The Sun. — 1846-08-31 (London, England)

SUICIDE OF COL. THORNTON, CHARGED WITH UTTERING FORGED NOTES.  Police constable George Henry Maekrell, 110 D, was first called. He saii, he was on duty on Friday night at the police station in Marylebone-lane. About one o'clock yesterday morning he was directiel by Sergeant Brown to go round the cells. On arriving at that one in which deceased was confined, he saw that a silk handkerchief had been passed through the bars of the little opening in the cell door, and hitched on to the bolt on the outside. On opening the door the deceased was found hanging with the silk handkerchief round his neck, and quite dead. Thomas Hooper, police constable 213 D, stated that he took the deceased into custody at eight o'clock on Friday evening for endeavouring to pass a forged 51. Bank of England note at the shop of Mr. Bennett, in Oxford-street. On his arrival at the station, he said he could easily account for the possession of the note, and a person who had received one, residing in Princes-street, having been sent for, cattle and identified the deceased, who had purchased some jewellery and given her a forged note. He was locked up in the cell at nine o'clock. Ile was then in a perfectly sound stare of mind and quite sober. He gave his name as Charles Walter Thornton, of 3, Hartland-terrace, Kentish town. Mr. Inspector Tedman here produced the property, which was found on the deceased's person at the station, and that subsequently found at his residence, most of which had been proved to have been obtained by means of forged notes corresponding with that on his person when taken into custody. On his person were found a forged 51. note (in addition to the one he had attempted to pass with Mr. Bennett), two good 51 notes, eight sovereigns, one half sovereign, eight half-crowns, two sixpences, two gold brequet chains and seals, a small box, containing two purse slid-s and rings, and a bead purse. There was also a diamond ring on his finger. At his lodgings, found in a jewel case, were one 101. note, good, four brooches, five coins, some gold Indian coins, OIIP, gold eye-class, nine seals, one silver pencilcase, one silver toothpick. two gold union pins, three rings, and one eardrop. On these articles being produced t the coroner, many of the tradesmen present stepped forward and identified the various articles which th, y had sold to the deceased and given the change for the forged Si. notes, and which they also produced. The testes in question are anything but good imitations, b'-ing apparently lithographed. They all bore date the 3:1 of March. and were backed by the deceased with the name "Woodman, Romford„" Mrs. Mary Thorntou, the widow of the deceased, was next examined. The unfortunate lady was supported into tee room by several of her friends and accommodated with a chair. She appeared deeply affected.  man .for any great crime, still he found no law which She said she had been married to the deceased siayears. established the necessity of carrying out the and resided at 3, Hartland terrace, Kentish-town. vengeance to its full ; and he thought that was a colonel in the East India . Companys service, btt man should be guided, in these matters, not had only recently returned from Egypt, where she had only by the light of his own understanding, but also been with him. She knew nothing of his affairs,. but by the superior light of Holy Writ. The Chair ' always understood that he was a gentleman of Ind& man here gave his opinions upon public executions. He pendent property. He was at home all day yesterdq said that they had the most demoralising effect upon up to five o'clock, when ho went out, saying that he thousands of our countrymen, for instead of touching s'lould go to billiards. He was then in excellent health them with horror at the sight, it merely hardened their and spirits. He had never complained of pain in the hearts to crime, and made them less careful of shedding head, or threatened or attempted to destroy himselfthe blood of their fellow. creatures, The man Connor He was a very temperate man. He had no relatives had been a witness of the execution of Tapping, and living. They had all died in India. She could not ae. only a few days after himself committed one of the most count for his possession of the forged notes. horrible, cold-blooded murders a man could bP, guilty Mr. Thomas Warren, of 3, Commercial-place, Kent" of. -In the case of Wicks, too, the murderer had seen i,h.town, said he had known deceased for several yes several executions, and in one instance had even paid About three months ago he returned from EgyPts gnden u half-a-crown for a place in a window nearly opposite since that time he had resided in Grove street, Cam' the scaffolding. Indeed be (Alderman Sidney) could town, and his present residence. state, on very good authority, that, out of sixty-six , There being no further evidence, the Coroner at aorrle_ executions at the Old Bailey, sixty-three of the male- ' length dwelt upon the melancholy circumstances of tP• factors had witnessed prior executions. At the time case, and explained the law as related to cases of iti" when Tapping was hanged, he went down to the Old sanity and felo-de-se. Bailey on purpose to see what effect it had upon The room having been cleared of strangers, the jar): the populace, and it would be impossible for him to for some time deliberated, and ultimately returned 11, describe the disgusting and abominable sceres that met verdict, " That the deceased hung himself, bat in Who his eye, and the profane language which greeted his state of mind he was at the time, there was no evidence ears. He could not help thinking, that for every public to show." execution upwards of a thousand human beings were luspector Tedman applied to the Coroner to kn°/.1. corrupted and hardened. Now, in the case of the un- what he was to do with the property produced, as tn: fortunate man Tapping, he denied his guilt up to the tradesmen who had been defrauded demanded to int° last moment. It was the painful duty of the sheriffs to it restored to them. precede the culprit fr .nn the prison to the place of exe- The ConoNge said, had a warrant been issued aglansS cution. On this occasion the colleague of Sheriff Sid- the deceased, it would then have been my duty to dabs ld left the- le T --- -se behalf ;he C- br 't had nal  the property on behalf of the Crown -, out as he could make no order in the case. The inspector had, therefore, better represent the subject to the rolice Commissioners. The proceedings in this extraordinary case then ter urinated.