Star.
London, England, 1817-08-26 00:00:00

EXECUTION OP CAFFIN THE BLACK.

There were some uncommon circumstances attend-1
ing the fate of the wretched man who was executed
yesterday. He had been found guilty of a rape upon
a child aged ten yens and six months, and was or-
dered for execution on Wednesday last, but was re-
spited in consequence of a representation made by
the surgeons who attended the girl, and the prisoner,
alledging that the crime had not been committed;
that it was impossible that it could have been com-
mitted. It was a source of much wonder amongst
those who resided in the neighbourhood where the
crime was sworn to have been committed. and those
upon whom the constant declaration of the Black as
to his innocence had made an impression, that the
medical men had not previously sent in their deposi•
tions to the Secretary of State. The surprise was
not diminished when they heard one of the surgeons
account for his tardiness, by saying he did not know
that any application to the Secretary of State would
have been availing after the delivery of the verdict.
Lord Sidmouth, upon receiving snch extraordinary
intelligence as the denial of the only two persons who
were supposed capable of deciding upon so important
a point, that the crime had been committed, said
the most attentive consideration should be given to
what was laid before him, and respited the prisoner
till Monday.
In the mean time, a Black man wafted upon the
Rev. Mr Cotton, and asked Lim, whether there
was not a roan of colour condemned to die ? Having
heard the tact from the authority for which the
stranger had shewn the utmost respect, he begged to
be allowed to visit the malefactor.

Ut 0111DINART.—" Certainly you shall see him.
I suppose you are his relation I"
Tut BLACK.—" Weir. I am an African; he is.
I hear. an American. I never saw him; our con-
ditions were never alike. I was a slave; he was
never a slave. except to his passions, which have
treated bun worse even than my masters ever treat-
ed me."

He then pulled aside the hair that hung about his
face, and chewed several sears, every one of which,
he said, had a different master.

Tut ORDINARY.—" What is your object in visit-
ing this m in, it you do not know him r'
THZ BLACK." Goa has been good to me; I know
the Gobpel scheme of silvation and come to speak
a word of consolation to the &fitted."

The Ordinary took him in : they found Caffin at
prayer on his face and hands. The stranger shed
tears upon seeing this testimony of a penitent heart,
and pointed to the station of that Power which shed
its pure religion over him, and played upon the pro-
selyte with a beam that never sets, and a hope that
never forsakes him. Caffin rose at the call of the
Ordinary, who though unwilling to interrupt the
prayer, was anxious that an interview should take
place, which would ►ncrease the interest of the scene,
by an, exhibition of gratitude, repentance, resignation,
and charity. The Attica' and the American knelt
together, and continued in prayer. The convict hAd
made all the necessary preparations for leaving this
world. He had acknowledged the guilt of his inten-
tion, and felt that exquisite effect of his penitence,
which proves the sufficiency of atonement. He
wished to die. The African remained as long as
the laws of the prison allowed, and visited his bro-
ther, as he called him, until the moment of their
eternal separation. They were together in prayer
the whole of the night preceding the execution, and
walked hand in hand to the place where The irons are
struck off, full of that religion which leaves no terror
upon the heart.
Caffin fell in the midst of prayer. The Ordinary,
upon quitting the melancholy scene, declared that he'
never saw stringer symptoms pt the energy of reli-
gion than in the mind of this poor uneducated almost
friendless man.

The Sheriffs had delayed the execution upwards of
a quarter of an hour beyond the appointed time, in
the eapettatiun of an order for a farther respite, and
all those who knew the circumstances, and observed
the conduct of the unfortunate foreigner, shewed an
anxiety the most indescribable.
The African black excited the utmost interest.—
He told the Siieriff and the Ordinary, that be had
experienced such kindness and improvement here, as
to wish for an opportunity of going once more
amongst his countrymen, to render them all the ser•
vices to be derived from bis experience in England.
An application is to be made to some of the princi.
' pal Members of the African Societies upon the sub-1
j: et. So moved was every body who witnessed his
c' nduct, that a subscription was made for him upon '
the spot.

