The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-29 00:00:00

EXECUTION AT PENENDEN HEATH.

Oa Friday the awful sentence of the law was executed at Pt -
nended Heath, on four of the unhappy men convicted at the lat
' Kent Assizes, viz. John Peale, alias George Watson, for forgery ,
James Spratford, aged 27 ; Richard Spratford, aged 20 ; an i
William _Burton, aged 20, for highway robbery and burglary.
Watson had been prosecuted at the instance of the London Bankers,
associated for mutual protection against forgery. He was mo,:,
and had the advantage of a good education,
respectably connected,
and much general acquaintance with the world. It has been
. certained, beyond all doubt, that, for two years before his appre-
' hension. he had subsisted, in a moat extravagant style, by,
forgeries alone; he fancied detection was impossible, and used
to say, with- a laugh, to a prostitute, the companion of his
Oeasures, that there was nota county in England in which he had
not." left his mark." He had assumed the name of George Wat-
son, and, travelled sometimes in a handsome stanhope, and, at other
times, in an elegant double-bodied phaeton, accompanied by a
female, whom he had picked up at Portsmouth, and used to
'call Mrs. Watson, and to' whom he had at first represented him-
telt as a man possessed of immense wealth in America and the
West Indies. It may appear singular how Pesle could so long
and so successfully, 'under any circumstances, have proceeded in
this course without impediment ; but the surprise will abate when
it is mentioned, that he always had hundreds of blank bills about
him, and that he very seldom issued any for a large amount; so
that the sufferers preferred the course of leaving him to take his
" dangerous chance," to the expensive and unprofitable labour of
bringing him to justice. The circumstances which led to the pro-

