Hunt's Confession.
The Times, 1824-02-02T00:00:00

Our readers mulst Le heartily. dlisgusted withi Thurtell and W"eaee, nor shiould we conitinue the subjlect, except to addl new lighit to thiat RiTaeacdy supplied by thle Hertford trial. As there is every reasoni to believe the following statemnent to be accurate, it is worthy of puib. lication, not only as~ illustrating the character Of tlie thlree crimfinals, buit ats a picture of a certaini class, of societv. The following confession was mad-i(e by) Hutnt to Air. Harmser, his 9olicitor, previous to hiis trial, for the reasons lie assigns in the corn. snencement ;andI a copy of it, siignecd by the prisoner, has been since deposited at the otfice o~ thle Secretaty of State:- i"As the issue of the present prosecution is exEremely uncertaiii.andl as tlie consequences to tuie are very lik-ely to terniinrte~ faLDly, I feel it a dutty Whihel I owve to society to make a full antd truie canfes~sion of all the c-ireumstrances attenditig the melanchioly death of Air. WVeare, andI also oftsly acqitaintanece ivitlt, anid knowledge of, the parties imi- plicated in his murder. I ami anxious to nerforms this dluty previous zo the teemntitttion of thei trial, iii order that if I shtould bo clootuiech to su fiir, toy nlinctl after convsiction isas' he comiposed, and( thlat I miar iiot be interrupted by azny importunity or applications tor con- fessions, or oilier s-ordle ry'onsidierations, bLut that I niav be able to ernplo.v tie whole time allowed usie ir. this world " to m' devotions, andl myi endeavours to miake atonementoth Almighy frm crimne. I dlo. thierefore, now tittake tIs true and hoet confession, andl desire that it miay be considiered as nt i solemn dying die- claration. A .1In abouit a week aft er, I miet l'robert accidetitally at the west-end of ithe towin, and hie introduced me to Tetsalt's,wvhere, by hvIis reque-st, I sang sevetal ionusa; antI at partitig, he invited tne to mieet hiim the next morning at the Cock, saying, he could be of service to mle. I went accordingly, was introduced by Probert to John and Thiormas Thusrtell,ands6opue,l to dine with them,but nothing paTticlllar passed. As Probert otniiteed to ex plain in what wvav lie couldl serve mie, I wen t thiiex net diay to tse Cock, and ivas itnvited'up st airs by, Josint Tfitiretehl, whiere I Citutid Probsert . at,dc thiey pressed mne to duine withi themi, wltiili I did andtit afterwards Probert avsked tue to watlk over the water with Iiitn, savitig, lie wanlted to speak to mie oni particular buisiness. I agreedt to vo with hltn, atid on our wayv Prubert said to) nie-' Hlunt, I will tell voni sonething ini coisfidetce, btIt I beg of youi itever so divulge it, as I otis tite onlv person Tfltirtell has mia4e acquainted witlh whiat I ami abouit to) tell rout.' I promised secrecY ; atid lie then said, V'out knowv Thiurtell has obtained at verdi ct against thie County Fire-ofhit-e for nearly 21,0011. and as thiat verdict Will miakce htis owts and his brother's, credit statid well, thiee ijttieid to atvail ithetnselves of it to get whatever goods they can weitfi secepttunisce, theni sell thiem, and putt the utonevr in to their pac-ketts. togethier with tie mioney fromi the firr-offlice. Thomas Thtiurtell will thient become a bankrtiit, and( work Itis war thirotugh tlie contiiliissijon its well as lie Call. \OW, it' Iyou will conisent so thke som)e of' thieir accentattees, go wiih tliemi to I uifi~relts trade-lpro1lte, an,d purchase. articles for the Thututell'. yo,u stall he aflOwed so itnuch in the pound for all the goods youi eats ofussin.' I toldi Probert that I wouild do whiat they desired, but that I did itot touch tuidetstand the buisiness. Byv TI Thttrtell's, desite, I or(lere(i sojne expenisive articles at hare anti Shirk's itt Cockspur-street, which were sentE according to I ite oriler. There