The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-08 00:00:00

THE STINI- L'OND 014, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL es 1844,

it towards the point like a saw ; with this, and the
assistance of an iron shoe-heel, he contrived to dig
out the mortar from between the bricks on the side
of his cell next the yard, he had made an incision
round the bricks about eighteen inch's in extent, and
in order to prevent the work being seen, he had,
when " done work," filled up the vacuum thus
created by a quantity of oakum, which he coated
over with the appearance of lime to look like the
other part of the cell. This he accomplished by,
it is supposed, scraping some lime off the wall
and mixing it with his own water. His intention
appears to have been to get into the yard
and unhinge the door of the water-closet,
which would have assisted him on to a shed to
which he could have grasped the spouting of the roof,
and by main strength lifted his body upon the roof,
from which he would have doubtless descended by
some scaffolding poles, forming the various stages of
the new wing in course of erection as a prison for
soldiers. The keen look-out kept by the gaoler, how-
ever, frustrated the deep laid scheme, the successful
issue of which would, doubtless, have been worked,
but for the good watch kept. The prisoner has been
put in irons, and two men are constantly with him
when in his cell, and will remain with him until re-
moved for trial either to Winchester or Maidstone.
It is supposed he will be removed by habeas to the
latter place, especially if the Government prosecute
for the Post-office robbery.

RAILWAYS.—On Saturday a return was issued of
all monies raised under acts whereby railroad companies
have been incorporated., from January 1826, to January
1844, distinguishing the sums raised as principal, from
the sums to be raised by loan or mortgage. The return
contains the names of 121 railways and the titles of no
fewer than 250 Acts of Parliament, which passed in the
years mentioned, under which the moneys were raised
The entire sum was " seventy-nine millions, twenty-six
thousand and three hundred and seventeen pounds !" of
which enormous sum 57,387,7851. was capital in joint
stock, and 21,638,582/. to be raised by loan or mortgage.
From May 1833 the London and Birmingham Railroad
was empowered to raise 5,500,0001., of which amount
3,500,000/. in joint stock, and 2,000,0001. by loan or
mortgage. This appears the largest amount set forth in
the return.— Sunday Paper.

_i
1. ei er n. res .
evidence against his employer, neither counsel nor I Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Co's, hut he did not know i UNION-HALL.
solicitor attended for that prisoner.
(jnftoG
Iby whom. lie had no idea it was a forgery. The ' William Dear, alias Howard, was charged with
pay,rl, 1
it,l,ilen
,1s coachito u.peerosp...fioerteonri,a
Mr. Clarkson, in addressing the Lord -Mayor and 1 notes were given to him by
.the female prisoner, and stealing a bay gelling, the property of Mr.- Whweat-1
Greenwich.
stated
Aldermen Pirie upon the subject; .aid that the pri- he afterwards paid them away.
goner, Captain ' Simpson, had voluntarily made a Mr. Bush applied,- on this evidence, to have both ss .
statement relative to the charge in which he and Read the prisoners remanded for further examination. i that the prisoner was horselseeper in the''of
were involved, and that Mr. Wontner, the solicitor Mr. Chambers submitted that there was no evidence, , Mr. Wheatley, whose service he suddenly. employleft
wioth-
for Read, should he furnished with a copy of that 1 against the male prisoner.--Mr. Bush said there was.; : out assigning any cause about a fortnight
statement as speedily as possible, in order that imme- and he should be pseptsecl ss ;ill l'u, ther evisle;sess, Thursday- night last witness •se- t'
s,
bay ago. . n
diate preparation might be made for the trial, which against him on a future day. . . .....r Lhe gelding
sate in his master's stable, and the next mor lin he
would in all probability take place in the ensuing The prisoners were both remanded until Tuesday missed it, and found the stable-door had been- g
week. It was not the intention of the Counsel for week, and an application to admit the male prisoner open.