secution—that succeeded against him—were remarkable.—
In the latter end of May, 1825, Peele visited Tunbridge
Wells, and presenting himself at the banking-house of
Mesirs. Beaching and Son, he said he had taken a house at
the wen, for five months, and wished to know whether they
had any objection to open an account ft.r him during that
period. They consented, and he presented two bills of ex-
sliange for 30/. and 35/., purporting to be accepted by Coutts
and Co. in London, The bills were immediately discounted
by Messrs." Beaching, through their clerk, and Peele indorsed the
name of gorge Watson" upon them, and received the amount
in cash. As a further inducement to Messrs. Beeching and Son
"otett an account with him, and to give colour to his practices,
'he gave to them a deposit note of the Carlisle Bank is his favour
lar 275/. 14. 6d., which he wished them to present to that
Bank through Masterman and Co., wha were their London agents
as well as the agents of the Carlisle Bank. The deposit note
Was accordingly sent down to Messrs. Connell and Co., at Car-
liile,,who; in due course, apprised Messrs. 'Masterman that it had
been'obtained from them for a bill of exchange, for which Peele
bad got beildes'a considerable sum of money, but which, on its
maturity, was discovered to be a forgery. It was wondered how
• the prisoner conld get-acquainted with the signatures and mode
of, business of the different parties whose names-he used ; but,
upon inquiry, it was found that he had invariably presented him-
self to the notice of the bankers in the places where he negociated
the bills by taking to them bank-notes, and getting in exchange
bills on some London house ; and he took care to select those
hills which had many names itnon them, the whole of which
he would immediately copy in twenty different ways on various
bills, and having done so, he would take the genuine bills, and
others of his own complete manufacture, to the banking-house,
where the good bill; never failed to be a passport to the spu-
',ions. In addition to the bills on_ Coutts and Co., Peele also
deposited with Messrs. Beeching and Co. two other bills—
one for 301., purporting to be drawn by Alexander and James
of Dundee, and accepted by Messrs. Robinson and
"1"°w1;, of Glasgow ; and the other for 37/. 14. 6d., dated
tsth February, and purporting to be drawn by Na-
-thaniel Underwood upon and accepted byMessrs. J. Bell and
Sons, of Leith, not one of which persons is, or ever was, in exist-.
.211 Ce• Thole previois bills Peels requested Messrs. Beaching to
hold for hini and cause to be preierited when due, aid he con-
trived to get upon them an advance of 20/., for which he drew
a cheek in his- assumed name of Geome Watson." Having
time yhtained,the amount of the two.forged bills, and the 201. on
the two other bills` deposited, Peele thought it high time ta de-
camp, and taking the route by Maidstone and Rochester, he came
to London, accompanied by the woman he kept, and her mother
and sister, who rode in a post-chaise, while he drove to town in his
phaeton. At Maidstone he put np at Mr. Wildish's hotel, and
sycceeded in getting cash from him for another- forged check for
20/. on Messrs.Beeching:and Sous, by whom it was afterwards paid,
on the faith of the securities which had been left with -them. A day
or two after his departure, however, the note was returned from
Carlisle, and it was discovered that the whole of the hills and se-
entities were forgeries. ' Instant search was made for Peele,
but he flew from place to place. At length Mr. Gates, the so-
iititor to the Bankers' Committee, received intelligence that
. he -was at Newark, in Nottinghamshire, and started from Lon-
don, attended by an officer, for that place. Adversity had,
however, already begun its work- with Peale. A Derbyshire
publican, upon whom he had passed a forged bill, spied him at
his wine, and never left him till his body was under lock and key
in Derby gaol. Peete was committed for trial for uttering this
bill, which was for 451.,ant1-Mr. Gates went to Derby. prepared
to lodge detainers against -him, or have him taken into-custody in
the event of an acquittal there; but on his arrival. at Derby,. the
solicitor found that it, was Peels's intention to plead guilty to the
Charge of iitterini the bill ; that the prosecutor would, in all
probability, be'
lSaidi his debt as au inducement to join in a recom-
mendation of the prisoner to mercy, and .that Peele might escape
if the remaining charges against him were permitted to sleep. Mr.
Gates, therefore, applied to the Lord Chief Baron, who was in
the commission at Derby, to have Peele removed to Maidstone pre-
viously to his trial at Derby, and under the circumstances of so
many charges existing in Kent, and after consultation as to the
most eligible course, it was arranged that no bill should be pre-
ferred at Derby, but that upon Peele's discharge by proclamation,
he should be handed over to a Police officer in attendance, with a
warrant from Sir Richard Birnie. This was done, and Peele was
committed to Maidstone gaol.,
It appeared that Peale had, in fact, taken a house at Tunbridge
Wells, as he had. represented to Messrs. Beeching and Sons.. A
day or two after he took the house, he was seen by his landlord's
son apparently in. great affliction, and he said that his brother,
w)io had landed at Dover, died the moment lie got ashore, and
must be buried at once, for which purpose it would be necessary
for him to be absent from his house some days. This was found
to have been stated in.order to account for his absence, which had
become indispensible, the moment of discovery being at hand.
It is said that Peele, up to the last moment, had hopes of being
saved. His spirits were lively a short time ,before his execution.
Amongst his letters, which were found in the possession of the
woman with .whom, be lived, were the following, which are

curious :--•••- ,••

" ilrightoiN Friday night, 8 o'clock.
" My dear Martha-3ane• is: new,withArte, and we have just
left the Chain Pier, which rune with an alarming tremor at this
rpoment into the sea. We are going to east an eye at Cook, in
the Monster, at the Circus. This monster ii not a Caliban; it
is a less delicate monster : it has no genius about it. I cannot
leave this dearest chuck,: until to-morrow mid-day; and I trust
that I shall twine my arms round you before five o'clock.
" Your ever-truly, G. WATSON:"
" (Drunk.) " Liverpool.
"My dear nirtha—By the failure. in Liverpool I have lost
5001. Why, let it go. Re you happy, Martha. I have been
some hundred of miles since I saw thee; but what is travelling in
labour or anxiety, -compared 'to_the fear that thou shalt suffer?
No, no, Martha, never suspect that I can ever forget or forsake
thee. My dear, dear girl, take -care of thyself. Despair not ;
my exactions shall have thy image to give them pleasure and suc-
cess. " Thine for ever, GEORGE WATSON."