icas abo4jt ibis, timie to be a great dlinner at tife Cock ; and about teti clays before the eiinimier, John Ttittuitell weist to Probert's cottaige on a shtooting party tor a f'ete days. to shoot on , he grounds; of Mlajor Woods ; he returyned the day before the elm. tier, and at the ilinneVr lie took ithe deputy chiair. On the samne (lay that J. Thtirtell retuirnedi fronti the cottage, he toldi tile thait lie liad becomedelsperately in love writt Aliss Caroline 'Nos-es, the sister of Probert's wvife, lost that slite liat1 promised ber hano to a miats namned Wood ; he said, liowvever, thiat lie did not care for that, lie would cointiuse hiis visits, aituI endeavsiur to supplant himi ; and I unders,t6od feoirn him that lie frequently went to the cottage, itiitil onie Saiturtacv, utilen lie ics going` duwis thiere, he uset le. Woodl and Miss Noves conig to town tim company togethier. This veryv niticli vexedt anti riurtifiedl him, and he theit com- meneda w'iting. let,ters to hey. whicih Nvere either unitoticesi or retturn- ed cindler cover. This only serv-ed to irritate kiiti still more, atid lie invieigbed mnost btitterly; tgaiftst Woodi; Probert also joinedI in thec abuise of Wtood, ani said_' Y'ou know. Jolt0, I hate the fel, low, anti titere is no man orIimy accp.taicstanice that I shlould like to have the girl bitt yoursell2 ,Titirtel. said nio titan in this world should es,er stand between bins and his htappirims, if lie lost Iiis own life itn ite cause, asid that he slhouild go to Norwich ithe thien next week, atid get his friend Harper to lend butt Isis aeiir-g~un to settle somie of the gentlemen whilo had ill-isedi him. I-I said there wsere these or foitrion the list, bLitt Wlood stood first, because lie was it) the was' of Ilisa happiniess. I understoodi from Probert and .Johin Thiirtell, thiat Mlias Noves was entitled toi somne inoney on lher miarriage.; and that if site married J1. Thurtell, lie and, Probert were to go into business together. J. Tlituirtell wvent to Norwich at about the time the indictmsent was preferred againist himn and others for the conspiracy, atid he twas absent tivo clays. I miet IimjT in Fleet-street the same night be returned, with 'the air-guin under his armn. "John-Tiurtell hadl written a letter Irons Norweich, addressed to imtc at Ales. Alountain's, witereins lie informled ohs, that lie had got every thiing he wanteci-diiat all was righit; antI dlesiredi me to nieer biust at 9 o'clock ott Saturday evening 'at Temple-bar, at tile corner of Sfiirc-lane. I was a quarter or hlftian hourt bey-ondI my time, andI foutiic himi- waitinmr ; lie showed rue thec air-gun 'ancti a double-bar- retied pistol : the latter,he said.wouldbe of no use to hsims,asit would make too loud a report. It was'a large sized pistol, and hiss the name Of ' Sr. aprupon it. We scent to AIrs. 3lountain's, and after takiing some(!tisiti.g to drink, 1 left him. The next wee'k he gave mne the piitol, which 1 pawned at Cotterell's, in Shoe-lanie, for Bs., and it is now there, either in the name of Jones or lHunt. The etisuing week the plan of sliooting 3Mr. hV'ood, in Castle- street, was determined iupon as followrs - XWood, Probert, and Noyes had lodgings in the saine house together, ar No. 35 or 313, Casitle- stTeet, Le~icp.9ter-square, andl it was a2reed that sonic night, wiheis Noves was dowii at Probesi's cottage, Probert was to go honme early at itight, snch keepthelatstllatiy and lierdaug-hter drinlkingbeloue stairsJ altcr Wood was gone to bed; and when he'was, suppiosed to be asleep, John TitlUTtel, disgzuhied sn a boat cloalk, seas toD enter the houise by- tmeans of P robert .s key of the street dipor, procec to WVoodl a roomy. anid shoot him throuighs the heart whiti the Imir-gun. He was risen t6 placesa small pistol that ltadbeer. discliarged, in Wlood's riglit lisand,tso that it migismt