The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-09 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN

begged he would let them stop at his house, and keep a
good look oat to deny them, if any person should make en-
quiries of whom he had suspicion, and Mr. Tetsall accord-
ingly let them have a private room above 'tails. Probed
and'John Thurtell were almost continually in company to-
gether, either in London or in going backward and for-
.ward to the cottage; and I believe they arranged and set-
tled the plan of Mr. Weare's murder before the particulars
were communicated to me ; for although I heard it men-
tioned several times that it was to be done, I was not in-
formed of the manner in which it was to be perpetrated un-
til just before the murder took place; but although I was
ignorant, Probert from the observations he made, and the
directions which he gave, appeared to know every parti-
cular. It was not until the Friday morning that the mur-
der was committed at night, that I was let into the secret
as to several of the arrangements. I understood from Pro-
bert that he was in great distress and difficulty, and that
■oless he got some money he should be compelled to leave
the cottage clandestinely ; and as be was in daily expecta-
tion of his landlord coming to seize and take possession of
the place, he told Thurtell not to delay any longer than he
could help, and said—" If it is done there, it can never be
found out, because it is so bye and private a place; for I
kept a private jigger there, and it was never discovered ;"
and from his representations it was, as 1 believe, de-
termined by Thurtell to commit the murder at Gill's Hill,
or its neighbourhood. Thurtell told Probert and me that
Weare,.the man it was intended to serve, never carried less
than from 1,0001. to 1,500/. secreted about his person, and
that he knew where to find it. He besides said, that be
should tell him that he had become acquainted with a
young gentleman who had just come into possession of a
large property, and who had an inclination for gamine,
but could not he temper! to play unless it was for large
stakes. That this gentleman I►ad given hint an invitation
to comedown to his country house and bring a friend with
him to take two or three days shooting; he should, there-
fore, persuade Weare to accept this pretended invitation,
and impress on his mit•cl the necessity of taking a large
sum if he intended to do any good, because as he
(f !torten) had no money to entice the gentleman to play,
Weare must provide it, and if he did so, they could intro-
duce cards, hazard, or backgammon, after dinner, and
make a famous thing of it. Thurtell said he had no doubt
this would be a sufficient bait to catch Weare; that he
would take plenty of cash with him, and they should be
sure to get four or five hundred pounds a piece, which
would be no bad thing. Probert answered, " No, that aunt
will just relieve me from my present difficulties." About
two nights bsfore the murder a conversation took place at
Tetsall's between Probert and John Thurtell, in which
Probert said —" You had better make it Friday night if you
tan, because I an► usually down at the cottage on a Satur-
day, and by showi rg myself to the neighbours no suspicion
will fall oil me, if the man is missed. Thurtell promised
to arrange for that night if he could.
On the morning of Friday J.Tlcirtell said lie had set-
tled every thing with IVeare; that he was to meet him that
evening at Cumberland Gate with a chaise, to take him
down to the Gentleman's mansion ; and that no time was
therefore to be lost in making the necessary preparations.
In the forenoon of Frith), I went with Thurtell to purchase
the pistols. They mete bought at a jeweller's in High-
street, Marylehone, for one pound fifteen shillings. At
about two o'clock the pistol halls were made. The two
Thnrtell's, Probert, and myself were present in the front
room, on tl.e first floor, at Mr. Tetsall's.—The lead for
making them was melted in a fire shovel, which
held over the fire. Four bullets were
cast while we were all present ; Probert handled them, and
said they did not appear to him to be large enough to kill
a man on the spot; on which John Thurtell replied,
" Yon would be d—d sorry to have one of them through
your head, small as they are, and if you had, you would not
get to Gill's Bill cottage in a hurry."
I'robert said lie was sure the air-gun would not kill
any one on the spot, and John Thurtell replied, " I know
that as well as you, Hill, or what the hell *MAI I buy
these pops for, if it was not because I would not trust to
the air-gun," and added, " I was a b—y fool to go all
the way to my friend Ilarper, at Norwich, to borrow that
air-gun ; hut 1 will take care not to miss that
thief Weare, as I did your short—(using a vulgar expres-
sion)—frlend Master Wood." Probert laughed and said,
" You made a bad business of that, Jack, for I expected
Wood would have been dead, and yon would have had the
girl long ere this," John Thortell then made an-
swer--" Well, you shall see what sort of a miss I will
make of IVeare before this night is out—and after him
comes Wood and two or threeltnore that you know, Bill."
Probert said," I hope you will do your business well, and
that your friend may have plenty of money with him."—
Thurtell replied, "There is no tsar of that, as be thinks
I am going to take him into the country afiat catchiag."
Probert and
seivation, and John Thurtell went on saying, " It will be
pretty flat carching►, Bill, for I will lay the-- flat enough
before I have done with him." _ _ _