It appears from his letters, that he had moved With extraor-
dinary rapidity from place to place. A variety of blank hills of
exchange, ready for use, together with some bills partly filled up,
and others with indorsements, were found upon the person of the
unfortunate man:

THE OLEHIlitt COTTON SPINNERS.—The men
who were held to bail for the riotous attacks upon the premises of
Messrs. Collinge and-Lanciaire and Messrs. John Lees and Sons,
at Oldham, and againstwhom true bills were found at the Sessions
last week, have obtained vvrits.of certiorari for removing the in-
dictments into the Court of King's Bench, so that the trials shall
come oust the next Lancasterl
There am, h"ever'''ste
tseizes, and not at these Sessions.
aseaultsprior to the -unde'letody one or two indictments for
pristeipal riots,- Which have not been removed,
and are likely- to be tried, this week; In the mean time the
spinners continue• to carry on their mrageous and illegal pro.
c eed ings. —Stockport Advertiser. ,
When the 13th Regiment was quartered in York,
the greater part of the men were Roman Catholics ; end Mr. Ray-
ment, the Rothan Catholic priest, who officiates at the' chapel in
Little Blake-street, waited on the Colonel to request that they
might be allowed to attend chapel on. the Sunday forenoon ; this
interfered with some arrangements of the 'regiment, and leave was
politely refused; but the Colonel said they should attend in the
. onlypart of the
that'
aft' oorr: As, however, by attending
day; tile. most important part of the service of the Roman church,
high &rad not be heard, Mr. Rayment wrote to the Corn..
thinder-itt-Chief, and the next Sunday every man was at the
chapel.' This 'anecdote we have from good authority.— York
Gazette.' • • ••• •

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

LISBON GAZETTES.

Liss°lc, JAN. 10.—The Marquess de Valencia beint, unable,
in consequence of bad health, to perform the duties, the Princess
Regent has appointed Senhor Candido Jose Xavier, to fill the office
provisionally, till General Daun shall be able to resume it.
" WAR-OFFICE, JAN. 10,;—General Caula, Governor of Alen-
tejo, writes on the Bth, that that province was perfectly tranquil,
and that in Zarca and the neighbourhood of Alcantara, there were
some rebels wounded and sick. _ _

" The General of Lower Beira writes from Belmonte, on the
6th, that the artillery, which the rebels had ordered to Almeida,
retrograded, and entered Pinhil on the 6th. The General says,
that the Militia of Covilha, who had been forced by the Colonel
to join the rebels, had deserted them ; some had presented them-
selves to him, others had concealed themselves, and all Lower
Beira was tranquil.
" Colonel Pinto, Military Governor of Coimbra, writes from
that city on the Bth, that General Azeredo had ordered to advance
to \risen the troops that guarded the bridge of Murcella.
" RODRIGO PINTO."

The Heroine English transport, from Cork, entered the Tagus
to-day, having on board 263 men of the 1 1 th Regiment of Foot.
JAN. 11.-Several disputes having arisen between the soldiers
of the British army and inhabitants of this capital, which gene-
rally proceed from want of understanding each other, and which
lead to events that are the more disagreeable, as the greatest har-
mony ought to subsist between the inhabitants of this capital and
kingdom and the troops of our generous Ally, Great Britain;
and it being certain that the General Commander-in-Chief of
those troops gives all necessary orders to maintain among them
the most rigorous discipline, the Princess Regent has charged the
Intendant-General of the Police to give, without loss of time, to
the Justices of the Quarters of Lisbon the most strict orders to
send out patrols at the hours when disturbances are the most
likely to occur, to have all the taverns and public-houses shut up
at a proper hour, and to order the landlords on no pretext what-
. evtr to take in payment articles of the equipment of the British
troops, &c.
WAR-OFFICE, JAN. 12.—The Conde de Villa Flor writes
from his camp, near Courche da Biera, on the 9th, at 10 o'clock
at night, saying, that meeting with the rebels in the mountains
adjoining that province, he attacked them immediately, and, after
an obstinate combat, which lasted from one in the afternoon till
after night-fall, he dislodged them, and pursued them for half a
league ; the rebels, under favour of the night, retreating in the di-
rection of Francoao. •

" The Count speaks in the highest terms of all the troops under
his command, repeating, that all the corps behaved like true
Portuguese. He adds, that on the following day he would send
the details of this combat, which he had not time. to do at that
-moment. The rebels suffered great loss, whereas ours was very
small, considering the position which they occupied, and the
duration of the combat. Major J. P. d'Abreu, commanding the
battalion of the 13th Regiment of Foot, and Don Manuel de
Camara, Ensign of the 4th, were the only officers on our side
who are wounded, and that slightly. Among the prisoners taken
by our troops is Capt. Comeero, ex-Captain of the 14th Infantry,
and the serjeant who induced the 7th Regiment of Cacadores to
revolt was killed. On the same day, some privates of the 6th and
21st Infantry presented themselves to the Conde de Villa Flor.

