A TRUE and PARTICULAR ACCOUNT of the TRIAL and
# Execution of James O'Neil,

Who was HANGED on Newcastle Town Moor, on Saturday the 7th of September, 1816,
for HIGHWAY ROBBERT, and an Attempt to MURDER.

AT the Affizes for the Town of New-
castle, held laft month, before Juſtice
Bayley, JAMES O'NEIL was charged with
making an afflait on GEORGE ANGAS,
on the 30th. of October laft, and fealing
from him a canvas purfe, containing three
promifory notes for the payment of one
pound each, and eighteen or nineteen filh-
lings in filver, on the king's highway.

George Angas depofed, that he was a carrier, and liv-
ed at Mickley. He attended the Cow-hill fair, held on
the Town Moor of Newcastle on the 30th of Oct. laft,
and was returning home about eight o'clock in the even-
ing, when he was attacked by tome villains. He was
on herie back, jogging flowly on, as he expected fome
friends to overtake him. When he had reached the
end of Gallowgade, and was fo near the town as to de-
rive a little benefit from the lamps, he discovered three
or four men on the road. They went behind his horfe,
when one of them truck him on the arm, and another
on his head, with what he imagined to be a short ſlick.
They foon brought him down, and he fell on his back.
At this time he had in his poffection a canvas purfe, con-
taining three 20s. notes, and 18s. or 19s. in silver. The
filver was on one fide of the purfe, and the notes on the
other. They then got on his body, fome with their knees,
and others with their arms. They farched all his pock-
ets, and took out his purfe. He was then as feber as he
was now. After they had done this, he became almost
filly, and faid to them, "You may take my money,
but ſpare my life." One of them anſWERED, "DAMN
him, kill the feater." By this time he had called
'Murder' two or three times. He was almost killed,
and could not tell when they left him, for he was quite
inſenſible. The prifoner at the bar was very like one
of the men, but he could not ſwear him as one. It was
dark that night, but fair weather. He was very much
hurt; his ſkoulder was out of joint, and his collar-bone
broken. Witneſs does not think he will ever be found
again. He was taken to the infirmary after this unfor-
unate event. The confutable having produced the purfe
in court, witneſs identified it, and added, that he knew
it from its having a hem on the wrong ſide.

John Angas depofed, that he was no relation to the
professor: that he was flanding at his own door with
one Winter and his brother, about half paſt eight
o'clock: he heard the cry of murder repeated three ſe-
veral times, but did not go the firſt time, becauſe he
thought it an idle call. After the third call he ran with
Winter as ſail as he was able, to the ſpot whence it pro-
ceeded, and the firſt thing they ſaw was a man with his
knees on the body of George Angas, and graſping him
by the necklóth. They met two men about 30 yards
before they got to the place. When within two yards
of him, the man ſprung up from the body of the profe-
cutor, (who was lying in the middle of the road) and
ran towards a foot-path on the Leazes ſide of the road.
Witneſs called out to ſeize him. Winter caught him
in his arms about the waſt; prifoner ſtruck him in the
face, ſtruggled hard, and kicked him very ſore. Winter
then called for afflaitance, when his brother and John
Angas came up, and the prifoner ſtruggled no more.

The prifoner being affed for his defence, replied,
that he had a counſel. His Lordſhip then enquired if
he had any witneſſes, and was anſwered in the negative.

The learned Judge ſummed up the evidence, making
ſuitable comments upon it. The Jury, after a ſhort
deieiberation, returned a virdiſt of guilty.

When the verdict was pronounced his Lordſhip re-
marked, that the circumſtances of the cafe appeared ſo
aggravating, that he could not refrain from advicing
the prifoner to entertain no hopes of mercy. And, on
paffing the awful ſentence upon him, in due form and
folemnity, the Judge obſerved, that he would not be
doing the duty he owed his country, or satisfying his

own confiſcience, if he did not inform James O'Neil, that
his days on this ſide of eternitý were numbered, and that
his ſentence was irretrievable.

