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)
on the left side, and fastening a handkerchief round her neck; the tenth
described it as being done by the joint force of all the felonious acts
laid in the whole of the preceding counts--recapitulating the wounds,
stabbing, shooting, strangulation, and smothering, as the cause of the
death of the deceased.
The prisoner having pleaded Not Guilty, in a firm and distinct voice,
the trial commenced. The evidence which was now adduced differed but
slightly in effect from the circumstances which we have detailed. Proof
was, however, given in support of the first and sixth counts of the
indictment, that at the time of the discovery of the body of the
deceased marks were distinctly visible, which showed that she had
received a pistol-shot or a gun-shot wound; and it was also proved, by
the brother of the deceased girl, that the prisoner, at the time of his
quitting the house of old Marten on the day of the murder, carried a
loaded gun. A number of letters were likewise put in, which had been
written by the prisoner to the father of the deceased in reference to
his intended marriage with his daughter.
The prisoner, on being called upon for his defence, read a manuscript
paper in a low and tremulous tone of voice. He declared that he deeply
deplored the death of the unfortunate female in question; and he urged
the jury to dismiss from their minds all that prejudice which must
necessarily have been excited against him, by the foul imputations which
had been cast upon him by the public press. He admitted that the
evidence which had been adduced, was sufficient to create some suspicion
against him; but he trusted that the explanation which he should give of
the circumstances, would at once explain, to their satisfaction, the
real bearings of the case. He then proceeded to say, "No man regrets
more sincerely than I do the death of the unfortunate Maria, the
circumstances attending which I am now about to state; and much have I
to regret, that I for a moment concealed them, but I did so because I
was stupified and horror-struck at the time, and knew not how to act.
You have heard of the nature of my connexion with the unfortunate Maria;
that connexion was contrary to the will of my mother, and to conceal her
situation, I took lodgings for her at Sudbury, where she was confined.
In the usual time she returned to her father's house; in a fortnight
after which the infant died--not, as has been intimated, by violence,
but a natural death. Being anxious to conceal the circumstance from my
friends and neighbours, it was agreed between her father, and mother,
and myself, that Maria and I should bury the child in the fields, and we
took it away for that purpose. After this Maria returned to my house at
Polstead; and by means of a private staircase I took her to my own room,
where she remained concealed for two days. The pistols which have been
spoken of were hanging up in the room loaded. I had before that shown
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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 — John Shaqi
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