Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-06-03
THE SENTENCE OF THE coU.T

| crime Of afsOn;ln Selling DTe or ATTEMPTING
TO burn, and in part burning the huiItrr
commonly called the Stare House, in ibs
CITY of Philadelphia. The crime Of An
SON is the most delesIable that can be COM
| mitted; il is devoid of all those induc..
men,s which may offer some excuse for tho
commission OF other crimes. n your a..
ismpthad been contaminated with suc.
cess, The Stale House, that valuable and
venerable building would have been burnt
| 10 the ground.
You have teen convicted after a nos,
| impartial and lair trial; defended by abIs
| counsel. who manifested great zeal and
talents in your behalf.
Upon the consideration OF all The cir.
! cumstsnces, the court adjudse that you
and each OF you, pay fine of one cent to
the commonwealth. undergo imprisonment
al hard labor in The jail OF the county Of
! Pr. iadelpbia, for the space OF nine years.
&c
; Yen have also been convicted of the
crime OF conspiring 10 take the life, and
burn the property of Robert Whar,ou,
Esq This offence is uDcommonly great.
iDssmuch as The life OF that gentleman is
peculiarly valuable 10 society, and your
only cause of revenge, his Just and indie.
pendent discharge Of his public duly You
arr therefore moi only guilty OF copspi.
racy 10 take the life OF citizen, but your
crime is against The public itself, and de.
uands the exercise OF the justice OF the
country.
| You. ard each OF you, are upon the
conviction OF his offence, sentenced 10
pay fine OF one cent to the common
wealth; TO undergo Imprisonment al hard
labor for three years; 10 pay the costs of
prosecution &c.
The court take occasion TO remark, that
Tue enity which they have evinced in the
infection Of The last sentence. did not a.
this crime and that OF sr-oD, for the COM
mission Of which you have just been sem
fenced; Tor they believe The conspiracy to
take the lite OF go valuale public officer,
equal 10 The second; but they have been
guided by principles of mercy. They
have taken into consideration, that you
have been sentenced tor the FIRST, to I'M
dergo long Imprisonment OF nine years,
and have therefore torborn TO inBct pu-
nisbnent so heavy as they otherwise
would have done. The court are not
convinced that they have by these sem
fences satisfied the just expectation OF the
public; for by The penal code the court
had it in its power TO in6ict for The first.
, an Imprisonment; Of twelve years, and tho
second seven, making i9 years.
The court cannot help expressing a
hope, that during the long confinement
which awaits you, you will see the errors
ofyour ways, reform and repent. Allbo'
you may conceive this punishment TO be-
great from an earthly tribunal, yet you are
10 prepare yourself, by praying to The Del
~ for ability to repent. to hope for piti..
gaiinn Of your punishment hereafter.
After his honor had concluded the re-,
marks accompanying the sentence. Tho
mas Cole. one of the prisoners. very mo.
destly requested permission to say a few
words to The court Having received per-
mission, he addressed himself TO the court
in the following words, which were lite1
rally taken down al the time:
81 feel indebted to your boDors for your
remarks and mercy on every point, aud 10
the Jury for their kindness and attention to
our cause; but appeal TO God for my
truth, that we know no more OF the crime
aIedged, than the child unborn Before.
God, to whom know we shall apsw er be-
tore we leave thai prison we are not
gully"
As concluded, he sank down exhaust
Ell and completely overpowered by bis.
feelings upon the bar. The solemn man.
me- 10 which The appeal to the Deity was
made, and the apparent sincerity OF the
declaration. excited unusual interest; while
al the same time the sobs and cries OF bis
wife and daughter, from whom he was tn
take So fearful farewell and who were
thus reduced to certain poverty and ire.
medi,ble misery, completed most affect
ing scene The bye ISLANDERS looked on
with strange sensations; and the probabili.
~ of gull, OF the sccomplice seemed first
10 sgitsle their mind. Whether Henry or
the prisoners were guilty, seemed made
question, Notwithstanding two intelligent
juri. bad pronounced it irrevocably SET.
tied.
The prisoners were now removed, and
through large concourse of spectators
conducted TO prison.
We learn that the four persons sup.
posed to have been concerned in the
murder Of Mr.. Bonsall, near Darby, on
the night Of the 22d inst. were on Ss.
turday last apprehended in Woodbury.,
n J. and committed to the prison in
| that place. A chain taken from Mrs.
Warner, was found in possession Of
one of one Of these persons. They bad
also with them a bundle Of clothes
stained with blood. We understand
that one of them has been recognized by
the high constable of this city as anlold
convict. (Phil. Gaz.