O'Neil was a native of Ireland, and, though a young
man, appears to have been a bold, intrepid, and enter-
prising youth, very proficient in vice, and well ſkilled
in the ſcience of degradacion.—We are not enabled to
trace the whole hiftory of his crimes, as he had ſo long
and frequently contrived to elude the eye of juſtice, and
eſcape puniſhment. In Scotland, we are told, he had
long pradified, and was the head of a gang of depreda-
tors in Glafgow and Edinburgh, whoſe cuſton it was
to forward the goods ſloen in one city to their confede-
rates in the other, in order to be diſpoſed of. This bu-
ſines was carried on ſo long as pradicable, and, getting
rather too well known in thofe places, to avoid detec-
tion, he decamped. He was frequently in eulogy in
Newcastle Houſe of Correſſion, on ſundry charges, for
coining, paffing bafe money, and various depredations.
Being once arreſted for paffing bafe money, the officers
were bringing him along Tyne Bridge, when he threw
a parcel from him into the river, and thus, in this in-
stance, eluded the ends of juſtice. At another time,
with ſome of his confederates he joined, at a little di-
tance from this town, a coach from the South, in which
was a traveller, whom they robbed of a confiderable
fum of money; and when the coach arrived at the
Sandhill, the plunderers contrived to deamp with their
booty. The traveller ſaw O'Neil during his laſt con-
finement, and faid, he was certain that he was one of
the perſons who had robbed him. It is alio aſcertained,
that he was concerned in robbing the shop of Mefirs.
Hall and Fenwick, woollen drapers, in Gatehead.

O'Neil worked ſome time, lately at Heaton Colliery,
as an engine-man; but this, it is ſuppoſed, was only with
a view to ſecrete himſelf, he having, by this time, be-
come very infamouſly notorious in the neighbourhood.¹

Various reports having been circulated reſpecſing his
late conduct in the gaol, that he had attempted to eſcap-
ēc. &c. &c. we have the belt authority for contradicting
them, and ſtatling, that his conduct, while in confine-
ment, was very peaceable; and that, after his conde-
nation, he behaved himſelf in a manner becoming his
melancholy ſituation. Being a Roman Catholic, he was
daily attended in prifon, after his ſentence, by the Rev.
J. Worſwick, who happily ſucceeded in bringing him to
a ſlade of penitence and reſignation; and on Friday he
received the Sacrament.

Saturday being the day appointed for the execution,
the Rev. J. Worſwick attended O'Neil in his cell at 7
in the morning, and at a little after 10 the preſcription
moved from the gaol to the gallows, which had previ-
ously been erected for the purpose, at the low end of the
Town Moor, a little above the Barracks, on the oppoſe
ſide of the road, and near the place where he committed
the robbery.—The Clergyman attended him all the way
in the cart, to whom he appeared to pay particular at-
tention, and ſeemed intent on his devotional exercises.
Arrived within a few yards of the fatal ſpot, the cart
flopped, and he again joined in fervent devotion with
the clergyman. The cart being drawn up under the
gallows, the clergyman defended, when O'Neil ad-
dreſſed a few words to his two brothers, who had been
permitted to viſt him in goal, and who had cloſely fol-
lowed the cart to the fatal ſpot; to one of them he gave
the handkerchief which was taken from his neck, and
to the other his watch. He took an affectionate leave
of his brothers, whom he embraced, ſhook hands with
the gaoler and executioner, and the cap being drawn
over his face, after a few pious eſcalations, he was ſu-
pended. The executioner having well perſormed his office,
the fruggle was ſhort previous to paffing into eternitý.
Much credit is due to the ſheriff, and all concerned in
the execution, as, though the concourse of ſpectators was
immeſne, no accident occurred. O'Neil was rather a
flout young man, pitted with the ſmall pox, and only
about 23 years of age.

Marsball, Printer, Newcastle.