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

HUNT'S CONFESSION.
(CONTINUED PRO3I OUR PAPER OP MONDAY LAST.)
According to this arrangement, I dressed myself in the
clotbes of Thomas Thurtell's servant, Ennison, that is, I
wore his fustian jacket and white apron, and went about
seven o'clock in the morning to Wood's lodgings in Castte
Street, and told him (as had been previously settled between
me and Thurtell) that a lady, named Brew, wanted to see
him, and had sent me to fetch him to her at a friend's
house in Westminster. This Mrs. Brew is an old lady
who lodges at Cousin's at Kensington, and who had a
great friendship for Mr. Wood. Mr. Wood asked me if 1
knew why she wished to see him ; I told him that she had
bad some words with Mr. Cousins, and she wished to see
him before she returned to Kensington. He accordingly
accompanied me, and in the way he asked me the name of
the street, which I told him I did not recollect, but would
lead him to the house.
On reaching No. 10, Manchester-buildings, I said that
was the place, and rapped at the door. The door I found
was a jar, and gave way, on which I pushed it open
and entered, expecting that Wood would follow me ; he
however stopped upon the threshold ; he was no doubt de-
terred from going in by observing that it was uninhabited,
and as I think, from seeing Thurtell, who was standing
at the foot of the stairs, close to the back parlour door,
with his coat and shoes off, and a red handkerchief over
his bead to disguise him, and a dumb bell in each band
ready to strike Wood on the head. As I found Wood dill
not follow me, and was going fWA the doer, 1 went to see
what bad become of him, an 1 just saw him running
round the corner of the buildings. 1 then went to John
Thurtell and told him Wood bad run off; Thurtell said—
" It was lucky for him be did run, or else he would never
have run again." In order to prevent any ahem in Wood's
mind as to the real intention, and as we knew he was in
difficulties, we resolved to write to him to make him be-
lieve it was a stratagem of Sheriff's Officers to arrest him
for debt; se therefore ran across the Park as fast as we
could to Thomas Thurtell's at the Haymarket, and there
John Thurtell wrote a note to Wood, as if coming from
a friend to advise him to keep out of the way, as there were
several writs out against him.
Ennison, who is a factotum or the Thurtells, was sent to
diver it, and I dare say it was at Castle Street, in a very
few minutes after Wood got back. In order to keep up the
deception, another letter was written the same evening by
John Thurtell, in the name of " Clarke," to say that lie
bad to thank Curtis for the endeavour that had been made
that morning to arrest him. This letter I delivered, and
to convince Wood that these letters were genuine, and that
the object in getting him to 31anchester-buildings was an
ingenious decoy of Sheriffs' Officers. John Thurtell pre-
galled on to swear a debt against him of 291.
&nd he was actually arrested the next day on this false oath.
After the failure of this scheme, Thurtell said he would
buy a pair of pistols, and shoot him some night as he went
home from the house he used, which was kept by a man
named Thornton in a street near the Ilavmarket. This,
however, was afterwards relinquished, and Thurtell said
tie would leave him for a month or two, and pick out an-
other of his enemies.

was aware of the different plans against Wood,
and frequently. when we were discoursing on the subject, he
eked to say " D—n and blast Wood ; what is the use of kill-
ing Mm ? Barber Beaumont is the man we want out of the
way ; why don't you do for liim?"—John Thurtell replied
" Never fear ; he is booked. We shall have him sere enough,
you may depend on it." The reason ahy they wished Barber
Beaumont to he destroyed was. that they thought he was the
only cause of the money not being paid by the Fire Office, and
• they feared he wroth! urge the prosecution to be carried on for
e conspiracy ; and for several nights and days John Thurtell
hid in wait for him with the air guti charged, in the neighbour.
hood of the Fire 011ie. Ile generally took his station at the
door of Mr. Ward's, the corner of Sherrard-street ; and he set
me to watch at the offi-e door in order to ascertain at what
hours Mr. Beaumont went in and out ; if I discovered Man, I
was to run and give notice to Thurtell which way he went, and
he was to follow and shoot him. I, however, could never make
out which was Mr. Beaumont, for I did not know his person
until some one pointed him out to me at the inquest. The air
Fun resembled a knotted walking stick, and held no less than
10 charges. It was let off by merely pressing one of the knots
with the finp r, and the only noise was a slight whiz, scarcely
perceptible to any one who might happen to be on the spot.
John Thurtell mentioned to me that some of his friends were
obliged to leave this country for France, and among others he
named William and George —, on account of some
informations or prosecutions against them for gaming.
and he had every reason to think Weare was ope of the in-
formers.
til
I was present at a public house k
__A by Mr. Casely, in
Orange Court, when a man named '' d John Thurtell, that
a young gentleman named Graham, had lost money and
was prosecuting, or informing, and also a Captain Kelly, were
obnoxious to his friends, and that if he Titurtell knew how to
get rid of them, he could undertake to say that 41001. would be
of no object to those who were at that time obliged to live in
France, on account of those prosecutions.

Thurtell said" If yon can get George --topass his word
far the money, it shall be done."
speak to George, and I have no doubt he will undertake to
pay the money, if they are completely out of the way ; and
when I get his answer you shall see me again. After
***asses was gone, John Thurtell said to me, " If George
IPs*** will pass his word for 5001. it is sure to be paid ; the
men he wants put out of the way shall be disposed of in
a week, and I will do it in such a way that the public shall
believe they all killed themselves."
The reason why Kelly was to be got rid of was, that he
was terribly violent at the gaming-houses ; for when he
lost money, be insisted on its being restored to him, and if
it was not, or if the proprietors did not lend him what
money be asked for, be assaulted them, and broke their
glasses and furniture. The way Thurtell proposed to dis-
patch him was, by inviting him to meet some young gen-
tlemen to play, from whom money was easily to be won ;
anihe was by this pretence to be drawn into the park, as
being the way to the place appointed. Thurtell was there
to shoot him with the air-gun, and I was immediately to
go up and place a discharged pistol in his hand, and then
make an alarm and call out for assistance. The moment
soy one came, I was to declare that I had seen him engaged
in a duel; that be had fired without effect at his adversary;
that the shot was returned, and he had fallen, whereupon
bis opponent ran off. John Thurtell frequently expressed
bis intention to kill an attorney, named Springfield,
who lived at Norwich. because he bad used him ill in his
bankruptcy.
About three weeks before litre's murder, John Thar-
tell, Thomas Thurtell, and myself, were walking towards
Spring Gardens; J. Thurtell said he would go and see
Rexworthy, and we all went into his billiard-room, which
bad been newly fitted up. 1 there saw a gentlemanly
looking man sitting down. John Thurtell went up to him'
and said, " Mr. Wears, how are you?" The gentleman got
up, they shook bands together, and appeared very friendly;
and after conversing together for about a quarter of an
boor, they went out together, and remained absent an
hour. On their return, Thomas Thurtell said be mast be
off, and we went away. When we got out, John Thurtell
told me that the man I had seen him in company with, and
Bill ••••• had won 3001. from Lim in one night, at Blind
flookey. said that is a great deal of money. " Yes,"
said he," and what is worse, when I asked them, and par-
ticularly Weary, to lend me 51. be told me to go a thieving
for it es he did ; and that I bad better say nothing about it,
as the money was my creditors'." Thurtell also said, "1
do not forget this treatment, and shall soon settle accounts
with some of them, and shall never die easy until 1 have
my revenge of We're."
Shortly after the Indictment for the conspiracy was
found, and when the officers were expected to be op the
look oat for the Martell*, Probert introduced them to Mr.
Testa ; told bins that warrants were out against them, and