Star.
London, England, 1820-04-28 00:00:00

Ito _
~,..
.e. Mier. Ice disclahqed all political idiot, but thought that the
facts proved against the prisoner Mile anion* to High loreeson.
Wood, and met him at the home of Ford some weeks before idr. dtoos.rout
=mused the daughter of Tidd, and lame
this transaction. Thistlewood wished to speak to witness, and other witnesses, in behalf of *cooner ; but their evidence
-they went out of the room together. Thistlewood said, " Great. A,ti
not
contradict
=7 of the leading facts.—The Court then
events are at hand ; people are everywhere anxious for a change.' ‘"
adjourned.
Be said, he had been promised support by a great many men •
THIRD BAT—(WRDNESDAY).
who had deceived him, but now he had got men who would
Mr. ADOLTNOS proceeded to address the Jury on behalf of
stand by him. Asked witness if he had any arms? Witness
the prisoner, and, after adverting to the importance of the task
said no, and Thistlewood added, that all his men had arms,.
which devolved on him, and the little time he had to prepare
either a pike, Or a pistol, or a sabre ; a pistol might be bought himself, on account of the late period at which he received his
for four or five shillings. Witness said, he had no money ; and instructions, proceeded to comment on the situation In which
Thistlewood said, he would see what could be done. • 'Thistle- the prisoner stood, one of the most awful which could be con-
wood then went away. On the 22d February Brunt called ceived, and one of peculiar hardskip—he said of peculiar hard-
upon him, accompanied by Tidd. Brunt said, that an alters- ship, for even should he be now acquitted of the charge of High
tion had been made in their plans. Witness asked what the Treason, then were two other indictments pending against him,
plans were? and he said, that a Meeting was to take place the
one for Murder, and
night after, when he should hear the- plans. Brunt said, the one for Maliciously Shooting ; if, therefore,
their verdict should be acquittal, the unfortunate man at the bar
Meeting was to be at Tyburn-turnpike; if he saw any people will not be liberated; he will be again consigned to his dungeon
there, be was to say, "B, e, r," and if they were friends, they to answer for other charges affecting his life. That he should
would answer “ T, o, It." Button was the name of one of those be so, he (Mr. Adolphus) did not advance as a subject of eotn-
concerned. The next day, in the afternoon, Brunt called and plaint. if by his actions he had deserved it. He only mentioned
asked him whether he would go to the Meeting? Witness said, it to skew that the prisoner's responsibility was indeed peculiar.
" No, I have got some work in hand." At half-past six o'clock,
—The Learned Counsel proceeded to comment on the nature of
be went to Tidd's house at the direction of Brunt. He saw a prosecution for High Treason, in which the King himself, by
Tidd, who put a large pistol into his belt, and took up some iron his Officers, was the prosecutor of an humble individual. Un-
pffies, and put them underneath his great coat. They then went der these circumstances, the Jury would do well to look with
both together up Oxford-street, and Tidd said, he was going to the closest suspicion to the evidence adduced, and not suffer any
a room in a Mews in John-street, Edgeware-road; in Holborn, but evidence the most pure, to bias their minds. it was not be-
he gave witness a pike-staff, and told him to take it ; witness cause a man had been charged with murder, or with an intent
asked Tidd what, he was going about ? and whether he was to assassinate, that the Jury would find him guilty of High
going to the House of Commons? Tidd said, " No, there are Treason. The Jury, before they could find the prisoner guilty
too many soldiers near there." At last, be said, he was ping of that crime, must fist see it legally proved. The prisoner was
to Grosvenor-square; these was a Cabinet Dinner there, he charged on four different counts, the first charged him with con-
said, that evening ; finally, they arrived at Cate-street, and after
soloing, with others, to depose the King of this realm from the
speaking to two men whom Tidd seemed to know, they went
style, honour, and dignity of the Crown of this Kingdom.—
into the loft, some one counted heads, and Thistlewood said, The second charged him with intending to excite war against,
' There is no occasion to count, there are twenty-five." A tall
thin man spoke of the impropriety of going with so small a and to accomplish, the death of the King. .The third count
charged him with conspiring to levy war to compel the King to
number as twenty-five men to Lord Harrowby's; Thistlewood
a ed, that number was enough ; they only wanted fourteen to -change his measures; and the fourth count charged him with
actually levying war. Each one of these counts charged the
go into the room ; one said, there will be a crowd round the prisoner with ten or eleven overt acts, such as purchasing arms,
door after we have done—how shall we get out? Thistlewood assembling with divers others, issuing prochunatlons, Re. &e.
