The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841.Pelham, Camden
History
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841.
Pelham, Camden
Crime -- Great Britain; Criminals -- Great Britain; Newgate (Prison : London, England)
It was a considerable time before the perpetrators of this most
diabolical outrage were discovered; but they were at length given up to
justice by one of their accomplices, named Isaacs, who was a German Jew,
and who, reduced to the greatest necessity, was tempted by the prospect
of reward to impeach his fellows. It then turned out that the gang
consisted of eight persons, who were headed by the physician
before-mentioned. Dr. Weil had been educated in a superior manner. He
had studied physic in the university of Leyden, where he was admitted to
the degree of doctor in that faculty; and, then coming to England, he
practised in London, with no inconsiderable degree of success, and was
always known by the name of Doctor Weil; but so destitute was he of all
principle, and such was the depravity of his heart, that he determined
to engage in the dangerous practice of robbery; and, having formed this
fatal resolution, he wrote to Amsterdam, to some poor Jews, to come to
England, and assist him in his intended depredations on the public; and
at the same time informed them that in England large sums were to be
acquired by the practice of theft.
The inconsiderate men no sooner received Dr. Weil's letter than they
procured a passport from the English consul, and, embarking in the
Harwich packet-boat, arrived in England.
They lost no time in repairing to London, and, immediately attending Dr.
Weil, he informed them that his plan was, that they should go out in the
day-time, and minutely survey such houses near London as might probably
afford a good booty, and then attack them at night.
At the sessions held at the Old Bailey, in the month of December 1771,
Levi Weil, Asher Weil, Marcus Hartagh, Jacob Lazarus, Solomon Porter,
and Lazarus Harry, were indicted for the felony and murder
above-mentioned, when the two of the name of Weil, with Jacob Lazarus
and Solomon Porter, were capitally convicted; while Marcus Hartagh and
Lazarus Harry were acquitted for want of evidence.
These men, as is customary in all cases of murder, when it can be made
convenient to the Court, were tried on a Friday, and on the following
day they were anathematised in the synagogue. As their execution was to
take place on the Monday following, one of the rabbis went to them in
the press-yard of Newgate, and delivered to each of them a Hebrew book;
but declined attending them to the place of death, nor even prayed with
them at the time of his visit.
They were attended to Tyburn, the place of execution, by immense crowds
of people, who were anxious to witness the exit of wretches, whose
crimes had been so much the object of public notice.
Having prayed together, and sung a hymn in the Hebrew language, they
were launched into eternity, December 9, 1771.
After the bodies had hung the customary time, they were conveyed to
Surgeons' Hall to be dissected.
JAMES BOLLAND.
EXECUTED FOR FORGERY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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