Year: 1863




lection of that unhappy affair OF Harvey,
noticed in my previous paper. halt
resolved to give up the bar, and rather
20 and sweep the streets for livelihood,
than run the risk Of getting poor people
hanged who did not deserve it.


On the Monday morning / was pa
cling up and down my breakfast-room In
the next assize town, in a state OF great
excitement, when chaise-and-iour
drove rapidly up to the hotel, and out
tumbled Johnson the constable. His
tale was soon told. On the previous
evening, the landlady of the Black Swan,
a roadside public-bouse about four miles
distant from the scene of the murder.
reading the name Of Pearce in the re-
port of the trial in the Sunday county
paper, sent for johnson to state that
that person had on the fatal evening call
ed and left portmanteau in her charge,
promising to call for it in an hour, but
had never been there since. On open
ing the portmanteau,1 Wilson's watch,
chains, and seals, and other property,
were discovered in it and johnson bad,
as soon as it was possible, set off in search
of me. Instantly, for there was not a
moment to spare, in company with
Armstrong; counsel, sought the judge,
and with some difficulty obtained from
him a formal order to the sheriff to sus-
pend the execution till further orders.
Off / and the constable started, and
happily arrived inttime to stay thesexe-
cution, and deprive the already assembled
mob of the brutal exhibition they SO
anxiously awaited. On inquiring for
Mary Strugnell, we found that she had
absconded on the evening of the trial.
All search for her proved vain.


Five months had passed away; the
fate of Armstrong and his wife was still
undecided, when message was brought
to my chambers in the Temple from q
woman said to be dying in St. Bartholo-
news Hospital. II was Mary Strug-
nell; who, when in a state of intoxica-
ton, had fallen down in front OF car
riage, as she was crossing near Holborn
Hill, and mad both her legs broken. She
was dying miserably, and had sent for
me to make a full confession relative to
Wilson's murder. Armstrong; account
was perfectly correct. The deed was
committed by Pearce, and they were
packing up their plunder when they we're
startled by the unexpected return Of the
Armstrong;. Pearce, snatehiDg up a
bundle and portmanteau, escaped by
the window; she had not nerve enough
to attempt it, and crawled back to her
bedroom, where she, watching the dongs
of the farmer through the chinks of the
partition which separated her room from
the passage, concocted the story which
convicted the prisoners. Pearce think
ing himself pursued, too heavily encum-
bered for rapid fight, left the portman-
teau as described, intending to call for it
in the morning, .f his fears proved
groundless. He, however, had not
courage to risk calling again, and made
the best of his way to London. He was
now in Newgate under sentence of death
for burglary, accompanied by person
al violence to the inmates of the dwell
ing he and his gang lad entered and rob-
bed. took care to have the deposition
Of the dying wretch put into proper form ;
and the result was after great deal OF
petitioning and worrying of authorities,
full pardon for both Armstrong and
his wife. They sold Craig Farm, and
removed to some other part OF the coun-
try, where, | never troubled myself to
inquire. Deeply grateful was to be
able at last to wash my bands OF an affair
which had cost me so much anxiety and
vexation; albeit the lesson it afforded
me of not coming hastily to conclusions,
even when the truth seems, as it were,
upon the surface Of the matter, has not
been, trust, without its uses.