Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-09-05
BRISTOL BILL"
SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS FORMER LIFE.

| II bIlIl uCsCll pllOh vi lulS IOlCu uul- l..
glar who so recently has figured in our criminal
tribunals, may not be deemed unimportant or
improbable to the public welfare. The com.
munity so far as possible, should well under
stand the character and habits of those whom
she nourishts, supports and protects; and if Sc.
cret foes be found preying on her vitals, and
prosirang he strength and vigor, justice and
public and private security require that they
should be fully exposed and held up to view, so
that they may be known and read of all men.
Bristol Bill,' from his own confessions,
seems to have been born for plots and crime,
and secret schemes, deep hid from good and
honest men," and all his life long has been an
active laborer in his masters vineytrd until he
has grown grey in vice, and Is now reaping
feIon's lust reward. He is now about 70 ty
years Of age, five feet eight inches high, slim in
person, of dark complexion, black hair, which is
very thin on the top of his head, and somewhat
greyish; has deep, black, keen, rentlcss eye,
bout his possessser; his nose is small, and fore,
head quite low; he wears whiskers which are
assuredy as black as a raven, and nicely trim
med as dandy; his step is quick, and his per-
sonal appearance and address quite genllemanly II
but, on close inspection, the desperate is appa
rent in his countenance.
An Englshmun by birh his early life was
spent in the dark alleys and secret dens Of Livs
erpool, London, and other large cities where he
received that education and discipline which so
eminently fttcd him for his subsequen success.
ful career, whereby he became pre- eminent in
his profession above his fellows, and one Of the
most dangerous and desperate villains ever
thrown upon the community. He coniesses that
after having passed several years of his life in
the most successful buFglarious operations, he
: was at last arrested in London, tried, and con-
demned to Botany Bay where he rmained some
considerable time, but at last, by all eXtraordin-
airy feat at swimming, he effected his escape
gained vessel, and finally landed in New York,
and Immediately resumed and continued the
practice of his early profession, and up to the
time OF the Groton transaction, had managed to
eIude that Justice which almost daily he so rich
ly merted.
While confined in Danville Jail, awaiting his
trial, he made some astounding and almost IN
credible confessions of his criminal acts and do.
ings, plots and designs, while in the city OF New
York, from which it seems that he Is but one of
t an extensive gang of backlegs, confederated
and combined together for the purpose of bur
! glary, arson and assassination.
| One of their bloody schemes, markad out and
fully determined upon, was the assassination of
William B. Astor but some unforeseen circum-
; stances occurring, prevented, at the time, execu
ton; and thus fortunately, they were robbed OF
their victim. Could the city of New York be
made fully acquainted with the secret organiza-
tons, confederacies, and vaccinations, that had
) been entered into and cherished in her own bo
som, she would Immediately sound the trumpet
of alarm for her personal safety, nor rest day or
= night till her dark places and secret dens were
completely rid of these loathsome, deadly SER
pents in vice and crime.
| prison, he was requested by the oversoer (as is
his practice with all conycts,) TO undress and
bathe ; this he readily submitted to, and during
| the process, it was discovered that he carried
marks of hard service quite strikngy" denea'
ted upon his back, and when pointed out he
very facetiously remarked, they were only en-
blems of his honorable profession"
He is now busly occupied in making scythe
snaths, and acquits himself like a dutiful son.-
He expressed at the time of his attack on the
States Attorney, an ardent wish that he might
live long enough to kill Judge Poland, Bliss y.
Davis, who is the States Attorney, WilliamW.
Wilson, OF Boston, who is a witness against
him and Mr. Lean Marshall, who was an ac-
complice, and turned States evidence, and then
he should be quite ready to die but under pres
: ent disabilates, he will hardly effect his desired
} object He is now in for ten years, and he
. will probably be presented 10 the next Grand
Jury, who will find bill against him, charging
: him with an assault with intent to kill the
J States Attorney. This indictment will hang
} suspended over him till on or about the expira-
ton of his present term, when he will be tried,
found guilty, and sentenced another ten years,
as unfortunately, under the existing statute OF
Vermont that is the extent of Imprisonment
for crimes of which he will stand charged, but
when he shall have served oat his twenty years.
he no doubt will find himself quite behind the
spirit of the age, and his art and skill IN his pro
fession will be altogether obsolete and unaVali-
ing. Some fears have been expressed lest ne
should effect an escape, but under the vigilance
of the prison officers, there can hardly be the
possibilitv of such an occurrence; and though
the guardian spirit of his beloved Margary, with
all her "knockings" and enchanments, should
nightly hover around him, yet Prometheus like,
bo is bound. and all her tender sighs and deli
cate wooing will be lost upon the midnight
breeze.
Christien Meadows, his associate IN crime
seems to have been born for better deeds, but
under corrupt influences and vicious assocn-
tions. he became an efficient and dangerous IN
strnment in the hands of his more willy conied'
sstes. He, likewise, is an Engllshman, mas