sail, " You know the largest body is already gone ; we are the and with conspiring to assassinate his Majesty's Ministers.—
smallest." Davidson said, " that if the tall man was afraid of New, however aggravated the crime of assassination might be,
hi, life, he might go away." Brunt added, " Sooner than give yet to assassinate the King's Ministers was not High Treason,
up the business, I will go into the housealone, and blow them unless it was in Oiroof that the intent did not terminate there, but
all up, and perish in the ruins." The tall elan said, 1' As they that the projectors of the crime of assassination meant to extend
were all for it, be would go with them." 'I histlewood said, it to the King's person, and what proof was there of any such
every one who engaged in it would have the same honour as intention in the present case, unless it was to be Mond in the
himself; he proposed, that the fourteen who volunteered to go testimony of an infamous accomplice? The evidence of an &c-
-anto the house of fend Ilerrowby should range themselves on complice ought never to be received, except with the greatest
one side of the loft ; this was done. Tidd said something to suspicion ; or unless it was corroborated by testimony of the
v.itness as to what he was to do, and Thistlewood took h___.im most respectable kird, and to a very great extent. A slight
bark, saying, " You all know your places." Thistlewood corroboration would by no means be sufficient. The notorious
w at out (Or a few moments ; when he returned, he said, that and infamous Titus Oates, who was a witness on the trials for
Iti : had received intelligence that the Duke of Wellington and High Treason, in the reign of Charles IL and on wham testi-
Lord Sitlmetith had arrived at Lord llarrnwby's; soon after, mony, the unfortunate persons, then the subject of prosecution,
the Officers came, and witness was apprehended among the ; were eutivieriet . ; , ritus Oates was corroborated in a great
he was there about a quarter of an hour before the Officers part of his story. Yet, in a prosecution for perjury, instituted
came; he Ne.;s enacqueitited with all the persons in the room against him, he was convicted, and his whole story proved to be
excepting Todd, Bruit, and Thistlewood. Thistkevood after- false. So the witness in the present case was partly corroborated,
wards told witness when, he was examined before the Privy but his story, taken on the whOle, was so improbable, that he
Council, to say, that it was Edwards who brought him to the contended that no Jury could believe him ; he should as soon
Meeting; witness said, `r How can I tell such a falsehood?". attempt to deny that light was light, or that the sun ever shone
Thistiewood laughed, and said, that was of no consequence. at noon-day, as attempt to deny that the prisoner intended to
Thomas Monument, brother to the last witness, remembered assassinate his Majesty's Ministers, and that a person named
Thistlewood calling upon his brother ; he corroborated his Smithers had been murdered, but neither of these crimes were
brother's statemete in most particulars; he was present whets High Treason; the High Treason rested en Adams's testimony,
Brent and Tidd celled, which testimonywas not corroborated, and those concerned for the
Thomas Dwyer, examined by Mr. GURNICY.--I live in Gee's- prosecution best knew why: he contended the want of that ear-
Court, Oxford-nrset. lam an Irishman ; and Thistlewood said roboration deprived it of all claim to credit. The Learned Cow-
ls:: bad a good many of my countrymen. Davidson told me on sel then proceeded to comment, at considerable length, on the
Tuesday night he was going on sentry ; I went with Harrison evidence of Adams, and on its improbability and inconsistency.
to Fox-eourt ; he had a bundle wrapped up in paper; when we Why was not Edwards caUed, who appeared to have been 'me-
ga to Fox court, we went to a two-p.ir hack room; the door sent at almost every Meeting, and was in the list of the wit-
was locked when we got there, but Harrison got the key from nesses for the Crown ? lie could certainly have given some in-
a woman in the front room ; when we gut in I saw a cupboard, formation, yet he had not been put into the witness-hex. Why
from which I afterwards saw a ball taken, wrapped up in rope- had not Adems's testimony been corroborated by this Mates
yen,; Harrison said it Was a grenade. 'Thistlewood, Davidson, testimony? What could be thought of Adams's evidence, who
and a few more came in subsequently ; Davidson had a blunder- said the force with which London was to be taken possession of
boss, a pair of pistols, and a bayonet in his side pocket. I saw was to consist of twenty-five men, and eight pieces of GUMP ?