" PINTO."

The Lisbon Gazette announces daily the arrival of numerous
English transports from England and Ireland, with troops and
horses.

LISBON, JAN. I3.—The army will take the field in a few days.
Lord Beresford sails for England in the Ocean, about the 20th
of this month.

• FRENCH PAPERS.
(From the Etoile, dated Saturday.)
PARIS, JAN. 26.—0 n the opening of the sitting yesterday, the
COmmittee of the French Academy read a letter from. the first
Gentleman in Waiting, which announced that he had received
the King's orders, and that his Majesty had said, he would not re-
'ceive the direCtion of the Academy. The Academy resolved, that
the petition which it had-voted, and had ordered to be inscribed
in its journals, should not be published.
(From the Pilote, dated Friday.)

PARIS, JAN. 25.—Accounts from Trieste, of the 10th, bring
the important news, that a ship from Zante has brought word
that it was reported there that the Turkisl garrisons of Canea and
Candia had surrendered for want of. provisions. If tbis.be true,
the consequences in favour of the Greeks will be incalculable.
(From the Constitutionnel of Friday.)

(PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.),
LISBON, JAN. 10.—The extraordinary performance given on
Satei-day last, at the Theatre of San Carlos, collected a brilliant
and numerous audience. Immediately upon the appearance on
the stage of the portrait of' the King, Pedro IV., and that the
actors had begun to sing the national hymn of the Constitution, a
general burst of enthusiasm resounded from all parts of the house.
Unanimous Vivae, and the warmest acclamations froin the spec-
tators, echoed every chorus of the 'hymn. At the moment that
the actors sung the words,-“ Huzzi:for our free Constitution !" the
spectators immediately required that the national British hymn
should be sung, which was instantly done, in the midst of similar
acclaniations, andof the loud expression of the general joy. This
extraordinary representation was for the purpose of celebrating the
arrival of the auxiliary English division.
It was remarked, that the bands of the English regiments, as
well as those of the Portuguese, played, as the march of the troops
ofthe two nations, the air of the Constitutional hymn, and that
of Riego's celebrated Spanish hymn Solclados la Patria. The
drums beat the same march before the troops.
Since yesterday, the Portuguese and English troops do the
duty of the fortress together, and are assembled in the same guard-
house, from which issue the patroles, composed of an equal force
of soldiers of both nations ; the Portuguese take precedence in the
march. Entire harmony appears to reign between the troops of
the two countries.

• • L..st night, in some private streets, five soldiers and a ser-
geant of English Infantry, who were walking about separately,
were assassinated in a cowardly manner. These acts of cold-
blooded barbarism, are attributed to some obscure agents of the
Apostolic junta. Proper measures have been taken to discover
the perpetrators of these crimes, and to provide against such oc-
currences in future.

The French Ambassador to Rio Janeiro was, in fact, (as I
mentioned in my last letter) on board the French frigate La
Surveillante, Captain Trotel, which entered the Tagus on the
Rth of this month. She had made the voyage from Brest in
four days, in company with the French brig of war Eadymion,
Commander Euspel ; and La Surprise, Captain Halley. The
Ambassador sets sail at the end of this week for Brazil.
Well-informed persons affirm, that the last news from London
give an assurance that complete success will attend the negotia-
tions comtneneed under the auspices of Great Britain with the
Government of the King of the Netherlands, for the renewal and
carrying into effect of the ancient treaties of alliancewithPortu•
gal, should the Cabinet of Madrid persist in its system of duplicity
and bad faith, so as to render war between the two States of the
Peninsula unavoidable. It in added, that similar negociations
having the same end in view, have been opened with the Conti-
nental Government of Sweden, and promise a result equally
satisfactory.

(PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.)

MADRID, JAN. 18.—After mentioning the issuing of the
Order, or Manifest, as it has been termed, to the Captains Ge-
neral, the letter goes on as follows :
But a most important occurrence, and one which may wholly
change the disposition of the King's mind, has, just taken place in
the transmission hither, by a Courier who left Petersburgh on the
28th December, of a note from M. de Nesselrode, which was com-
municated on that day to M. Paez De La Cadena, our Minister at
Petersburgh. In this note M. de Nesselrode states, that the Em-
peror, his master, highly approves of the conduct of England to-
wards Portugal, and entirely disapproves of that of our Cabinet, as
well as of our connivance at the invasion. M. de Nesselrode
concludes his note by saying, that in case the conduct of Spain
should draw upon her a war with Portugal, she must not reckon
upon any support from Russia, either in carrying on that war, or
in obviating its consequences.
The conduct of M. Oubril had already been very unsatisfac-
tory to our Ministers, who, notwithstanding have been very
much disconcerted at this answer from the Emperor. In the
meanwhile, the last division of the Swiss sets out to-morrow.—
The Paymaster, with his chest, in which it is said only 15,000
francs were remaining, est out yesterday. Inconsiderable as was i
the sum with which he was charged, the Apostolics did not deem
it' beneath their notice. A band -of thirty of them immediately
followed him on foot and on horseback, and before the Paymaster
was five leagues from Madrid, they eased him of his money and of
his baggage, and performed a similar act of kindness to twenty
travellers that accompanied him.

The two regiments of the Guards, and the six field-pieces,
whose departure for Talaveira had been suspended, in consequence
f the withdrawing of the Swiss, will quit Madrid to-morrow;
and, to supply the vacancy which they leave in the garrison of
the capital, his Majesty has ordered a levy of 600 gend'armes, an
Order which has produced . great discontent amongst the inha-
bitants of the capital.
express has just arrived from Malaga, and report state,

that one of the regiments in the garrison of that city, had en-
deavoured to have the Constitution proclaimed, but failed in the
attempt.

(From the Journal des Debals of Friday.)
(PRIVATE CORREkPONDENC E. )
MADRID, JAN. 15.---The departure of the troops for the
Army of Observation continues unceasingly. The two regiments
of the guard, and their artillery, whom the departure of the. Swiss
had for a short time detained at Madrid, are to leave that capital
on the 17th, for Talavera. The Military Intendant of the Swiss
brigade, who, with the Paymaster and his baggage, set out yes-
terday, were robbed at a very short distance from Madrid. About
twenty private individuals, who accompanied these gentlemen,
were also robbed ; such, at least, has been the current report since
four o'clock this afternoon.

This morning, at nine o'clock, General Count D'Arbaud-
Jonques set out for France. He is to travel as far as Bayonne
with his brigade.

(From the Quotideenne of Friday.)

We read in a Ministerial Journal of this evening, (the _Dale.
" A letter from Lisbon, of the 10th of January, states, yes-
terday an English Colonel and a clerk in the office of the war
department, set out for the head-quarters of Count Villa-Floc,
with an escort of English cavalry. It is said, that they are going
to treat with the 'Marquis of Chaves."

The intention of the English to treat with the chief of the
Portuguese Royalists, must appear very extraordinary, and even
incredible to some persons; but those who observe rightly will
not be at all astonished, because they have already foreseen all the
dangers to which the Cabinet of St. James's exposed its troops
and itself by sending an expedition to Lisbon.
We do not pretend to read the future, but we are induced to
believe that England has learned that the attempt on the Penin-
sula creates uneasiness in the north of Europe. It is not impos-
sible even that this Power may have discovered that, for the in-
terests of her subjects and her own security, it is necessary that
she should speedily recall the troops, the disembarkation of which
on the banks of the Tagus is not yet completed.

PRICE OF IRISH
Bank Stock
Congolx, 3 percent
Gov. Stock, 3% per cent 8S! 5
Ditto, New 81.%
4 per Cent. VIVAi !‘
Gov. Deb. 3% per cent
Royal Canal Stock
Grand Canal Stock
City Deb. 4 per cent.
Ballast Office Deb. 4 per cent. -