The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-26 00:00:00

(From a Correspondent.)

We understand that Mr. Flower, the solicitor who con-
ducted the defence of the wretched convict, feels considera-
bly aggrieved at the conduct pursued by the sheriffs in with-
holding from him the detailed confession which Courvoisier
made to him on Monday last, in the presence of Mr. Cope, the
governor of Newgate, with respect to the murderof Lord Wm.
Russell. The circumstances connected with that confession are
these :—lt will be remembered that after Lord Chief Justice
Tindal summed up the evidence in the case on Saturday, the
jury retired to consider their verdict, and Courvoisier having
been removed from the bar in the interval, sent for Mr.
Flower, who immediately came to him, but, suspecting that
his object was to describe the circumstances connected with
the murder of Lord William Russell more in detail than he
had previously done, Mr. Flower told him that he had better
wait until the jury had returned their verdict, when he would
see him again. Mr. Flower then went away, having been
told by Mr. Cope that he should have access to the prisoner
when the verdict was returned. After the decision of the
jury, Mr. Flower applied to be admitted to the prisoner, and,
having waited a considerable time, he was told that the
sheriffs had directed that no person should see him, they
having been to visit him themselves soon after the verdict of
guilty was returned. Mr. Flower then went away, and re-
turned to the prisoner on Monday morning, accompanied by
his clerk, and, being admitted to the cell in which the
convict was confined, the latter made a full and lengthened
confession of all the circumstances connected with the
dreadful act. His statement was taken down in writing by
the clerk of Mr. Flower, in the presence of Mr. Cope, who
also wrote down the confession ; but when it was concluded
he made a request of Mr. Flower to lend him his copy,
as his own, he feared, was not very accurate. Mr. Flower
immediately handed Mr. Cope the statement which his
clerk had written, observing, that having done his duty
to the prisoner he was now desirous of doing his duty
to the public, and he felt no hesitation in handing the state-
ment to Mr. Cope, being convinced that he would make a
proper use of it. He, however, at the same time stipulated
that the statement should be returned to him whenever he
demanded it, to which arrangement Mr. Cope acceded ; but
when Mr. Flower subsequently required it, as the confession
was in the hands of the sheriffs, who positively refused to de-
liver it up under any circumstances. Mr. Flower added, that
he supposed the object of the sheriffs was to obtain another
confession from Courvoisier, or an amended statement, as
they had both visited the convict very frequently since in
company with the rev. ordinary, and he complains of the
breach of promise committed by them through their officer,
Mr. Cope, in not returning the document to him. He also
considers that his wretched client, having made a minute and

ample confession of his guilt, ought not to be pressed any
further on the subject, but that he should be left to pass his
few remaining days in endeavouring to make atonement for
the dreadful crime he has committed.
Mr'. Flower has formally applied to the sheriffs by letter,
requesting them to restore the document, for,a copy of which
he had been applied to by the solicitor of Sir G. Beaumont,
in whose service the uncle of Courvoisier lives, and who had
furnished funds to defend the wretched man, under the belief
that he was innocent. Whether the sheriffs will comply with
the request of Mr. Flower, or refuse it, remains to be seen.
Mr. Flower is, however, under the strong impression that
the statement of the prisoner, which was taken down in his
presence and that of Mr. Cope, ought not to be retained by
the sheriffs without at least assigning some cause for with-
holding it.

(From another Correspondent.)
•
The following is a verbatim copy of the confession made
by Courvoisier to Sheriff Evans, as it was taken down on
paper by the sheriff.
" After I had warmed his Lordship's bed, I went down
stairs and waited about an hour, during which time I placed
the different articles as they were found by the police. I
afterwards went to the dining room, and took one of the
knives from the sideboard. 1 then entered the bed-room and
found him asleep. I went to the side of the bed, and drew
the knife across his throat. He appeared to die instantly.
" FRANCOIS BENJAMIN COURVOISIER.”
" Prison of Newgate, June 23."
" This declaration was made before me this 23d June, 1840.
"WILLIAM EVANS, Sheriff."
In the conversation which sheriff Evans had on the day
this declaration was made, and which lasted for an hour, the
murderer assured the sheriff that there was no truth in the
statement that Lord William Russell had gone down stairs,.
and, after charging him with dishonesty, threatened to dis-
charge him next day without a character. Nothing at all
of the kind had occurred. His lordship never went down
stairs in the night at all, and never threatened anything of
the sort. His Lordship had certainly spoken to him in a
cross tone, and told him to be more attentive to his business,
but that was all. There was no further provocation.
The Sheriff having expre:=sed some surprise at the variance
between the two accounts, `,the murderer said that his uncle
had entreated him most solemnly to tell the facts exactly as
they occurred, and he determined to state nothing but what
was accurately correct. He therefore acknowledged, not
only that he had committed the murder under the circum-
stances just described, but that he had contemplated the
murder and robbery for a week previously.
_ The Sheriff questioned him a good deal upon the acknow-

ledgment that rie had so long contemplated the murder, as
well as the robbery, and he persisted in stating that the
murder was premeditated, and not as had been previously
stated, the suggestion of despair at losing his character. He
declared, and he wished the Sheriff to let it be known to the
world, that the idea was first suggested to him by reading
and seeing the performance of Jack Sheppard. The book
containing the history, of jack -Shegpard had been lent him
by one of the servants of the. Duke of Bedford, and he
lamented that he had ever seen it.

Upon being asked by the Sheriff whether he had committed
any other atrocities ; he replied that he had merely stolen
two books belonging to Mr. Fector, when in that gentleman's

service.

" I am most anxious," said the Sheriff, " to know whe-
ther there is any foundation in the report which has got
abroad that you had something to do with the death of Eliza
Grimwood, who was murdered in the Waterloo-road. Have
you anything to say upon that subject ?"
Courvoisier assured the sheriff that he knew nothing in
the world about that or any other murder, except the murder
of Lord William Russell. He knew, he said, that he must
die, and if he had committed any other dreadful offence, he
would not hesitate to mention the fact to the sheriff. He

expressed much regret that any imputation should, for a mo-
ment, have been cast upon either of the poor unoffending
female servants, who had been so unfortunate as to have
been in the house with him.
The sheriff then asked him how Lord William Russell's
finger happened to be cut? The murderer replied, that when
he drew the knife across the throat, his lordship's hand start-
ed up as if by a convulsion, and must at the moment have
come in contact with the knife, and immediately fell back
again, for death was instantaneous : his lordship never waked.
" How," said the sheriff, " did you get rid of the blood,
for your hand must have been bloody ?"
Courvoisier replied that his hand was bloody, but he wiped

it on the towel, 'which he immediately afterards placed on
his lordship's face. He then, he said, went up to bed, but
did not sleep.
These were the strongest features of the conversation be-
tween the sheriff and Courvoiser. The murderer frequently
in the course of it stated that Lord William Russell never
walked down stairs, as seemed to be the general opinion, but
was taken off exactly as he (Courvoisier) described to the
sheriff, and he frequently, too, declared that he was indebted
for the idea of committing this atrocious crime to Jach
Sheppard.