Bruat there. After Davidson had shewn the pistols, he said None but an insane man could have contemplated success front
that he had given twelve shillings for them. Brunt said, that such a plan, though a wicked man might have invented it to
he world go out and buy a pair. Thistlewood said, that some suit his own purposes and promote his own ins eats. The wit-
of the grenades were to be thrown into the Horse Barracks, ness next talked of forming a Provisional Government, and
a d some more of them into Lord Ilarrowby's, to set fire to the issuing Proclamations. This was the only circumstance which
b ruse and blow it up. Thistlewood asked use kuw many of my could be called treason, and this was to be taken on the evidence
countrymen I could muster? lle said he should want them at of such a man as Adams; but these were not all the acts which
h dflast eight that evening; I said 1 could muster about 26 or this overwhelming force of twenty-five men•were to perform;
27 ;be told me to assemble with them at the Horse and Groom, they were to take possession of the telegraphs; they were to
aed that I was to be at the Pomfret Castle at six o'clock, at the guard all the outlets front the Metropolis ; they were to possess
e dof Wigmote-street—that is a house frequented by Irishmen. themselves of Brighton, Dover, Margate, and other sea ports,
W: were then to go to the Foundling Hospital, to knock at the and they in council directed that the present family were to wear
porter's I dge, put a pistol to the porter'. breast, and then to turn the crown no longer; and here the Jury were let into one secret;
round to the right hand, white I would see 2.5 or 26 stand of here was the first count made out. The King was to be de-
arms, which I was to seize ; at the same time, he said, another posed trom his style and dignity, the Crown was to be over-
p trty was to seize two pieces of cannon at the City Riding- turned. The next inconsistency was the proposition for firing
Sebeol, Grey's Inn lane; more, he said, would make a breach Furnival's Inn, new buildings; Palin is represented as saying
iu Fin:bury-equate. He said, Hiatt there was to be a Cabinet din- this building would soon take fire. Now, this was contrary to
CI :r at Lord klarrowhy's that day, and that :hey were to make truth, and, even if it could have been effected, would not have
an attack there. After this I saw a bundle taken nut -of the excited so much interest, or so effectually served their cause as
cupboard; it contained gunpowder, which was measured into bring a chandler's shop at Charing-Cross would have done.
sense. flannel bags; Harrison did this. After that, Thistlewood The Learned Counsel next adversed to the state of the funds
s i.d Jut there was a dozen of pike-haudles to be taken to Mary. possessed by the conspirators, which at no time appeared to
la-lionne--ethe remainder were to go to Finsbury, and elsewhere. amouet to a greater sum than six shillings in possession, and a
I was asked so take sonic, but I refused. I had not seen them. pound in expectancy.
.1 saw powder and geenades first its a bag, end one of the persons The Learned Cuero- I then went through the rest of the evi-
present was directed by Harrison to take them to the Morse dente till the arrival of the officersin Cato-street. He (Adams)
and Groom, at the eed of Cato.street. The person went out ; swcze that the number present was twenty—eighteen in the
Harrison also went off, carrying with him some powder. I got great room, and two in the lesser, and that there was mgy one
into my own place alr.o.t twelve o'clock. 1 that day told a candle—he always mentioned candle in the singular nuniffer—as
Major James of what I had heard and seen. In consequence ,uoti as the first 051cor appeared in the loft, he said, " There is
of what he said to me, I went to the Secretary of State's, about a pretty rest of you—Gentlemen, we are all officers, come to
•'e ur half-past one. apprehend you, and hope you will surrender peaceably."
G. T. J. Ruthven, a Bow-street Officer, gave exactly the The candle was put out, he did not know how ;-Ise was then
same account of the murder of Sinithers, and the seizure of the very near the door, and walked down and went away, as sir:-
conspirators, in the loft at Cato-street, as was published at the concerned as if nothing had happened. If he did so then, he
time iu our Police Report. was there with the knowledge of the Officers, but he would be
James Ellis, William Westeatt, Luke Nixon, John Wright, contradicted in all the other testimony on this subject; and his
W. C. Brooks, Joseph Chiphion, Samuel Taunton, and Daniel (Mr. Adolphus's) opinion was, that he was not present at Cato-
Bishop, all Police Officers, likewise gave evidence precisely to street at all, and that his whole story, as regarded the transae-'
the same effect, with reap. c to the seizure of the conspirators, tions at Cato-street, was manufactured from the public report.
