Smuggling & Smugglers in Sussex: The Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker, by Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, with the Trials and Execution of Seven of the Criminals at Chichester, 1748-9Anonymous
History
Smuggling & Smugglers in Sussex: The Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker, by Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, with the Trials and Execution of Seven of the Criminals at Chichester, 1748-9
Anonymous
Crime -- England -- History; Smuggling -- England -- Sussex -- History
Mr. Dearing. I live in the parish where this young man was born. I go
there for the summer season; I have known him about eighteen years;
being informed of this bad thing, it made me come to London on purpose
to say what I knew of him; we in the country had great reason to
believe that bad man Richards had corrupted him; he was a well-behaved
lad before this happened; his uncle came to me, and the young man came
and begged of his uncle, that he would see out for some business for
him, in some way or other, adding that he could not bear to live with
Richards; I had just hired a servant, or I had taken him; just after
this bad affair happened, and he was unfortunately drawn into it.
The Rev. Mr. Blagden. I live at Slindon, in Sussex. The prisoner
Glover was my servant; I knew him and his family before; he behaved
exceedingly well with me as any could, and if he were discharged from
this I would readily take him again; he attended on religious service,
public and private, constant; I never heard an ill word or an oath from
his mouth, or anything vulgar.
Thomas Lilliwhite’s defence: I was down in the country, and a person
desired me to take a ride with him; I agreed upon it, not knowing where
they were going; I had no firearms, nor was any way concerned.
Fra. Wheeler. I have known Lilliwhite about six years; he always bore
a very good character; was a worthy young fellow, and brought up in the
farming under his father, who was a man in very good circumstances; he
minded his father’s business very diligently; I have known him refuse
going out upon parties of pleasure, because he has had business of his
father’s to do; he married since this affair happened to a woman of
fortune; I never heard him charged with any such crime as this before.
Sir Cecil Bishop. The prisoner married my housekeeper’s daughter; had
not he been a man of good character, I should not have been consenting
to the match, which I was; she brought him a good fortune; he is a
deserving young man, and I cannot think he would be guilty of such a
crime knowingly.
The evidence being all finished, Sir Thomas Abney summed up the
whole in a very impartial manner; taking notice that in the case of
Lilliwhite, if they thought the evidence that had been given against
him was not quite full, as to his going voluntarily with them, and that
he was not armed with firearms, they might acquit him.
The jury went out of court, and in about a quarter of an hour returned
into court, and gave their verdict as follows, viz.:--
Thomas Kingsmill, William Fairall, and Richard Perrin, Guilty. Death.
Thomas Lilliwhite, Acquitted.
Richard Glover, Guilty, but recommended to mercy.
Thomas Lilliwhite was immediately discharged out of court as soon as
he was acquitted; and the other four received sentence of death the
same day, together with the other four criminals who had been tried and
convicted of divers felonies and robberies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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