the prosecution to read that statement to the justice- to bail was refused. Samuel Giddens, a horse-slaughterer, in Green-
room, but he thought-it necessary to intimate that it MARLBOROUGH-STREET. street, Blackfriars-road, stated that on the morning
was their intention to produce it on the trial, and to John Kebble bay and James Kebble, two brothers, very of Good Friday, the prisoner brought a
gelding
accept the offer of Captain Simpson to turn Queens respectably dressed, were brought before Mr. Hard- to his yard, and offered it to him- for sale. When
evidence. Under existing circumstances, the prose- wick tor final examination, charged with having questioned as to whom the animal belonged, the pri -
cutors applied to the Magistrates to commit the two stolen, at various times, about eight dozen silk scarfs, soners answer was that it was.the property of Mr.
prisoners to Newgate for trial. The necessary course worth about 801., from the shop of Messrs. Higgins Archer, fishmonger, of Dorking, in Surrey, who
would be subsequently adopted to take the deposition and Son, hosiers, at No.
21, Old Bond-street. sent him to London to dispose of it. The witness
of Simpsim, and Mr. Wontner should be furnished From the evidence of William Owen, one of the suspecting the truth of the prisoner's statement, pre-
with copies of the whole of the evidence without delay. assistants, it appeared that the prisoners about ten tended to send out for change of a Bank of England
Mr. Wontner did not object to the proposition of weeks ago came into the shop and asked to look at note, and detained him until he sent for a constable
Mr. Clarkson ; and the prisoners were both committed, some scarfs. While they were examining a parcel, to give him into custody.
Simpson for having feloniously
.sunk the ship Colina, one of them claimed an acquaintance with witness, William Harris, inspector of horse slaughterers'
and Read for having aided and abetted in sinking her. having, as he asserted, met him at a house in the yards, stated that upon being apprised of thecircum-
The statement of Simpson comprehends the whole neighbourhood. The prisoners did not buy anything, stance of the prisoner having offered the horse for
of the statements made by the clerk of Read and but they came again the next day and bought a scarf. sale, and his assertion with respect to its being the
Page, as to the conversation which was represented to Shortly at'ter this they again came to the shop, and property of a Mr. Archer, at Dorking, he (the wit-
have taken place at Ipswich on the subject of the got the scarf exchanged, paying the difference. The ness) immediately started off for that town, to make
wilful loss of the Colina between the prisoners, and prisoners continued to call at the shop to see witness the inquiry. He sent back his carrier pigeon with a
the details of the plan of scuttling the vessel. The until about a fortnight ago, when, in consequence of note to Mr. Giddens, informing him of the falsehood
captain declares that according to the suggestions of some scarfs having been missed, stock was taken, and uttered by the prisoner. On subsequent inquiries it
Read, who first proposed the project of doing the In• then a discovery was made that about eight or nine was ascertained the horse was stolen, as alrady de-
surance Company by dropping the vessel, he took the dozen, worth about a guinea each, had been stolen. scribed, from Mr. Wheatley's stables at Greenwich.
opportunity wholly unknown to the mate and the rest Inquiry was made, and Police-sergeant Whall, C 16, The prisoner told the Megistrate that his character
of the crew, to go below with an augur and bore two was employed to trace out the thief. Having sue- stood well at Greenwich - that he had never been in
holes in the Colina's bottom. He also confirmed the ceeded in finding one of the lost scarfs in the hands of trouble before, and that he would bring up witnesses
account given by the several boatmen who went to- a pawnbroker, he obtained a description of the party as to his (prisoner's) good conduct.
wards the Colina for the purpose of saving her from who pawned them, and this description tallying Mr. COITINGIIAM said that he was bound to send
I the destruction which threatened. exactly with the appearance of one of the prisoners, the case for trial, where evidence of prisoner's good
It has been stated that there are several other the police-sergeant went to their lodging, and took character would operate on the minds of the Court
cages in which it is believed Read was a participator them into custody. and jury.—The prisoner was committed accordingly
in the profits of dropping vessels, but it did not Police-sergeant Whall, C 16, said, when he appre-
' transpire whether any of those cases were to be hended the prisoners they were in bed. He searched
prosecuted. Mr. Page has been, all are assured, them when dressed, and found nine duplicates, all.of
altogether ignorant of any transactions of the kind. which related to portions of the missing scarfs. lie
The mate of a vessel, called the Diana, who appeared was enabled, by the help of the duplicates, to ascertain
on Friday, the 29th of last month, in pursuance of how between two and three dozen of the stolen scarfs
his recognizances by bail, to answer the complaint of were disposed of.
