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)
entertained of his own case? "Why," said he, "my case resembles the
condition of this paper (holding the letter upon his finger)--a breeze
of wind will turn it either way. Caprice may save or destroy me; but I
rather think I shall live longer." He was on the Tuesday visited by his
wife and several of the society of Friends, and he told them he knew
that to hope would be to court deception. He was, during the whole day,
the most painful object to those who went to console him: he groaned as
if his heart were bursting within him, and seemed to consider this life
all that a human being could wish for.
The execution of a man who was known to have moved in so respectable a
sphere of life as the unfortunate Hunton, failed not to attract an
immense crowd of persons to the vicinity of the jail of Newgate on the
morning upon which it was determined that his life should be forfeited.
From the extraordinary efforts which had been made to save this
unfortunate culprit, a very general belief was entertained that a
respite would most certainly arrive for him even so late as on the
morning fixed for his death. His safety was considered almost certain,
and many were scarcely persuaded that he would really suffer, even at
the moment when the fatal cord encompassed his neck. The unfortunate man
had, however, calmly composed his mind to meet his fate, and seemed to
contemplate its approach without dread. He was on Sunday visited by
several ladies and gentlemen of the society of Friends, who were
accommodated with an apartment, in which they remained in their peculiar
devotions for several hours. Afterwards the unhappy man was attended by
two gentlemen, elders of the congregation, who sat up with him in the
press-room all night, during which time Hunton composed a very long
prayer, appropriate to his situation and approaching death. He committed
his thoughts to paper, and after he had completed the prayer, he copied
it, and directed it to "his dearly-beloved wife." At about half-past
seven the two elders left the miserable man, after they had "kissed,"
and their absence was supplied by the attendance of Mr. Sparks Moline,
of Leadenhall-street.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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