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)
Upon his arrival in town, he underwent an examination before the lord
mayor, upon the charges which were preferred against him; and several
cases having been substantiated, he was fully committed for trial.
At the Old Bailey sessions, on the 28th of October 1828, the prisoner
was put upon his trial, and he was found guilty upon a charge of forging
a bill for 162_l._ 9_s._ with intent to defraud Sir William Curtis and
Co. On the following Tuesday, the 4th of November, he was again indicted
for a similar offence, in forging a bill for 94_l._ 13_s._ when a
similar verdict was returned; and at the conclusion of the sessions,
notwithstanding the recommendation of the jury to mercy, he received
sentence of death.
A considerable time elapsed before the case of this unfortunate prisoner
was reported to the Crown, in accordance with the custom which then
prevailed; and it was not until the 8th of December that his sentence
was carried into effect; but before we describe the circumstances
attending the execution, we cannot help alluding to a most extraordinary
delay which took place in the report of the recorder of London of the
cases of no less than forty-nine prisoners confined in Newgate on
various capital charges. It would appear that his majesty being at
Windsor, the recorder proceeded to the Castle on Monday the 24th of
November, for the purpose of making his report, when three wretched
prisoners were ordered for execution. In accordance with the usual
practice, it would have been the duty of the recorder to proceed
forthwith to London to communicate the result of the deliberation of the
privy council at Newgate, in order that the unhappy criminals, whose
cases had been under consideration, might be at once relieved from the
dreadful suspense in which, situated as they were, they would
necessarily be placed. Monday night passed, however, and no intelligence
was received of the learned gentleman, or of the decision which had been
arrived at; and the greater part of Tuesday was permitted also to elapse
before their dreadful anxiety was relieved. At five o'clock on that
afternoon, the clerk of the learned gentleman reached Newgate with the
death-warrant; and then only was it that the fate of the prisoners could
be disclosed to them. The subject was brought under the consideration of
the court of aldermen at the earliest possible period, with a view to
the recorder giving some explanation of the very singular conduct of
which he had been guilty; and he then stated, that the council not
having terminated until past eight o'clock on the evening of Monday, he
was at that time too fatigued to return to town on the same night; and
that on his starting from Windsor on the following morning, he was so
long delayed on the road, that he did not arrive in town until half-past
three o'clock. This excuse, however plausibly it may have been put by
the learned gentleman, was at least a lame one; and the remarks which
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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