Mrs. May, the widow of the deceased captain of that The paw nbrokers came forward and produced the
vessel, again appeared, the further hearing of the case goods in their possession, all of which were identified
having been adjourned to this day. by two of Messrs. Higgins and Co.'s assistants, Owen
Mr. Bozon, the solicitor of Mrs. May, stated that, and Barnes.
since the last hearing of the case, he had obtained The prisoners said they would make no defence for
further evidence, which would tend to add to the the present.—They were fully committed.
suspicion entertained that the ship had been wilfully William Burgess, shop naii to Messrs. Stagg and
set fire to at St Helena; and he could prove, by the Mantle, linendrepers and mercers, Leicester-square,
testimony of a respectable witness, that, in addition was charged with having stolen six silk handkerchiefs,
to the property taken possession of belonging to the the property of his employer.
late Captain May, the defendant possessed himself of In consequence of a communication made to the
a gold watch, guard, and chain, which the de- prosecutors the prisoner was called into the counting-
fendant denied, upon a former occasion before the house, and asked if he had sent handkerchiefs to any
Lord Mayor, the captain ever had. Mr. Bozon one in St. Martin';-nowt to he made up. Prisoner
further stated that the evidence which he considered denied that he had, and he was then told his -boxes.
most material would, in his opinion, clearly show must be searched, as he was suspected of having
that the defendant had acted most fraudulently to- robbed the firm. His boxes were searched, and in
wards the widow, and that the case was one which one of them was found two pieces of riband, worth
his LordshiP .was bound to send for trial to the twelve shillings.
Central Criminal Court, as the whole of the cir Miss Jane Anthony, milliner, No. 18, St Martin's-
cumstances were most mysterious, and required close court, said the prisoner called at her shop, and
investigation. brought six handkerchiefs, which he wanted to have
Thomas Fitch, upon being called by Mr. Bozon, hemmed. One of them, he said, she might have for
stated that-he lived at Deal, and had been a seafaring an apron.
man for 27 years. He was a passenger in the Diana The handkerchiefs were produced, and identified as
in March last, and recollected the circumstance of the the property of Messrs. Stagg and Co.
captain having been found shot in his cabin on the Mice constable Clarke, C 79, said when he took
evening of the 15th of that month. The captain was the prisoner into custody, he remarked to him he
buried at sea the following day. Before he was was a ruined man, as his character was now gone.—
dropped into the waves, and on the evening' he was He was fully committed.
found lying dead, witness requested the mate to square Catherine Apperley, a young woman in a miserable
the yards and run down to some vessels which were condition, was charged with having attempted to de-
then close in sight, to have a doctor to see if anything stray herself on Thursday last. The prisoner was
could be done for the captain, which the mate refused. seen to throw herself into the Serpentine, about three
He also requested him to take the ship to the Island o'clock in the afternoon 'of Thursday last. A call
of Ascension, but to that proposition he would not was made for the Humane Society's host, but before
agree, although within sight of the island, and that he it reached the place the woman was dragged out. She
insisted upon going back to St. Helena. There was was taken to the receiving-house, and after proper
plenty of provisions on board, and the vessel attention - had been p ,id to her, she was sent to St.
was quite seaworthy for the voyage to England. George's Workhouse.
Witness well recollected the late captain. leaving a Mr. HARDWICK asked her what had induced her to
watch, which he believed to be gold, and a guard chain, attempt such a wicked act ?—The woman said she
which the mate took possession of, and that after the was the wife of one of the Grenadier Guards, now in
captain's death, and the blowing up of the ship at barracks at Winchester. In consequence of her hus-
St. Helena, by which the steward lost his life, he band marrying without leave, the commanding officer
saw the chain in the defendant's possession. The refued to let him sleep out of barrack; but as her
steward, Cox, who was killed by the explosion of the husband was then on duty at the Tower, this was not
vessel, kept a journal of everything that transpired on so great a hardship, as her husband did contrive to
board, and the defendant, after that catastrophe, broke allow her a trifle out of his pay, which, with her own
open the steward's chest and took the papers from it. earnings by her needle, sufficed to maintain her.
