The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-24 00:00:00

THE CONVICT TAWLLL.

AYLESBURY, SATURDAY.—The unfortunate Tawell is
said to be somewhat more composed and resigned to his
fate to-day than he has hitherto been. The authorities
of the gaol are as close as possible in regard to him,
and it is therefore with much difficulty that any inform-
ation can be obtained. He continues to be supplied
with dinner from the White Hart in the same way as he
used to be previously to the trial. It is remarked by
some, that this indulgence to him is such as most pro-
bably would not have been granted to a poorer man if
he was placed in the same position ; at least, such has
never been the case before. As it is, however, near nine
years since any one has been executed at Aylesbury,
and then, perhaps, the party under sentence might not
have been enabled to pay for a dinner sent to him from
an inn in the town, it is just possible that this inference
may be unjust. It is expected that his wife will pay him
another visit on Monday. She is in a dreadfully
depressed state, and seems even now to be
innocence.
A impressed with a conviction of his
A petition has been got up in the town, to be
presented to the Secretary of State, praying that the
sentence may be transmuted to transportation for life.
The petition, however,goes more upon the general principle
of the impolicy of capital punishments than upon any
assumed probability of the verdict of the jury in Tawell's
case not being strictly in accordance with the truth.
The petition has been signed by about 120 persons ;
amongst these are the names of one Baptist minister (the
only clergyman who has signed it), and the foreman of
the jury who found him guilty. In the town there ap-
pears to be a very general aversion to capital punish-
ments ; and many even who do not go so far as to say
that capital punishments ought in all cases to be abo-
lished, appear to think that executions ought not to be
public. It is said that on Friday next, when it is
fully expected that the execution will take place, the
shops will be closed. The general impression as to
the guilt of the unhappy man appears to increase.
The more calmly all parties are anAblcd to think upon the
subject, the more fully do they seem convinced that
the verdict of the jury is a proper one. Within the last
few days a circumstance has come to light which would
have been of material importance on the trial, and which
now has the effect of corroborating the impression of his
guilt. It is stated that in the omnibus, in which it will
be recollected he travelled a short way after he had left
the deceased, Sarah Hart, an empty bottle was found, '
having a label on it marked "Scheele's Prussic Acid."
This was found by the conductor, but some of Tawell's
friends got intelligence of the fact, and through their in-
fluence, backed, perhaps, with "substantial reasons," it
was kept " dark " until the trial was over. It is supposed
that the unfortunate man must, in his confusion, have
dropped this in the omnibus.
Although the Quakers have expelled him from the
society, yet, with a strange inconsistency, many of their
body continue to visit him. Many religious tracts have
also been forwarded to him by them, which, it is said, he
reads with the greatest attention. The part of his con-
duct, since his conviction, which is considered to be the
most strange and unaccountable is the fact that he never
makes any allusion to the awful crime of which he has
been found guilty. Many, from this, are inclined to draw
conclusions unfavourable to him ; and it also tends to
strengthen the conjecture that he will not make any con-
fession.

