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)
It would appear that these unfortunate brothers were born of poor
parents, and that they pursued the occupation of hawkers as affording a
means of procuring a living. Alexander was a hawker of tea, and was well
known in the neighbourhood of the place where the murder was committed.
His brother's district lay in another part of the county. Their mother
and sister lived at Byrom-place, Winton, and received a communication
from the culprits on the morning of the murder, through the medium of a
Mrs. Stewart, with whom they were all acquainted, informing them that
they were quite safe and had secured their escape, and accounting for
the murder by declaring that they had only acted in their own defence,
and that they had been attacked by Blears, the landlord.
A circumstance occurred about a week before the murder which may,
perhaps, throw some light upon the motives which dictated it. An action
had been brought against Alexander M'Keand some time before, for a debt
due to a man named Claworth, a farmer, residing near Eccles; in
consequence of which, he called upon the attorney who had brought it,
and offered to pay the debt if it could be proved to be due. The
attorney told him, that if he would call upon him on Saturday, he would
produce a witness who would prove the debt. He did call; and they
produced Blears, who distinctly stated that he had heard Alexander admit
that he owed the money. Alexander denied that he had made any such
admission, and, as we are informed, uttered some violent and threatening
language towards Blears.
It appears to be impossible to ascribe any other motive for the
commission of the murder than this; and even this anecdote can afford no
solution of the mystery why the servant-woman was first attacked, unless
their object was to dispose of the whole of the family, in order that
their identification as the murderers might be concealed.
CHARLES THOMAS WHITE.
EXECUTED FOR ARSON.
This unfortunate young man, who was executed at the early age of
twenty-three for the heinous crime of arson, was born of respectable
parents, and having received a good education, was brought up to the
business followed by his father--that of a bookseller. His father died
when he was yet young, but his mother continued to carry on the shop
which her late husband had opened at No. 265, High Holborn, near Red
Lion-street, with a view to its future occupation by his son. Young
White was respectably married at the early age of twenty-two, and then
he received a sum of 800_l._ to commence business on his own account,
besides a settlement on his wife of 1000_l._, producing 65_l._ a year,
and a further interest in 4000_l._, which would fall to him on the death
of his wife's mother. Although thus comfortably situated, however, he
was guilty of a crime of the most diabolical nature, which cost him his
life, and which had for its object the destruction of his own premises,
and a consequent fraud upon the Insurance Office.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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