Witness further stated the manner in which the About a month babk her husband's regiment was-sent
Diana was blown up at St. Helena, and declared it to Winchester; and as his pay was reduced by stop-
to be his unshaken opinion that the vessel had been pages for arrears, he had been unable to send her any
set fire to. money. She had, in consequence, fallen into a most
The LORD MAYOR, after having consulted with frightful state of destitution; and after pawning every -
Mr. Goodman, the chief clerk, said the case was thing she had, she took the determination of ending
rendered an exceedingly suspicious one, and that foul her miserable life by drowning herself. She went
play had, no doubt, been perpetrated. lie did not, out for this purpose on Thursday, but her unhappy
however, consider that there was sufficient evidence design was frustrated by persons who accidentally
to justify him in sending the case to a jury. It was witnessed her proceedings.
certainly a case which Mr. Bozon was justified in Mr. HARDWICK ordered the poor creature to have
bringing forward, but he should be satisfied with the some refreshment provided for her, and sent for some
promise of the defendant to appear, if his presence one from St. George's Workhouse.
should be required, upon a future occasion. The woman, in corroboration of her story, produced
The defendant declared that there was no ground a letter which she had just received from her husband.
for the charge; that he had acted with firmness and The letter was couched in most affectionate terms,
judgment, and reliance upon the skill of older persons and the writer mentioned his determination to send
throughout ; that the watch-chain was his own, and for her to Winchester as soon as he could save a little
that he was not aware of any unfair play at all in any money.
of the transactions. Lacy, the Messenger of St. George's, soon after-
Thus the case has concluded for the present. wards arrived in Court, and he at once took charge of
Two very dirty-looking vagabonds were charged the poor woman until she is in a fit state to be again
with having picked pockets. . Upon 'one of them, a brought up, when, no doubt, some temporary assistance
most filthy red-headed fsllow, a highly scented silk will be afforded to her.
handkerchief was found. - . QUE SQUIRE.N'S-
The LORD MAYOR---HOW did you get this hand- Thomas Pyvis, a sickly-looking youth, was placed
kerchief?" Prisoner—I have had it these three at the bar before Mr. Burrell-, charged with having
months. broken into the dwelling house of Major Thomas
The Loun MAYOR—But how did it become so Henry S. Clerke, No. 4, Brompton-row, and stolen
much scented ? Prisoner—How ? Why, easy enough. therefrom a large chest full of silver plate, a gold
I always wear scent in -my hair, and I keeps my watch, three gold rings, a diamond bracelef, a suite of
handkerchief in my hat, to be sure.—(Laughter.) silver, including ear-rings, bracelets, brooch, &c., and
—Committed for three months to Bridewell. other articles of jewellery.
GUILDHALL. -. "The evidence of several witnesses who were ex-
.
Thomas Howell, James Mahon, and John Skinner, amine! went to prove that on the evening of the 29th
three young men, having the appearance of mechanicsult., about five o'clock, Major Clerke left
hi
his re-i-
were brought before Sir John Key, charged with deuce,. giving
ehe footboy orders to follow hiei to s
club-house with his bag, that he might dress fore
breaking into the harnesSeinaker's room at the Oxford
art The boy did as he had been ordered, and the,
P Inn, Warwick-lane, and stealing eight pairs of coach y.
presumption is that the perpetrator of this daring and
traces, a knife, and two pair of pincers.
extensive robbery had watched the proprietor and his
The prisoners were remanded.