Saturday se'nnight, 7'. Flemming:, convicted of a
rape, was executed at Bedford, pursuant wills sen-
tence t the unhappy man seemed very penitent ; he
said he had never been guilty of any crime before,
but he had neglected ever attending a place of public
worship.
Saturday se'nnight Samuel Reeedkr, ldward
Alas-
ch.ll. and *Aare Barks, condemned at Shrewsbury
Assizes, for sheep-stealing, underwent the dreadful
sentence o. the law in front of the county gaol. The
unfortunate men previously evinced a proper and a
deep sense of their awful situation. About twelve
o'clock they ascended the scaffold ; having then turned
their laces from the immense crowd assembled to wit-
nets the emotion, they joined in prayer with the
chaplain, and were shortly after launched into eternity.
Jobe Brawn, ?Leta: Joshes, Geer:. Beak, and
Ma Rini, were executed at Derby, on Friday last, I
b., maliciously setting fire to certain hay and corn
stacks, the property of Winfield Halton, Esq. of
bouthwingfieki. For some days after • condem-
nation, however, they cherished a hope that pardon,,
or at least a mitigation of their sentence might be ex-
tended to them. Under this impression they penis
i -
ted n asserting their innocence of the crime for
which they were about to suffer. They stated that
they should die with the protestations of innocence
on their lipsiand not even the dread prospect of that
eternity on which they were about to enter was aisle
to produce a change in this determination. Booth
and Brown addressed the multitude, the former ex-I
pressing himself in uncharitable terms against in.
dividuals whom he named, and the latter exhorting
the crowd to religious faith and practice. Indiscreet
communications from their ffie,nds, by which they
were assured that their innocence was believed by
their neighbours, [Whir tended to make *vat pets,-

'ere in their first protestations. As every fact which
may tend to Illustrate the principles of human action
deserves notice, it is worth observing. that a heavy
shower happening whilst the men were singing the
hymn, two of them deliberately retreated to the
shelter of an umbrella which w►►s expanded on the
drop, and the third placed himself tinder cover of the
door way. The inconvenience of being wet was felt
and avoided by men who kit, w they had not Eve mi-
nutes to live The whole of the scene now recorded
Was one of great horror, increased by the conduct of
the criminals themselves. The many tl►ousands of
spectators behaved themselves with great decorum.

POLICE.
Maststotr-Hovaz.—Wm. Ashton, aged 16, was yesterday
brought up, charged with picking the pocket of a gentleman
of the name of Holland, of a silk handkerchief, iu front cf
the scaffold upon which Caifin, the Black, was executed y..s •
today morning. The LORD ildovoe spoke with the greatest
ic-
Opinion at the hardened conduct of the prisoner, and observed
that he was evidently beyotid all hopes of reformatioti. Mr.
Holland seemed unwilling to prosecute; but his Lordship in-
sisted upon it, and the prisoner was fully committed.
MARLISoItot*G9-STP r. ZT -RBOlB —Yesterday Am •:ltigGreik,
ct ~nfis Hard!eg, and Jain. Ararrevers4, were tvotight up by Ha'cs•
worth the ythcer, charged with being crowned, on Sunday
martinis, in one of thew riots which so frequently disgrace the
neighbourhood of St. Wes's. The officer staled, that he saw
Anutworth in Dyot-street stretched along as it he hail received
a dangerous brattetg, with his clothes almost completely torn off,
and Mee& g profusely. He attempted to convey bins to the
watch-house, when he was limed:rely attacked in a furious
manlier by the other two pi-nom:re; they struck him several
MCI m a cruel manner with their-bludgeons, and wantonly
assatsitid 'event other. who wire not at all Coon:111A in ti:e
affray. He at length eucceeded In securing them, and they were
tidy committed.
Di/TILLS or FOOtIONF.ItS 11. I.OXDON.—SWItTaI Genoese
boys who were found begging in the Park were tirtitni,ht htture
the Magistrate. 'ley exhibited a melancholy p cture nt wretch-
edness. Ihe poor creatures complained of exce.sive watts, and
rated that they had suii,,du every aurae,' IA tAlcalllior, a livelikoucl,
but their efforts being tinsuecesesul, tney were at length t.tilig,d
to have recourse to the txpedient of begging I lie Maziati ate
being iu some doubt as to the manner in which he could dispose
of them, a sardiutan, who was rrestet, offered humanely to chit-
vey them to their native cautery, and they were ace
handed over to him.

