The Sun.
London, England, 1820-08-01 00:00:00

EXECUTION OF NE;BETT,
THE WOOLWICH MCIWEILEIt.

- •
MAIDSTONE,MONDAY,J LILY 31.—This wretch-
ed criminal surrendered his life to-day to the
outraged laws of his country. From the compli-
cation of crimes of which he was convicted, and
from the probability that the murder of Mr.
PARKER and his Hodsekeeper was not the first
instance in which he had been guilty of a violation
of the laws, .'great curiosity prevailed to witness
his execution, in the expectation' that, if he had
not previously made any confession, he would in
his last moments be induced to reveal the parti
culars df his built.
It is gratifying th know; that in the interval which elapsed
between his condemnation and his execution a considerable
change took place in his frame of mind and general deport-
ment. On leaving the Court on Friday last, after receiving
sentence, he evinced the same levity, the sante hardened
ferocity of disposition, that had marked his conduct during
his confinement before the trial. So insensible was he of !Os
awful situation, that on being placed iu the cart which was to
convey him hack from the count-goose to the gaol, feeling
himself annoyed by the gaze of the spectators, he exclaimed
in a peevish and surly tone of voice to the turnkey who had
charge of the cart, " Drive away like hell, and let's get out
of this as quickly as possible'" lint when replaced in his cell,
and allowed an opportunity of reflecting quietly on his fate, he
found it imuossible to retain that indifference which he had
- hitherto assumed. Ele became restless and agitated, hut still
he evinced no syniptoms of contrition.- Indeed, a circum-
stance which the vigilance of his keepers detected, showed that
at this very moment he was meditating on the means of adding.
one other crime to the black catalogue of his former offencs,
by anticipating the sentence of the law. He had call. d for
-a pipe of tobacco, and en a refusal, he repeated the request
in so -urgent a manner that the swpicions of his attendants
were aroused. They accordingly began to examine the cell
in the first place, and in one of the corners they discovered
the handle of the sauce-pan in which his victuals were
usually brought to him. The till tube forming the handle of
the pan had been taken off, and was perforated near the
lower cud ; and this instrument was immediately suspected
to have been constructed by the prisoner as a rude, though
crtainly an ingenious, substitute for a pistol. His prison
was instantly searched, when he thrust into the hand of the.
turnkey a quantity of gunpowder, wrapped up in a paper,
and a couple of marbles, which had been intended to supply
the place of bullets. Various conjectures have been made as
to the manner in which he was supplied with the powder and
marbles; a very general suspicion attaches to his mother,
who had seen hint a shoit time previous to his trial. It is
most probable, however, that the articles were conveyed tit
him by some person in the Court, while be stood in the dock.
Those who have had the best means of knowing the character
of the parties certainly favour- the former supposition ; and
if outward appearances formed a just criterion of moral cha-
racter, one wont& be justified in concluding that the mother
was a person capable of such an act. She is a woman of al-
most gigantic tallness; of a perfectly upright figure; though
apparently more than 70 years of age ; her features are sharp,
haggard, and of a 'peculiarly unamiable expression. Upon
the whole, her appearance irresistibly forces on the mind the
portrait which the author of Guy illumining- has drawn of

that wild and almost supernatural being ' Merrilles.
lie consequence of this attempt to destroy himself, Nesbett
was stripped of the dresi which he had hitherto worn, with
the exception of his shirt and stockings; and on being con-
veyed on the same evening to the condemned cell, he was
furnished with a prison-dress, and heavily ironed. During
Friday night he was extremely agitated, and was unable to
sleep. In that state he continued dining Saturday,- and the
greater part of Sunday. Ile joined in prayer with the Rev.
Mr. Flarlier, the chaplain of the jail, and professed to be sin-
cere in his devotions; but still he persisted in denying that he
committed the murder for which he was to suffer. About six

.'clock on Sunday evenitly; his wife and children at rived from
IV UOl WICII to take leave of him. The interview was distress-

ing beyond description, and on this occasion he evinced a
greater ile—ree of feeling than he had previously shown. He
wept much on embracing them; and when his wife implored
hint nut to die with a falsehood on his lips, he promised to
reveal the whole of his guilt before he died. His family con-
sists of 4 daughters and 2 sons—the eldest about 18 years, anti
the youngest only 1(1 months old.
After his fami:y had talien leave of him, he made a full con-
fession of his guilt. Some of the particulars which be com-
municated are said to he vrry important, and the whole of his
statement is, for the present, kept strictly secret. Various
rumours are, of course, in circulation respecting the nature of
-his C4.llfrssion, to which it would be equally improper to give
publicity, whether they be ill or well founded.
After his mind had been disburdened of the load of guilt
which had pressed so heavily on it, he became more composed,
and joined Mahe exercises of devotion with more fixed atten-
tion, and apparently with a greater degree of intelligence,
than he had hitherto evinced. On Sunday night -he slept for
more than two hours.; and this morning he. as more tranquil
than usual. The Rev. Mr. Bather, whose humane exertions
in administering to Lim the consolations of religion have all
along been unremitted, attended him at six o'clock, and re
mined with him till eight. He returned again at 9 oclock,
to assist hint in preparing for the last awful trial of his tor-