male servant from the premises. Shortly after they
BOW-STREET. had left the place, the cook thought she heard a noise,
John &inner Francis, a young man of military tip- but supposing it was caused by the kitten, paid no
pearance, wearing mustachios, and who was stated to
attention to it, but on hearing the hall-door shortly
have been formerly an officer in the Cape of Good
afterwards slam too, she became alarmed, and her
Hope Rifles, and Mary Ann Browne, a young woman,
suspiciOns that the -house had been robbed were
very fashionably attired, and who was stated to be the
sho-ttly afterwards confirmed. On the return of the
daughter of a clergyman, were brought up in the
footbOl at eight o'clock, she proceeded with him to
custody of Inspector Pearce, of the A division of Po -
examine' the house, and on entering the Major's room
lice, charged with having feloniously uttered a forged
th found that the plate chest, which was usually
cheque for 1901., purporting to be signed by the
kept there, had been carried off, and that an
Dowager Lady Nelthorpe, with intent to defraud
attempt had he en made to force open several
in
Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Co., the bankers, in Lo-
Loin-drawers in the room. They also discovered
bard-street. that an upper sleeping apartment hail been visited,
Mr. Bush, of the Society for the Protection of
the whole of the locks on the drawers forced, and a
Bankers from Forgery, attended on the part of the
gold Geneva watch and other valuables stolen. On
prosecution ; and Mr. M. Chambers, the barrister, at- their return to the Major's room they discovered a
tended as counsel for the prisoners. hat which had been left by one of the rubbers, a skele
Thomas Evison stated that he was a cashier in the
ton key which opened the street door, and by which
house of Messrs. Smith, Payne; and Co. He recol- hadeffected
the thieves an entrance to the premises,
lected that the cheque produced was presented there
a small file, a jemmy, and a candle. The police were
for payment on the 9th of January last, but he could
in,' examinationofthe
called who, on
not remember by whern. .The Dowager Lady Nel-
. anion hat the robbery must have been committed
thorpe kept an account with Messrs. Payne, Smith, rbp so' n ons intimately acquainted with the re
and Co., and the cheque purported to be signed by
!Les' eandrathe as usual in such matters, direpcted
her. Witness could not tell by whom it was pre-
theieinquiries asy to any servants who
had been re-
sented, but on a reference to the books he found that discharged. They '
cently ascertained that prisoner,
it had been paid in Bank-notes. after a service of five months, had left the Major's
The Dowager Lady Nelthorpe stated that she re-
service in Januar3 • being subject to fits, and was an
sided at River-hill, near Sevenoaks, in Kent, and ha, d
inmate in St Thomas's' •1 , but they had every
also a town residence in King -street, St. James s. Hospital,
to reason believe, in consequence of some communica-
She kept an account with Messrs. Smith, Payne, and tion made to them, that he went in and
Co., the bankers. The cheque produced was not
out
othe f establishment whenever he thought
signed by her, neither had she authorised any person fit, and had an ample opportunity of corr.-
to draw or sign it. She knew the female prisoner,
matting the robbery •which
; added t o , tale water-
who was introduced to her in the month of October,
man at the coach-rank at Knightsbridge, on a visit to
1842, and she remained at the house of witness until
the hospital, said that he had every reason to believe
the month of December following-. During her stay
that prisoner, with a female, hired a cab on the even-
there she had frequent opportunities of seeing_ witness
ins of the 29th ult., and placed a large chest inside it.
write, and had no doubt also seen her sign cheques.
Under these circumstances of strong suspicion, added
She represented herself to witness as friendless, hope-
to others about to be detailed, the prisoner was taken
less, and in absolute want of clothes.
into custody by Bradley, a constable of the B division,
Elizabeth Mason, of Ranelagh-grove, Pimlico,
to whom he said, without any leading question's being
stated that the two prisoners formerly occupied apart-
eut to, him, "s
he supposed he was taken about the
ments in her house for about five months,
Iv at a rent of
fajor spoons."
15s. a week, They lived together as man and wife,
James Millet', the Major's footboy, proved that
and went by the name of Francis • they left the
prisoner had been in the habit of coming to the house
apartments in February last. In the lanuary previous
to visit the servants. He never eaw prisoner wear
the female prisoner told the witness that she was going
a hat the one found on the iremises.
to take some money out of the Bank of Englend, and suchas • 1 •
Ellen Merited, formerly in the Major's service,
soon after that she paid the amount of rent due with
a 51. Bank of England note, which witness subee- 'where the plate chest was
proved that prisoner knew
ept, and at the. time he left the. service abused the
quently paid away to Mr. Cafe, the auctioneer, in k
Great Marlborough-street. Witness believed the Major, and said he would serve him out.
