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)
"Situated at the upper part of the south-east angle of the gaol, the
Chapel of Old Newgate was divided on the north side into three grated
compartments, or pens, as they were termed, allotted to the common
debtors and felons. In the north-west angle there was a small pen for
female offenders; and on the south, a more commodious inclosure
appropriated to the master debtors and strangers. Immediately beneath
the pulpit stood a large circular pen, where malefactors under sentence
of death sat to hear the condemned sermon delivered to them, and where
they formed a public spectacle to the crowds which curiosity generally
attracted on those occasions. To return, Jack had got into one of the
pens at the north side of the chapel. The inclosure by which it was
surrounded was about twelve feet high; the under part being composed of
oaken planks, the upper part of a strong iron grating, surmounted by
sharp iron spikes. In the middle there was a gate: it was locked. But
Jack speedily burst it open with the iron bar. Clearing the few
impediments in his way, he soon reached the condemned pew, where it had
once been his fate to sit; and extending himself on the seat endeavoured
to snatch a moment's repose. It was denied him, for as he closed his
eyes--though but for an instant--the whole scene of his former visit to
the place rose before him. There he sat as before, with the heavy
fetters on his limbs, and beside him sat his three companions who had
since expiated their offences on the gibbet. The chapel was again
crowded with visitors, and every eye fixed upon him. So perfect was the
illusion, that he could almost fancy he heard the solemn voice of the
Ordinary warning him that his race was nearly run, and imploring him to
prepare for eternity. From this perturbed state he was roused by the
thoughts of his present position, and fancying he heard approaching
voices, he started up. On one side of the chapel there was a large
grated window, but, as it looked upon the interior of the gaol, Jack
preferred following the course he had originally decided upon, to making
any attempt in this quarter. Accordingly he proceeded to a gate which
stood upon the south, and guarded the passage communicating with the
leads. It was grated, and crested with spikes, like that he had just
burst open; and thinking it a needless waste of time to force it, he
broke off one of the spikes, which he carried with him for further
purposes, and then climbed over it. A short flight of steps brought him
to a dark passage, into which he plunged. Here he found another strong
door, making the fifth he had encountered. Well aware that the doors in
this passage were much stronger than those in the entry he had just
quitted, he was neither surprised nor dismayed to find it fastened by a
lock of unusual size. After repeatedly trying to remove the plate, which
was so firmly screwed down that it resisted all his efforts, and vainly
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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