It may be remembered that a man named Wilder
was tried and convicted at the Aylesbury assizes, and
sentenced to fifteen years' transportation for a rubbery
committed at the residence of the Rev. Mr. Luxmore,
with whom the prisoner lived as butler, at Eton College.
During the incarceration of John Tawell at Aylesbury
gaol, Wilder and he were ccnfined in the same ward, and
a sort of fellow feeling sprung up between them : Tawell,
it appearing, being equally certain that Wilder also would
be acquitted. Tawell, who had taken a fancy to Wilder,
absolutely engaged him as his servant. at a certain
rate of wages, to live with him at Berkhampstead,
and it was arranged that at the conclusion of the
trials they should return to his residence in that
town together. Wilder was first tried, and when bis
conviction was announced to Tawell he remarked, with
evident feelings of alarm and dismay, which he attempted
to conceal, " Well, it's very extraordinary; I hardly
know what to think of a Buckinghamshire jury after
this!" When Wilder returned to Tawell, at the prison,
the latter very coolly ob,erved to him, " Well, be of good
heart; y► u will find Sydney a very plesant place, and I
have no doubt, after a little time you will manage very
well, as I did."
We have heard that at almost the last moment it could
be legally done, the miserable man, as some atonement
for his horrid crime, settled an annuity of 20/. a year
upon each of the two children, the issue of his connexion
with the murdered woman, secured, in the names of
trustees on his property in Australia.
It has been stated that the expenses of the defence of
the prisoner amounted to 700/. This amount only em-
braced one portion of the expenses incurred on his behalf
We have heard from one of the parties retained by
Tawell that they will fall, on the whole, very little short
of 2,0001. Independently of his counsel, Mr. Fitzroy
Kelly, Mr. O'Malley, and Mr. Gunning (whose fees
were exceedingly liberal), he had three solicitors—viz.,
Mr. Bevan, of the Old Jewry ; Mr. King, seltcted for
his extensive chemical knowledge ; and Mr. C. S.
Voules, of Windsor, who was retained on account of the
local knowledge he possessed of the neighbourhood in
which the foul crime was perpetrated.
Not less than eight of the most celebrated medical
practitioners and operative chemists were subpcenmed on
behalf of the prisoner to attend the trial, none of
whom, however, were examined. We learn that these
gentlemen were summoned to be present to be examined
in the event of the medical gentlemen, who attended
for the Crowe, failing in those direct proofs with refer-
ence to the presence of hydrocyanic acid in the contents
of the stomach of the deceased, so necessary to establish
the guilt of the accused. The proofs in this respect
being deemed to be too conclusive to rebut with the least
chance of success, they were not examined. The names
of those gentlemen are—Dr. Letheby, lecturer on
chemistry at the London Hospital, who rendered great
assistance to Mr. Fitzroy Kelly (sitting by his side)
during his cross-examination of the witnesses for the
prosecution ; Dr. Addison, physic►an to Gay's Hos-
pital ; Mr. Bransby Cooper, surgeon to Guy's Hospital ;
Mr. Herapath, of Bristol Dr. Stour, Dr. Barnes, and
Mr. Bell, of London ; and Dr. Graham, professor of
chemistry.
The execution is fully expected to take place on Fri-
day next.

THE CONDEMNED CONVICT
TAPPING.

FINAL INTERVIEW WITH HIS RELATIVES.
All hope of saving the life of this wretched criminal
has been set at rest by the reply of the Secretary of
State, Sir James Graham, to the petitions forwarded to
him to be presented to her Majesty.
According to previous desire, Saturday was appointed
for his final interview with his relatives, and—distress-
ing, as certainly such event might appear—certain it is
that the parting took place in a manner rather sur-
prising, as far as regards their deliberate self-posses-
sion. At noon, his sister, who is a very pleasing, well-
behaved girl, about sixteen years of age, with four
younger brothers and sisters, and an elder brother,
♦isited him in his condemned cell, which circumstance
of him much consolation. He appeared deeply at-
tached to the younger branches—very so ; and fre-
quently kissed them. His sister begged that hew ould
confess to his sins, assuring him that such a step was
the only sure means of gaining that mercy which
could not be shown to him in this world. Ile
replied, " What am I to confess ? Surely I must
not die with a lie in my mouth. She is dead,
and so shall I be ; and God Almighty sill only
know I cannot confess more than what I have." Such
was his general replies ; and, after being with him for
about an hour, they bade him adieu—a most affectionate
adieu—of this world ; and, with an extraordinary self-
possession that marked the whole party, this interview
ended, and the relatives left the prison.
The present destitute state of the culprit's family has
excited a feeling of much commiseration, and a subscrip-
tion has been set on foot amongst the tradesmen of
Bethnal-green to in some way alleviate their sufferings.
They are left fatherless and motherless ; and, bad as
Tapping may have been considered, yet he supported
them, with a little assistance of his sister, for nearly two
years. They are at present in the receipt of one shilling