Benjamin Pelliss, 28 G, produced the plate-chest.
body of the cheque produced to be in the handwriting
On Saturday week he was on duty
of the female prisoner. wells-road, and saw a-woman whom he knew to be a
Susan Luff, a milliner, in Regent-street, had seen
bad character and •moment afterwards, on
. pass, a n a .
the female prisoner write, and also believed the body
crossing the road, she said to him, "You are wanted
of the cheque to be in her handwriting.
here," and pointed out the plate-cheat, which was
Inspector Pearce stated, that in consequence of in-
t ' d.the road
formation he had received, he went to Kingston on s aninghon
t on examination was only found to con-
c es . .
Thursday last, and at ten o'clock at night succeeded The
the others b •
tam a few trifling articles,
.
in apprehending the prisoners at the lodgings they
M Clarke said that he had a character with the
occupied there. The male prisoner at first said the .
ajor
from Lade 11. Chisholm, but he was so sullen
female was his wife, but afterwards admitted that she pri.soner
heywas obliged to discharge him. He
was not. The female declared her innocence, and and
violenthimthatfur a month before he entered the ser-
vice, great anxiety to know what account her ": paid
vice, and fora month afterwards.
companion had given of the transaction.
The prisoner declared that he was in the hospital
Sergeant Kendall, of the A division, stated that
on the 12th of March, and had only been out once
after the male prisoner had been placed under his
~urimiddle
lng th e of the d ay. lie denied all know-
charge by the last witness, he said that he knew the
lhdge of the robbery.
cheque in question had been presented for payment at lie was remanded until Friday next.

EXECUTION of JOHN LAWRENCE
FOR MURDER, AT HORSHAM.
The sentence of execution passed upon Lawrence
at the late Lewes Assizes for the murder of Mr.
Solomon, the chief officer of Brighton, was on Satur-
day morning carried into effect, at the usual place of
execution on the top of the county gaol. From the
character of the offence, and the circumstances under
which it was committed, there was not the slightest
chance of any remission of the sentence, and from the
time of his conviction the wretched culprit evidently
prepared for the fate which awaited him, and ap-
peared anxious to make all the atonement in his power
by a sincere repentance.
Although the prisoner admitted the justice of his
sentence, yet, up to the very last moment, he persisted
in declaring that he was not actuated by any mali-
cious feeling towards the unfortunate deceased, but
he says that, at the moment, a sudden and uncontrol-
lable impulse impel'ed him to seize the poker and give
the deadly blow, and he said that, if he had consi-
dered but one moment, he should not have committed
the act. He has all along declared that he could not
tell what possesed him at the moment, but the
thought to kill the deceased suddenly came across his
mind, and he could not resist it. The Rev. Mr.
Allen, the chaplain of the gaol, who has heel con-
stantly with the prisoner since he has been at Hors-
ham, repeatedly asked him whether he was actuated
by any feeling of malice towards the deceased, And
the culprit in the must solemn manner always made
the same statement relative to the melancholy trans-
action, and also said that at the time he struck the
utpw, he could lia.dly tell whether it was aimed at
Solomon or any other person.
The pri -oner, although only 24 years old, appears
to have passed his life in one long career of vice and
crime. Although of respectable connections at Tun-
bridge Wells, at an early age he was in the habit of
frequenting beer-shops, where he became acquainted
with the most depraved characters. He then went to
work upon the Brighton Railway, and the scenes of
vice and profligacy which he there witnessed corn
pleted his ruin. After this he went home to his
parents; and being intrusted with a cheque for 251.
he appropriated the proceeds to his own use, and set
off ts Brighton, accompanied by a young women, with
whom he had cohabited ; and the money being soon
spent he was reduced to distress, and then com-
mitted the offence of stealing the carpet, which even-
tually led to the murder of the unfortunate deceased,
and the forfeiture of his own life. The wretched man
stated that for three days before he stole the carpet he
had been continually drunk, and that when he com-
mitted that offence he did not know what he was
about.
The prisoner's mother, it appears, is married to a
second husband. He has written to her, and received
answers several times since his condemnation, but she
was in such a state of mind as to render her quite
unable to support the trial of parting with her
wretched son. The prisoner's uncle and a younger
brother went to the gaol on Friday evening; but, at
the request of the prisoner, the parting with them was
deferred until the following morning. The conduct
of this brother during the time he has been in the
town has created an universal feeling of disgust.
