Particulars of the Trials and Execution of John Hayes, James Boyce, Robert King, John Robinson, George Nicholls, and James Goulby, Who were Executed in Front of the OLD BAILEY THIS MORNING.

Nov 29
1826

WE have the painful task this day to announce the melancholy fate of six men, all of them very young, not one having attained his thirtieth year, who were convicted at the September Old Bailey Sessions, and who were considered by the Executive as proper subjects for capital punishment. Their crimes are all of a most heinous nature, and in some of the cases they were attended with acts of the most ferocious violence. We cannot but lament that it should be deemed necessary to destroy human life by wholesale, as is were; but we are bound to admit, the most atrocious offenders have been selected as public examples. The following are brief notices of the several offences for which the culprits have suffered:

JOHN HAYES, aged 25, was convicted of breaking into the dwelling-house of Captain Wm. Larkins Pascol, who resided at No. 150, East India-road, Poplar, on the night of the 11th of July, and stealing therein glass articles &c. of some value. The prosecutor offered 50l. reward for the apprehension of the robbers; and Lion Levi, a Jew salesman, residing at No. 1, Boyce's buildings, Cutler's-street, Houndsditch, to whom the prisoner had offered part of the stolen property for sale, was the means of having him apprehended, when the prisoner made a most violent resistance. The prisoner had formerly been employed by the prosecutor; a fact which, no doubt, operated much against him when his case was considered before the Privy Council.

JAMES BOYCE, aged 25, was tried with Henry Boyce (his brother) & George Houghton, for assaulting Mr. Fuller, surgeon, at Hackney, & robbing him. Henry Boyce was acquitted, and the other two convicted. The Privy Council have not decided yet upon Houghton's case, his fate being deemed until the case of James Bishop, convicted at the last October Sessions, is reported. Boyce was in company of a gang of desperate thieves when he committed the above robbery. There was one circumstance which appeared in his favour on the trial. When the gang were beating the prosecutor, Boyce said, "dont hurt him; let him give us what he has got" He was tried upon a second indictment for assaulting Mr. James French, in Hare-street, Bethnal green, on the 26th of June, in company with a daring gang of thieves, who have been the terror of that neighbourhood, and robbed him of his purse, money, &c.

ROBERT KING, aged 21, were found guilty of JOHN ROBINSON, aged 19, assaulting L. Meyerson on the highway, robbing him, &c. These culprits

formed part of the Bethnal-green gang, and the facts elicited against them on the trial were shortly these:— The prosecutor is head of the Episcopalian chapel, Cambridge Heath, and is constable of that Parish. On the 14th of July last, he was going along Fleet-street-hill, and the prisoners and other ill-looking fellows were gambling. They said, "he (the prosecutor) has lagged (transported) some of our chaps." They attacked him, and beat him on the head with a "dumb bell," and robbed him.

GEORGE NICHOLLS, aged 24, were convicted of JAMES GOULBY, aged 18, of a highway robbery upon a poor old man, who obtained his living by selling shrimps and oysters at different public-houses. Their crime was attended with the most cruel and brutal violence. The prosecutor, William Nicholls, on the night of the 29th of June last, had been selling his fish at Haggerton, Hommerton, & other places. At the latter place he entered the Adam and Eve public-house, and sold some shrimps to the prisoners, who he particularly observed. He left the house at 10 o'clock at night, having in his pockets a shilling, seven pennypieces, eight half pence, one of which was bent, and two farthings. He was overtaken by the culprits on the road who knocked him down, and beat and kicked him till he was covered with blood and senseless. When he recovered, he cried "Murder!" The robbers were pursued and taken the same night, with the trifling property of which they had deprived the poor man in their possession. The bent halfpence and two farthings were strong evidence against them. Their clothes were bloody when they were secured.

On the awful tidings being communicated to the above unfortunate men on Thursday evening, by the Rev. Mr. Cotton, Hayes, who was a man of an astonishingly athletic form, and who appeared to have been a seaman, ill senseless on the floor of his cell, as he by no means expected to have suffered death for his offence. The others did not express any extraordinary feeling, but conducted themselves in a manner becoming their awful situation. On Sunday the whole of them attended the Chapel of Newgate, where they appeared serious and attentive; Hayes was most distressingly agitated, King, Robinson, and Boyce asserted their innocence; but Boyce was also convicted on another indictment for highway robbery. These three men belonged to the Bethnal Green gang and the magistrates wished their execution to take place in that quarter, but Government did not think it necessary.

This morning, the usual preparations being complete, the unhappy men were brought to the fatal spot, and soon numbered with the dead. Nicholls has left a wife in an advanced state of pregnancy, and 3 children

ALL tender mothers lead an ear,
Unto this tale of woe,
"I'll make the tear of sympathy,
From every eye to flow;

And when the same we do disclose,
"I'll pain your hearts full sore,
Enough to draw a tear from those
Who never wept before.

Here Six men that are doom'd to die,
How dreadful is the sound
Of tender friends and parents dear,
And many weeping round.

May God on high support them all,
Their blessed comfort be,
Young men take warning by their fall,
And shun bad company.

Look round the world, oh! all ye youths,
And shun a wicked state,
And see where virtue smiles aloof,
Then look at their sad fate.

Oh! see them snatch'd from this bright earth,
In all their manly bloom,

Their source of crime they've sadly paid,
The gallows been their doom.

You mothers that have tender hearts,
Come buy this little book,
Your children's hearts will be renew'd,
When in it they do look.

They may be taught to feel and see,
Their dangers might and day,
And pray to God to guide their steps,
And shun bad company.

Forgive them in their dying hour,
Accept their contrite prayer,
And may the High and Heavenly Power
Make them his choicest care,
And from that God who is most kind,
And grace does free bestow,
May they above that mercy find
They could not have below.

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