appear as if be hash shot himself, and lie was then quietly Io leaveshe ottse,andlle-piis risecity, Probertwasafterwardaitobave go,eu,p st,izrs,armd found W'ood in tlisisitu.agtion,andgiven tliealarm,or the landlady was to have found bins deadi the next mporning. An in- quest would of course behleld on tlte body, atid it was, so b)e made appear-, that lit a fit of' insanity or dlespondency lie haud sitot hini- self. Procbert said be wouild attend befoDre the inquest and swear that llVoodI swas muchl embarrassed its his circumtusances, ar,d depressed in his spirits, and that was the reason, he bad no dloubt, whiy lie had destoy-ed himself. John Tisurtell asked a inan, named WJ.oolf, whio kEeeps -a sale shlop, aknd who was in the hiabit of' using lils brother's house, the price ofa boat-cloak for tise purpose, buit I do notoknow wyheliter he btugliti one ornot. Thereason why, this plan was not carriedI intle et as once seas, thlat the air guitt-i sa f,.und to be out of repair, and it was seist to a guismntithm's in Sheryard.strect toIhave it new valve. T'isurtell told the guinmaker be liacl it for the purpose of killing deer: thie repairs causie to a shiilling or two undlersa poindl. "1 'l'lse nighit Wood's murder was to liars beert perpetrated, lie for- tuisately did not sleep at hioine and auonts accidenta! circumstances aft'erwards atmised it to be puit off, and the idea of shootitig him in Castle-street altogether abanidotned, althouigh Probert teas cajntinuiatly urig hrtl to csissmit the muirler-, saying there could 'lot be a betr ieosrce bliss, as thie lanulladys had iio oilier lo(igersi in time hlouse. Probert oftent said,'I If you mean to dolit, why d on't you do it at Once; you know I cats kceep the womieis engaged ' Tisurtell re- plied,, _- youIr great eyes, if you swant it done, why don't yost ti5m it Yourself; yost are big ettotigis anti ugly enough, tunethlere is thte atr.guts at youir serv'ice' Om which Probert uised to turn it nfiritith a lauigh, acidc say, IYIou know, Jaick, I scant You to lusee thie womais, and should not like Wood to get her.' ,~The house in anlaicsester-buildings was taken for the exprtss. lpurposecof tlestroyin,rWood, and making it aswareltouse for whatever goosis couild beobtained from t~radesnsen by frautlulent bills. J.Thor- tell iook it front 55 solicitor in, Bernera-street, aod gave a reference so Cousins. Ylinendraper at Kenasiigton, to whomn als%o a great quan. tity of' Thiotytell's valutable roperty, was sent. Tbomaws Thturteli pistned one of' the looking-gfasses for di. to pay for the agreemeist. I wvent with J. Thiurtelt and Ail. Assereti's clerk to see the house, and JT. 'Ibhurtell toldi the clerk be shiouldI not sveatit the lixitire.4, a-s when Isis famsily cartie irotis Norwich, lie nsust has's all ned' fixtuires and fiteniturer Vli'er. thiNi house in Alattciester-.buildhings seas'takeli pos- session of, I weist withi a wag gon, Ihired from Diufferts, in Coinprois. street, to) bring away a great mnany articles of furnitruecand beddling, whtich lItad been .ttbtaiieteu from diff'erent tradespecrp'e, anti depositeri in a cottage whiirls T. Tburtell had isireui at K'ensington for she Pturpose of' seeretiiig them. Some of these thiings were afterwards seized. as, I have beets given to understand, by the creditors, at a hiouse' ilCii Cntserlani.dstreeL. "The isext itlan against 1r. Wisod was to entice blism to the houise in-achse4uildings, and there dlestroy hlirn. J. Tl9msrtell bor- rowed a ptair of heavy duimb hells, 61b each, from a 51r.11suicock,and it as ettedtha I houd,by eraegma, get himn to accomnpany ,sb ro nsientr te huse amd wen ie asvithin side I was to,,hutf thedoo uotshoss,ans g ioOhahmg.coa, wereThmrtlIWa so- meet e, ater dnspachtig him And in rdee o acountfor hi's absene, alettr wa to e set toh~s odgig, t saythatsever-al HUN T'S COATFESSION.