titude. - - -
At a quarter past eleven the unhappy culprit was placed in
a waggon, to be drawn to the place of execution, on Pennel-
den-heath, about a mile front Maidstone gaol. The execu-
tioner was placed by his side,_ and two officers with loaded
carbines were also seated in the waggon, fronting the crimi-
nal. His dress was the same that he had worn during .his
consisting of a blue coat, a yellow waistcoat, 0 white
neckcloth, and top boots. Before he left the ptison he had
requested the turnkey to give him a book : a prayer book was
accordingly offered hint, hut at his request it was exchanged
for a Bible this Bible he held its his hand when he appeared
in the waggon, and, he seemed to peruse it with great devo-
tiots. His countenance was flushed, and his manner extreme•
ly agitated. As the prison gate unfolded to allow the wag-
gun to pass, he got the first view of the assembled crowd that
were waiting outside, and he was so strongly affected by the
sight that he could not refrain from tears. On each .side of
the waggon was plated a file of pikemen ; the governor of the
gaol, and several sheriff's officers, rode immediately behind;
the chaplain and the sheriff-deputy followed in carriages.
Ira this order the procession moved slowly towards the
heal!), the criminal frequently turning up his eyes to heaven,
and ejaculating '' 0 Lord, have mercy upon me! Christ,
have mercy upon me!" Ahout.loo yards front the prison,
gate his mother caught his eye in the crowd. He did not ap-
pear-to he instal moved -at seeing het, but bent his head to-
wards one of Cie officers who sat before him, and said,
" Mind, tell Mr. Bowen to do something fur my family."
The procession arrived at the place of execution about ten
minutes before 12, and the waggon was drawn up along the
side of the scaffold. The chaplain then joined the criminal in
prayer, and the stillest silence pervaded the immense crowd,
who stood uncovered while the service was reading. The
criminal, who had knelt down by Mr. Harker's side, joined
in the prayers with as much fervour as his agitation would
permit. His bards were, clasped together and uplifted, and
his eyes were sometimes directed downwards to the book in
the chaplaip's hand, as if he did not understand what was
read; occasionally they were touted up to heaven,
_but duriog
the greater. part of the time they wandered unconsciously
over the crowd, without any definite direction,
who) the devotions were closed, and the criminal wns
about to he removed from the waggon, he observed near hint
Mr, Hay, the barrack-master of Woolwich, and said he wished
to speal‘ to him. Mr. Hay came tot ward and said,'' For
God's sake, Nesbett, be sincere: consider what you ate
about, and tell the truth." lie replied, " 1 have told the
truth already, and nothing lint the truth. 'My family knows
nothing of my guilt, and I hope you will do something for
thens." Mr. Hay asked hint if he had confessed his ;guilt;
and he replied, " I have confessed it to :mother Ferson." He
then moulded the stage with a firm step, and the executioner
proceeded to put a cap over his eyes, and to adjust the rope
round his neck. Having seen Mr. Bowen of Woolwich, near
the scaffold, he called to hint, and said " Mr, Bowen, I loupe
you wi I have some regard to say family. Poor things ! they
are innocent. None that belongs to the knows any thing of
my doings." Mr. Bowen called to him to confess Isis crime,
on which he replied, " I have made all the-confession I had
to make. That will be known after lam gone. The people is
convehient that has it. It is enough formic person to know."
At 5 minutes after 12 o'clock the fatal signal was 'given.
He dill not seem to suffer more than one minute. The 'body,
after hanging the usual time. was cut down, and. conveyed to
a shell to Messrs. Day and Wat man's, to be anatomized, pui-
soma to his sentence.

Previously to his trial, Nesbett had prepared the following
(leclaration, in his own hand-writing, to be delivered to Mr.
Hay, the barrack-master of Woolwich, an intelligent and
humane gentleman, who was anxious to have it ascertained
that the family 01 the ►nurderer werie oot implicated in his
guilt :

" Maidstone, the .24th .Tuly, 1820.
This iv the truth, as 1 hale God to meet the next
world, let me Be Gill)! ur Not, no one of my tonally, father or