We sailed on the 16th of March from the foot
of Spring-street, and proceeded to Keyport, where
we remained till Sunday. While here, I scraped
the mast of the sloop, did a lot of carpenter work,
and accidently pleased Captain Burr very much by
my earnestness in trying to make everything look
shipshape.
"We arrived at Gravesend on Saturday after-
noon, and waited there for a fair wind.
"At last we put to sea, and when we were off
the Ocean House, I went to the forecastle, and got
an axe, which I put in the boat hanging to the
davit aft.
" The younger Watts was at the helm, and I
asked him to allow me to steer a little while. He
consented, and went forward.
" In a few minutes I left the helm, and taking
the axe, went to him and asked him if he saw
Barnegat Light. He said he did not. I told him to
look again and pointed with my hand.
" He turned round and looked in my face a mo-
ment, but even if he had suspected my cruel, pur-
pose he would have read no indication of it there,
for I was as calm as though I was going to do the
simplest and most innocent thing in life.
" Had I been under human influences the confi-
dent and trusty way in which he turned his eyes to
mine would have made me hesitate, but no such
thought entered my heart, and I pointed again and
told him to 'Look there ; ain't that it ? '
" He turned his head and peered through the
darkness in the direction I pointed, and as he did so
I struck him on the back of the head with the axe,
and knocked him down.
" He fell.
" Thinking I had not killed him I struck him
again with the axe as he lay upon the deck.
" His fall and the sound of the axe made some
noise, which, added to that caused by my running
across the deck, attracted the attention of the cap-
tain, who came up the companion way, and putting
out his head asked what was the matter.
" I replied, Nothing,' and then asked him, as 1
had the younger Watts, 'ls that Barnegat Light ? '
" Captain Burr replied, ' No, you will not see it
for two hours ; and as he spoke he turned his head
from me.
" The axe swung in the air, and guided by my
sinewy and murderous arm came down.
" The edge crushed through his neck, nearly
severing his head from his body, and killing him
instantly.
" The body fell down the companionway.
" As I turned to leap after it, and dispatch my
remaining victim, I looked forward, and—oh, God,
how I shudder to think of it now !—he whom I
thought I had already killed had risen, and was
coming aft, his hand outstretched towards me, and
the blood running in two dark streams over his
pale face, from two ghastly wounds on his head.
" For a moment I stood undecided, but as he still
came on, I ran toward him, but ere I reached him he
fell about midship, and rushing on him, I struck
once. twice, thrice with the axe and finished him.
" Rennin,- aft, I jumped down the companion-
way with the bloody axe in my hand.
"There lay the elder Watts, in his berth, and close
beside him the ghastly, bloody corpse of the captain.
I stood a moment looking at him, and dashed at
him, and struck out with the axe.
" He leaped out of his berth, and sprang at me,
all red with the blood of the captain, whose body
had fallen past him, covering him with gore in its
fall.
" He tried to grapple with me, but stepping back
I gave the fatal axe a full swing, and struc him
again, again and again* once upon the head, once on
the back, and he lay dead at my feet, side by side
with the captain.
" My bloody work was done !
" Dead men tell no tales.
" I was alone. No eye had seen me, and now I
was free to reap the reward of my work.
" I did not feel the slightest regret for what I
had done, and went about removing the bodies, as
coolly as though they had been so much old lumber.
" I took rope and bent it on to the feet of the elder
Watts, hauled him on deck, and threw him over the
quarter. I then hauled the captain out in the same
manner, and threw him over; and then going to
midsbips' I lifted the body of the younger Watts
from the deck, and plunged him into the sea by the
starboard side.
" I then threw the axe overboard, and as soon as
I had done this I changed the course of the sloop,
and ran in close to the Hook.
" My intention was to run the sloop up the North
River, and then fire her ; but I earns near running
her on the Dog Beacon, abreast of Coney Island
and Staten Island lighthouse, after which I fouled
with a schooner, and carried away the bowsprit,l :05
I put the money and such other articles a vauji
led
ti
I couici pick z:n into the yawl, and. thee fort onn
sc
ashore, three miles, fa....eding just below th
Staten Island. are well known
"My movements after las;:.."ng,,e fatality that
and when I looked back upon lee_ a the fiend
seemed to dog my steps, it seems as t"ug_-e,
who so long had stood by
ftumntentoafutleyr
me in
levery eine
had deserted me at last, and
weakness. . •
"But I never thought o
my
arrest. I had no shadows of a presentiment that I
hfadthies
should be checked so suddenly and brought to
justice, and on my return to New York made
Arrangements to go away with my family as coolly
s n Jejaleg hid if occurred which should counsel
me to use caution.
But on that fatal night when I awoke from a
o find
th the officers of the law standine•
deep sleep
t fo
bed r e first time fear overcame me, and
by k
I grew faint and weak as a baby. Great drops of
sweat started out of my forehead and all over my
body. and then I realised that at last the master
whom I had sPrved ;-o long had really destlted me
and abandoned me to my fate.
" But to all outward appearance I choked these
feelings down, and none who saw me dreamed of
what was passing within.
"My task is done, shave related all the awful

details of my life with as much minuteness as I can,
and now nothing is left me but to prepare to die.
" I ask no sympathy, and expect none. I shall go
to the gallows cursed by all who know the causes
which will bring me there, and my only hope iethat
God will in his infinite mercy grant me that spirit
of true repentance which may lead to pardon and
forgiveness in the world to come."

C UN2IRI MARKETS.

NEWARK-Au G. 1.

Busine-s was dull, with a thin attendance.• Wheat in
moderate request, and scarce ; buyers purchased sparingly
at former terms.

White wheat, new, 60s to 65s
Red do. sss to 60s
Old white 6os to 65s
Red do. sss to 60s
Barley, malting 38s to 42s
Peas,....

Barley, grinding 30s to 338
Oats, old, 32s to 34s
New do 29s to 328
1 Beans. 48s to 51s
1 Beans, new 45s to 488
.41s to 435.

SHEFFIELD-JULY 31.

At our market to-day there was again a very thin supply
of wheat, with a brisk sale, and prices advanced generally
6d per load. Barley, oats, beaus, &c., as before.
Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...22s 6d to 24s Od
White t, ), ...24s 6d to 25s 6d
Now red ), ,t • ••-s Od to —s Od
New white „ ...—s Od to —s Od
Beans 99 79 ...19s Od to 21s Od
Peas, per qr 4Bs Od to 52s Od
Grindinc, barley, per qr 33s Od to 36s Od
Malting ditto, „ 34s Od to 3750 d
Oats 79 26s Od to 33s od
Millers' prices for flour-2s 2d, 2s 4d, and 2s 6d per
141 b.