Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-02-14

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claimed their wish that he might 90 to the
place of walling and gnashing Of teeth, tc
the worm that never dies, to the Ere tina,
is never que cled
They exhortcd him to hang himself
in his gartcrs, and to cut his throat with 9
razor They put up horrible prayers tina,
he might not be able TO repent, that he
might die the same hard-heartcd wicked
Jefireys that he had lived His spirit, as
mean in adversely as insolent and inhumar
} in prosperity, sank down under the load o
public adherence. His constitution, origi.
/, nal'y bad, and much impaired by intemper.
ance, was completely broken by distress anc
anxiety.
He was tormented by cruel internal
disease, which the most skiiul surgeons
Iof that age were seldom able to relieve
One solace was left TO hm-.-brandy. Even
when he had causes to try, aud councils to
attend, he had seldom gone to bed sober
Now, when he had nothing to occupy his
mind, save terrible recollections and terri
BILE forebodings, he abandoned himself with
out reserve to his Gavorile vice. Many be-
lieved him to be bent on shortening his life
by excess He thought it better, they said
to go off in drunken fit than to be hacked
by ketch, or torn limb from limb by the
popuIace.
Once he was reused from q state of tb-
ject dependency by an agreeable sensation.
speedily followed by a mortiiying disuppoint-
ment. A parcel had been left for him a,
the Tower. 1t appeared to be barrel of
| Colchester oysters, l. is fsvorte dainties.-
He was greatly moved; for there are mo-
ments when those who least deserve utfec-
ton are pleased to think that they inspire
it. "Thank God" he exclaimed, 81 have
still some frents lef.!" He opened the
barrel and from among a heap of shells
| out tumbed stout halter
1t does not appear that one of tire fat
terers or buttons whom he had enriched out
of the pIunder of his victims, came to COM
fort him in the day of trouble But he
was not left in utter solitude. John Tut
chin, whom he had sentenced to be nogged
every fortnight for seven years, made his
way into the Tower, and presented himself
before the ia len oppressor. Poor Jefl'reys
humbIed to the dust, behaved with abect
civiity, and called for wine. al am glad
Sir" he said, "to see you" "And I am
glad" answered the resentlul Wing, "to
see your lordshp in this place" 81 served
master," said Jeffreys:"I was bound in con
science to do So" Where was your con-
sience," said Tutchin, "when you passed
that sentence o9 me at parchester:'' "il
was set down in my Instructions" answer
ed Jeft-eys, fawningy, "that | was to show
no mercy to men like you, men OF parts
and courage. When went back to court.
was reprmanded for my enityn
Even Tutchn, acrimonious as was his
nature, and as great were his wrongs,
seems to have been a little Modified by
the pitiab!e spectacle which he had at first
contemplated with vindictve pleasure H.
always denied the truth Of the reoort that
he was the person who sent the Colchester
barrel to the Tower.
A more benevolent man, John Sharp, the
eIont Dean Of Norwich, forced himself
to witt the prisoner. 1t vas a painful task
but Sharp had been treated by Jefireys, in
old times, as kindly as it was in the nature
of Jetlreys to treat anybody, and had once
or twice been able, bv patiently waiting un-
til the storm OF curses and invectives bad
spent itself, and by deXtrously seizng the
moment of good bunor, to obtain for un-
happy families some mltgations Of their
suferings. The prisoner was surprised
and pleased ''What!" he said, "dare you
own me now!"
It was in vain, however, that the amia-
bic divine tried to give salutary pain to
that scared cor science. Jefreys, instead of
acknow lodging his guilt, eXclalWed vehe-
ment!y against the injustice of man kind.
People call me a murderer for doing what
at the time was appauded by some who are
now high in public favor. They called me
a drunkard because | take punch 10 relieve
me in my agony" He would not admit
that, as President Of the High Commission,
he had done snylhing that deserved re-
proach. His colleagues, he said were the
real criminals: and now they threw all the
blame on him. He spoke with peculiar as
perity of Sprat, who had undoubtedly been
the most humane and moderate member OF
the board.
1t soon became clear that the wicked
Judge was fast sinking under the weight OF
bodily and mental suffering Doctor John
Scott, prebendary of Saint Paui's, clergy
man of great sanctity, and author of the
Christian Life, a treatise once widely re-
nowned, was summoned, probably on the
recommendation OF his intimate friend Sharp
to the bedside of the dying man. 1t wal
IN vain, however, that Scott spoke, as SharI
) had already spoken, of the h!deous hut
t cherries of Dorchester ard Taunton. To th
e. last, Jeffreys continued to repeat that thos
D who thought him cruel lid not know wha
o. his orders were; that lie deserved praise in
i stead OF blame, and that his c!emency ha
;, drawn on him the extreme displeasure of hi
$ muster.
d Disease, assisted by strong drink an
5, misery, die its work fast. Fhe patient
!. stomach rejected all nourishment. II
1t dwindled in few weeks from por,ly an
y even corpulent man to skeleton. On III
'e 18th of April he died, in the forty fist yea
'e of his age. He had been Chief Justice {
'e the Kings Bench at thir,y-fve, and Lor
. Chancellor at thirty-seven. In the whol
,j history Of the English bar there is TO o,ht
instance of so rapid an elevation, or of S