the whole of which we het e .11.-eady published. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to view the testimony of
Lieut. Fitzclarwsce, who headed the military who aided in other witnesses, and to shew in what parts Adams was con-
seising the,prisoners, corroborated his original evidence, without firmed, and in what contradicted. The Learned Counsel con-
adding anything to it. J eluded by again declaring, that if the Jury should think the
Stephen Lavender produced the belt found in Thistlewood's case on the part of the Crown made out, they would pronounce
pocket. a verdict accordingly, and he would bow submissively to it—
The various articles found in Oato-street, the belt found on but, if topics of doubt should present themselves, he intrcatcd
Tidd, together with all the other arms and ammunition found them to give the prisoner the benefit of them. He would ta-
on the persons of the prisoners, and at their lodgings, were then tieue them with no further observations, but finish his appeal to
produced, and identified by the witnesses. The fire-arms were them, by intreating that Goa, by whom Kings reign and Princes I
loaded till yesterday, when the charges were drawn ; they were decree justice, to amplify their minds, to touch their hearts, and
hassled with ball. One of the grenades had been given to a per- enable them to come to a right decision on this solemn occasion.
son, by an order of Colonel Congreve, to be examined. The Ile Learned Counsel's speech occupied three hours and a half
production of Ings's knife excited an involuntary shudder: it in the delivery.
was a broad desperate-looking weapon. The Setecrroa-Gasernee replied to Mr. Anotwrs, and clearly
't lie Jury inspected the arms separately, and particularly the elucidated all the facts of guilt as adduced in evidence.
pikes, the construction and formation of which have already The Lotto Cuter Jounce then stated to the Jury, in a clear
been minutely described. The whole had a most formidable and perspicuous manner, the law of High Treason, as it existed
appearance--{Jame other witnesses were examined, but their both in the statute of dward lIL and in the more recent sta.
evidence was not material.] cute of the 36th of the lam King. He recapitulated the four
Serjeant Edward Harrison, of the Royal Artillery, examined charges contained in the indictment against the prisoner, and
by Mr. Guisere —I examined one of the grenades produced to the several overt acts alleged to have been committed'in fur-
in,: at Bow-street. It is composed of a tin case, in the form of therance thereof. His Lordship then read over the material
a barrel, in which a tube is soldered. The case contains tbree points of the evidence, upon which he commented as he pro-
ounces and a half of gunpowder; the primieg in the tube is a eroded, declaring that if the Jury were satisfied with the ere-
composition of ealmette, powder, and brimstong ; the tin was dibility of the witnesses who had been examined, that the crime
pitched and wrapped round with rope-yarn, which was cemented of Nigh Treason had been completely established. Upon the
with rosin and tar. Round the tin and in the rope-yarn twelve evidence alone they were to form their conclusion ; and be was
pieces .of iron were planted. From the lighting of the fuse to sure, whatever that conclusion might be, it would be justified
the explosion misfit take about half a minute. If one of them by a earitekatimis sense of the important trust reposed in than,
were to be exploded in a room where there were a number of both as it regarded the unhappy an at the bar, and the into.,
persons, it would produce great destruction. The elects of iron rests of the country at large.
would fly about like bullets.—[The witness here opened another At three quarters of an hour after four o'clock, the Jury ro-
of the grenades for the satisfaction of the Jury :it was composed tired to consider of their verdict. They returned, however,
in the manner already described. The pieces of iron principally in ten minutes, for the parpose of requesting thee Lord Chief
conaged of old cart nails, such as the tyres of wheels are nailed Justice to read to them the precise terms of the statute of the
on with. The carcase or tin case was wrapped in an old stock. 36th of the late King. His Lordship having complied with their
log, and the powder which it contained was pronounced very wish, and
made some• explanatory observations, they again re-
god.]--Witness, in continuation-1 examined one of the fire- tired. At a quarter past Ave they returned once more, with
balls • consisted of oakum, tar, rosin, and stone brimstone
pound it
ed. If one of these via thrown into a house alto alighted their final determination, and announced their verdict to be—
Guilty, on the third and fourth collets of the indictment. That
on wood, it would be sure to set it on ire. The effect would be is to say. on those counts which cheesed the prisoner with con-
sult more certain on straw or hay. epiring to levy war, and with the actual levying of war against
The Aremoar-Getzenai—P That is the case,. my Lead, the Kin
ed, on I
the part of the Crown." The verdict, wbJcit was anticipated, by all, *is received by
Mr. Cuswooe then addressed the Jury infoshalf of the Pei" 1 the Court in perfect silence. .