We were also all four present when the pistols were pre-
pared and loaded. The lock was tried, and being found
stiff in consequence of the pistols being new, I was sent
to get some oil to grease the hammers and triggers, to
make the pistols go oil readily.
In the course of conversation, Thurtell said, " How
shall we manage about your old woman, to prevent hPr
looking out." Probert replied, " Oh, never fear, I have a
plan to get her to bed." Thurtell asked `'what it teas,
and said lie should like to know it, so that we might all
know how to act when we got there. Prohert said," Why,
Hunt must sing us two or three songs, and, after a little
while, she will get sleepy, and I can say that, having
my friends down, I mu-ot sit up with them to keep thew
company, and as we mean to enjoy ourselves, that she and
Nancy had better go to bed ; and when they find we are
determined to sit up, they will be glad to go to bed."
It was arranged that Probert and myself were to watch
Thurtell and Weave past Field's, and then to follow at a
little distance, so as to prevent any one following up the
lane, to interrupt John Thurtell ; and, if any one ap-
proached, we were to give him notice. Thurtell was to
pass the cottage out of hearing of pistol shot. and then to
shoot Weare while sitting beside him in the gig. Probert
himself told Thortell bow to do it ; he said," Jack, if the
man has any suspicion about the lane, you tell him you
think you have missed your way, and when you have got
to a convenient spot, as you are the driver yon eta make
some remark, and point his attention to make him look to
the left. and directly be turns his head, that is your time to
shoot him." After the act was done, the body was to be
put into a sack and brought to Probert's, and thrown into
the pond by him and Tburtell, while I was to be engaged
amusing the people in the house, as had been before settled'

COURT OF KING'S BENCH.—SATuaDAY.

which must be disposed of, and the Court rises so early to-
day, that judgment cannot The given in that case.
Mr. ADOLPHUS Said he was entirely in the Ilan& of the
Court. It was the only motion he had to make. Would their
Lordships have the goodness;to say when they would give judg-
ment.—Would they appoint Monday ?
The LORD Cater JUSTICE said there was no such business
appointed for Monday. that he was afraid it could not be taken
that day. The Gentlemen of the bar must really make inqui-
ries among themselves, and ascertain what business was to
occupy the Court on particular days. It was not from the
Court they were to receive information.
Mr. Hunt immediately left the Court.

The Attorney-Contr.l wag not in Court.

ARCHES' COUR.T.—SArun DAY.
-•••■••••-

JOHNSON S. JOHNSON.—This was a suit instituted by
Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, against her husband, for divorce
on the ground of adultery. Dr. Loshington, on behalf of
the lady, stated the case to the Court, and prayed the ad-
mission of the libel.

Dr. Adams, the Counsel for Mr. Johnson, addressed the
Court on behalf of his client, in opposition to the libel.
The parties, after a courtship of some time, were married
in the year 1818, and continued residence and cohabitation
together till the latter end of the year 1822. During the
last two years of this cohabitation they resided at Linfield
in Sussex, which place was alleged to be the scene of the
various transactions pleaded in the libel. It was alleged,
that from the month of March, 1829, until the 2.1 of Octo-
ber, 1822, the defendant, Henry Leach Johnson, endea-
vonred, by means of solicitation, entreaty, and force, to
have criminal intercourse with several of his servant girls.
It was stated by a female named Elliot, that she was a
servant in the defendant's family from the 7thi of October,
Iro2o, to the 31st of August following, and the defendant
frequently solicited her to consent to an a•tt:lterous inter-
course with him during the absence of his wife from home.
Another female servant named Fleet, also states the same
facts, and by the affidavit of a female named IV, ston, it
appeared he had subsequently to that period acted in a
similar manner towards her; and all these deponents say,
that hut for their resistance h• would have effected hi■
purpose. The Learned Hector (Adams) was of opiuion,
that whatever were the intentions of Mr. Johnson, the
charge of adultery hail not been established, and upon
looking into the depositions of these isomer), it appeared
that they did not cry out for assistance at the time, nor did
they inform their mistress, or any one else. of the conduct
' of the defendant, but they continued to reside in the house
for a considerable time after these attempts, and concealed
the circumstances until they were interrogated by Mr.
Owen, the father of the lady. The Court therefore would
consider what degree of weight was to be given to such
evidence.