Ever since he has been in the town he has been
almost continually drunk, and on the Thursday
night before the execution of his wretched relative he
spent the evening at a beer-shop, where fiddling and
dancing was going on. In answer to an observation
made by Mr. Loader, the governor of the gaol, as to
whether he intended to see his brother executed, he
replied that he certainly should do so.
Very shortly after the culprit's conderimation his
fortitude returned to him, and he expressed an
anxious and apparently sincere desire to atone for his
past crimes by a full and sincere repentance, and on
Friday he expressed a strong wish to receive the Holy
Sacrament. The chaplain at first rather dissuaded
him from so doing, but at length, believing him to be
sincere and truly penitent, he acceded to the pHs
soner's desire. R was after this that the prisoner's
uncle and brother called, but the culprit not being
then in a state of mind to receive them, requested,
through the governor, thiat they should not distutb
him at that moment, but come to him in the morn-
ing. The brother at first said he should not come
any more to see him, and it was only at the earnest
request cf Mr. Loader that he at length consented to
accompany his unsle in the morning.
When not engaged with the chaplain, the culprit
has almost inces ,antly occupied himself in writing,
and he has sent letters to nearly all his old abandoned
associates earnestly entreating them to avoid their
present course of life, and to refrain from the conduct
that lead to his destruction. The culprit had his sup-
psr at the usual hour on Friday night, and went to
bed about ten o'clock, and slept souedly until the next
morning at seven o'clock, soon after which hour the
chaplain was in attendance upon him. Mr. France,
the under-sheriff of the county of Sussex, had arrived
on Friday evening, and, as a great crowd was ex-
pected, by his.di roc-ions barriers were erected, in order
to prevent accidents from the pressure of the people.
Saturday morning the prisoner's uncle and his
brother came to take their last leave of him in this
world. The culprit bore the scene with great firm-
ness, and he appeared more concerned on account of
his brother than for himself, and he entreated him in
the most solemn manner to alter his course of life,
and avoid the miserable condition to which he had re-
duced himself by his misconduct. The brother ap-
peared very much affected, and he promised to reform
his evil way of life and go home with his uncle, who,
at the dying request of the culprit, promised to provide
for him. From this time the culprit prepared himself
for the fatal moment, and he repeatedly expressed his
desire that it had arrived, as he said he was quite
ready to die, and he trusted he should be forgiven his
sins.
The officers of the sheriff arrived at the gaol soon
after eleven o'clock, and about a quarter to twelve
the culprit was pinioned, and he was shortly after-
wards led along the passage of the gaol to the drop
which was erected upon the temporary platform made
for that purpose. He walked with a firm step, and
mounted the ladder leading to the scaffold without
any assistance, and then gazed calmly round among
the crowd. The Rev. Mr. Allen asked the miserable
man whether he had anything he wished to say, and
he replied that he had not, and at the same time again
declared that, although he suffered justly for killing a
fellow-creature, he had no enmity against the
deceased, and that he was not conscious of what he
was doing when he struck him with the poker. He
then shook hands with the reverend gentleman, and
expressed, in the warmest terms, his gratitude for the
kindness he had received from him, and also from Mr.
Loader, the governor of the gaol. All the arrange-
merits were now completed, and at a given signal the
drop fell, and in less than a minute the miserable
culprit had ceased to exist.
Although the crime of which Lawrence was con-
victed created a good deal of excitement in the neigh-
bourhood, and, indeed, throughout the whole county,
where the unfortunate deceased was generally re-
spected as an active and excellent officer, very few
persons, comparatively, were present at the execution,
notwithstanding there was a great cattle fair in the
town, which, of course, attracted a . number of
strangers. Preparations had, however, been made to
prevent accident in the event of there being so great a
concourse of people as was expected; and Inspector
Hughes and seven men of the A division of Metro-
politan Police were engaged to superintend the
arrangements. It is now nine years since there has
been an execution in thiscounty ; and it is rather re-
markable, that the last man who was executed, for
four daring burglaries, was brought to justice mainly
through the exertions of Solomon, the unfortunate
deceased, who, no doubt, at the time, little anticipated
that the next execution would be that of his murderer.
The body, after hanging an hour, was cut down
and placed in a shell, and at ten o'clock on Saturday
night, according to the terms of the sentence, it was
interred within the gaol.