Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 2: From the eighteenth century to its demolitionGriffiths, Arthur
History
Chronicles of Newgate, Vol. 2: From the eighteenth century to its demolition
Griffiths, Arthur
Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England); Prisons -- England; Punishment -- Great Britain
Some condemned convicts converse but little with the warders who
have them unceasingly in charge. Others talk freely enough on
various topics, but principally upon their own cases. When vanity is
strongly developed there is the keen anxiety to hear what is being
said about them outside. One was vexed to think that his victims had
a finer funeral than he would have. The only subject another showed
any interest in was the theatres and the new pieces that were being
produced. A third, Christian Sattler, laughed and jested with the
officers about "Jack Ketch," who, through the postponement of the
execution, would lose his Christmas dinner. When they brought in the
two watchers to relieve guard one night, Sattler said, "Two fresh
men! May I speak to them? Yes! I must caution you," he went on to the
warders, "not to go to sleep, or I shall be off through that little
hole," pointing to an aperture for ventilating the cell. On the morning
of execution he asked how far it was to the gallows, and was told it
was quite close. "Then I shall not wear my coat," he cried; "Jack Ketch
shall not have it," being under the erroneous impression that the
convict's clothes were still the executioner's perquisite.
Often the convicts give way to despair. They are too closely watched to
be allowed to do themselves much mischief, or suicides would probably
be more frequent. But it is neither easy to obtain the instruments of
self-destruction nor to elude the vigilance of their guard. Miller, the
Chelsea murderer, who packed his victim's body in a box, and tried to
send it by parcels delivery, tried to kill himself, but ineffectively,
by running his head against his cell wall. A few other cases of the
kind have occurred, but they have been rare of late years, whether in
Newgate or elsewhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account