The Sun. — 1824-01-19 (London, England)

SHENVETH- That your Petitioner was convicted at the As. sizes held at Hertford before the Hon. Sir James Allan Park, Knight, of having aided and abetted one John Thurtell to murder William Weare, and he was thereupon sentenced .to suffer death.  That your Petitioner will not presume to deny his guilt, or offer any observation in extenuation of its enormity, but most humbly rests his claim for mercy on .the ground of his having, under promise of favour, furnished the only means and groundwork of the prosecution against himself and his companions. That your Petitioner, previous to his making any disclosure; was faithfully promised by the Magistrates, that if he told all he knew, and made a full and ample confessiOn he should be admitted as a witness for the Crown ; but if he would only disclose where the body was to be found, his lif.t should be saved. That your petitioner, partly.froni shame, but more from the hurry and confusion of the moment, and the state of exhaustion in which he was at the time of the confession, omitted to state some of the circumstances attending the horrid affair, still, your P however, el.' disclosed -to the Magistrates where e Ct. rto . the body was secreted, and by that disclosure alone, as your Petitioner humbly submits, entitled himself to theTerfortnance of the latter promise, namely, the saving of his lift-. • That your Petitioner was never admonished by anyone as 'to the necessity of stating every minute .particular within his knowledge, • nor was he, after the Coroner's: inquest, once called upon or questioned by any person.c.oncerned for the prosecution- If he had, your Petitioner would have readily disclosed every thing as he has now done to,his own Solicitor; but the prosecutor; without any previous intimation that theywere dissatisfied with your Petitioner's statement, or applying for any further information, discarded him,,and.acirpitted Probert, who, as your Petitioner most solemnly asserts,. was even more deeply implicated in the crime than your Petitioner, and who had not intitled himself to the least claim to merciful consideration, inasmuch as he denied all share in the guilty transaction until after he learned that your Petitioner confessed, and even then he only admitted himself to be an accessary after the fact ; and it was not until just as he wirts-.013 the eve. of being put upon his trial that Probert, ftn- the first time, stated any knowledge previous intention to destroy the deceased ; and in the evidence tended ignorance of the wicked scheme ; but had.he spoken: of the given by hint on the trial, he has falsely pre share he niust haVe admitted taking a principal and arranging the murder,-and acknowledged e wihno planningle t ru that your Petitioner only obeyed his and Thurtell's orders and directions in purchasing the pistols and the sack, and hiring the chaise.  Tau' your Petitioner most respectfully.solicits a reference to be made to the affidavit; of Mr. Rooke the. Coroner, Mr. Noel, who acted in tbe first ,instance as solicitor for the prosecution, and also the affidavit for your Petitioner, as to the promises held out to him, both before, and after he had made his con. fession, and discovered .the ' ... body. And, on which affidavits your Petitioner's COunsel applied to the Hon. Mr. Justice Park *to postpone the trial 'until your. Petitioner was admitted as a witness for the Crown; but the beamed Judge, although he refused the application, stated, that the circumstances detailed in those affidavits might with propriety be urged in an application to the Crown for mercy, where due attention would be paid to them.  Your petitioner, therefore, in accordance with the humane suggestions of the Learned Judge . before whom lie was tried, most respectfully solicits that a reference may be made to the before-mentioned affidavits, by which it ,will manifestly appear: that he was induced to make that confession which alone rendered him amenable to justice,.under a solemn promise of the Magistrates that his life should be spared ; and he also humbly requests that the observations and arguments urged by your petitioner in his defence may be also referred to. And your petitioner prays .that the peculiar circumstances of his case may be laid before his most gracious, just, and merciful Sovereign, in confident though humble hopes, that his Majesty, in his great regard for the due and honourable administration of justice, will consider that even with the most atrocious offender Magisterial promises and public faith ought to be held sacred .and inviolable. And that his Majesty will therefore most mercifully deign to spare the life of your Petitioner. And your Petitioner will, as in duty bound, for ever pray.