Sir John Nichol c:►id, that it ap3eared by the affidavits,
that the defendant Johnson. for a long period, was in the
practice of attempting the chastity of his servants, but that
his assaults were resisted, and he was unable to accomplish
his object. He subsequently formed a connection t►ith
loose and abandoned women, and the consequences were
fatal to his health. He had at that time been married
about four years to this lady, and bad two children by her,
and in consequence of his cruelty in this respect, she sepa-
rated from him, and then he addressed a letter to her,
urging her to forgive him, soliciting her to reside with
him again, and pledging himself that his future conduct
should make amends for his past impropriety. This letter
W 35, to a certain extent, an admission of the allegation,
and he (the Learned Judge) therefore felt hintsif bound
to pronounce for the admission of the libel.

POLICE.
...www.

GulLDHALL.—Saturday, Henry Cade and Henry llerger-
son, two youths of ten years of age. were brought up before
Alderman Thoinpson, M.P. charged with a felony.
Henry Crowder, a child of eight years of age, was the
person robbed by the two prisoners.
The Alderman said he thought the child too young to
give evidence, and having asked the Chief Clerk as to
what was best to be done, the Chief Clerk said that evi-
dence might he taken from a child of eight years of
age, but it was not generally done, nor would such
evidence do in case the prisoners were sent to the Ses-
sions.
The Alderman said lie would not convict them by
I the evidence, hiss he would, however, hear the child's
story.
Crowder, who is a fine intelligent child, was then or-
dere,' to be put on the table before the Alderman; he
seemed a little frightened at first, but the Alderman told
bins not to be afraid, and having thus quieted him, the
Alderman asked him if he knew what would become of him
if he told an untruth, .to which the child answered that he
thought he should go to hell. He then told his lit'le sim-
ple story. Hs was sent by hii father on an errand. who
gave him ss. tid. to pay a win his father enyloys. He was
passing by New Court, Smithfield, when he met the two
prisoners. The smallest (Cade) came up to bins and asked
him if lie knew a boy of the name of Davis? de said no.
They then asked him to go into the court and plev with
them ; when they got bins into the court, Cale struck him,
and then turned his pockets inside out, and in We Of with
the money.

.....
Mary Lane steed, that she lives in New Court, and
knows the prisoners to be very had characters. tfn the day
this affair took place, she hearth the crying of the child, anti
looking out of the window she saw the two prisoners run-
ning down the court ; she immediately followed and stopped
them, and having learned from the child that he was robbed
of ss. 64., she then effected the recovery of the money.—
Cade had 3s. in his mouth, and lieggerson had '2B. lid.
in his pocket. She gave theta into the custody of an
officer.
Henry Crowder, the father of the child, then stated, that
on the day this affair to..rk place, he sent the child to pay
one of his men, and he gave him ss. for that purpose, and
his mother gave him a sixpence to purchase something for
her. The child came home crying, stating, that he was
robbed.
The mothers of the two prisoners came forward, and gave
a lamentable account of their sons. The mother of Carle
said, that her son had robbed her not later than the last
week. She was then entering into further details about
her son, but the Alderman told ber to stop, as it was not
right for her to crimin ite her son.
The Alderman then said he was perfectly satisfied of
the gnilt of the prisoners ; he would not send them for
trial, hut, as they were well known characters, he would
send them to Bridetvell for three months to be kept to hard
labour.
MARLROROUGH-11TRUIT.—Saturday James Munroe, a
watchman of St. Ann's parish, was brought before Mr.
Dyer,charged by a French lady of the name of Madame
Gill with a most atrocious assault on her. From the
statement of this lady, it appeared that she had been re-
turning at about eleven o'clock on Friday night from a
friend's house in the neighbourhood of Leicester-square,
to her lodgings at 55, Princes-street. In passing through
the square. she took shelter from the rain in a door-way
near Mr. Boyle's, the goldsmith. The prisoner came up
and desired her to move from that ; she replied she would
as soon as the shower ceased ; not satisfied with this reply,
he pushed her from the door, and struck her with a large
stick a blow on the head, which cut her through her boo
net most severely. She exhibited the wound, which was a
severe one.
The watchman, in his defence, said that the square was
infested with unfortunate females, en. of which he took
ber to be ; that inside the door, where be stood, there was
a dog barking most violently, which he was sure was mused
by her standing at the door; that he did not wish to hare