The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 2/2: being a series of memoirs and anecdotes of notorious characters who have outraged the laws of Great Britain from the earliest period to 1841Pelham, Camden
History
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 2/2: 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)
The extraordinary interest and excitement which had been produced by
this most remarkable case, from the first discovery of the perpetration
of the murder, through the disclosure of the whole of the circumstances
attending it, and up to the committal, trial and conviction of the
prisoners, was now increased to an extent which may be pronounced to
have been quite unparalleled. During the whole of Thursday, the day
succeeding the termination of the trial, persons of all ranks and
appearances were seen driving from every quarter into Hertford, in
order, if possible, to obtain a sight of the execution of the
malefactor, many being influenced in a very great degree by the
anticipation that Thurtell would make some extraordinary disclosure in
his dying moments. All the inns of the town were completely filled; and
in many private houses beds were let at an enormous price. The most
active preparations were made in the course of the day by the
magistrates to prevent accident, and at the same time to afford as great
a portion of the assembled multitude an opportunity to obtain a view of
the scaffold and the execution; and arrangements were made, by which the
space ordinarily occupied by the public in such instances should be very
materially increased.
Meanwhile the proceedings in the jail on the part of the prisoners was
of a nature to be most interesting. At ten o'clock on Thursday night,
Thurtell expressed an anxious desire that Hunt might be permitted to
pass the night in his room. His wish was immediately granted, and Hunt
was introduced and was received with a strong manifestation of
cordiality. Thurtell took him by the hand, and said, "Joe, the past is
forgotten. I am on the brink of eternity, and we now meet only as
friends. It may be your fate to lose your life as ignominiously as
myself; but I hope the royal mercy will be extended to you, and that
you will live to repent of your past errors. Although you have been my
enemy, I freely forgive you." Hunt, who had entered the room with
feelings bordering on apprehension that some unfortunate turn had taken
place in his affairs, and that he was himself to suffer, was suddenly
relieved by this address, and, squeezing Thurtell's hand most
vehemently, burst into tears; he then sat down by the fire, and Thurtell
and he continued to pray and to read until one o'clock. Soon after one
the former showed symptoms of fatigue, and lying on the bed, in a few
moments afterwards he dropped into a profound sleep.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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