Early on Sunday se'imight, Eldridge, the carrier
from Salisbury to Portsmouth, was stopped by four
footpads, near the Fighting Cocks public-honi,:, at
Own-, as he was on his return :10RIC. Tile villains
knocked him down, and robbed him of upwards of
IEIO in cash and notes.

Sunday evening, as Mr. Robert Wiggins, of Be:-
ntr's.street, St. Luke's, was returniiiy, home from
Islington, v.hen he arrived on that part of the roAd
between the Rosemary Branch and the B.irley Mow,
Britannia Fields, a fellow jumped up from the side
of the road, who seized him by the arm, bserving,
he was determined to have his money. Mr. Wiggins
struggled, and having estricaied himself, ran a%.;ty.
The fellow then pulled a horse pistA horn his picket
which be attempted to discharge, tut happily witocot
effect, and Mr. Wiggins calling outs and being very
near the public house, the ruffian gave up the pumuit,
and leaped over the hedge.
The same evening, as Mr. Edward Reynolds,
cheeserhonger in the City, was going through Fins.
bury-square, a fellow rushed up to him, who, beiore
he could think of rdilset y, contrived by some slight
hand to take his watch, gold cha n, and seals, with
which he escaped.
Sunday night, about eleven o'clock, as Mr. Kir-
, bait, painter, in King-street, Golden-square, was re•
turning home from Epsom, lie was stopped by four
ruffians, who appeared to him to be in liquor at first
sight, and he partly pulled up his horse to prevent his
chaise going over one of them. This was in going
the near way over Mitcham Common. One of them
seized the horse's head, while the other three went to
the chaise, and with the most horrid imprecations de-
manded his money. Mr. Kirkerit gave them six
one pound notes and some silver. The robbers then
took his watch, and eighteen.pence from his son, a
youth, nine years old, who accompanied him. Not
yet content, they cut the traces and made off, with a
threat, that if Mr. liirkerit attempted pursuit, he
would forfeit his life.

Coaosixes' Isnosars.—An Inquisition was taken
yesterday afternoon at the Two hiewers, Vine sum,
Hatton Garden, on the body of Elizabeth Rathbone,
aged fourteen months.—Mrs. Elizabeth Hyatt said,
on Friday night last, about eight o'clock, she was
standing opposite the house of Mr. Rathbone, the
lather of the deceased, No. 21, Vine-strect, and saw
two of Mr. Rathbone's children run out of the door
screaming ; she asked what was the matter ? they
gave her no reply, and she entered the house, and
saw Mr. and Mrs. Rathbone in extreme agitation.—
Mrs. Rathbone said—" Oh, my child is dead I"
She looked at the deceased, her face was wet, and
she appeared quite lifeless. The mother intormed
her, that she and her husband were sitting by the tire,
and the deceased, who could not walk, crept from
her lap to a pan, containing about two quails of
water, which stood on the floor on the opposite side
of the room She (Mr). Rathbone) got tip to reach
something from a cupboard, and saw the deceased
lying on her belly, with her face in tie pan of water ;
she immediately lifted her up, and found she was
apparently dead. She (witness) ran off for medical
aid ; she knew nothing of the death of the deceased,
except by the information she received from its mo-1
ther.—.A surgeon said, on Friday last, about eight
o'clock in the evening, he was sent for to the de-
ceased ; he found animation was suspended, and,'
'Ton examination, that there was a severe contusion
on the temple on the right side of the bead. He got
worm water and bathed the deceased, and used other
restorative means, but was not successful. He be-
lieved that if animation had only been suspended by
suffocation, he might have recovered her, but be con-
ceived the blow on the forehead was more the cause
of her death than the effect of the water.—The Como.
anti said, the death oftbecis hilodpiwnaiosups
ei
produced
d b
y
very singular means, yet, in h
ac-
cidental. Verdict—Accidental Death.

Yesterday an Inquest was held at the Black Horse,
Poplar, on the body of P. Paterson, a seaman on
board the Augustus Came West Indianan, who on
Saturday morning was snaking fast the foretop-sail,
when another man got upon the fotetop.sail•yard,
which caused it to string, when the bit struck him,
and he was precipitated into the Dcck. He was
taken out in fifteen to!nutes, quite dead. Verdict—
Accidentally Drowned,
Another Inquest was held at the same house, on
the body of William Davidson, who, in shoving on
a barge, fell overboard, and was drowned. I'c:clic,
Accidentally Dronr.cd.