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)
either to put down my king, or to murder his ministers. I was entrapped
by Goldsworthy and Edwards, in order, for some private purposes of their
own, that they might have my life sworn away. I have no objection to
tender my life in the service of my country; but let me at least, for
the sake of my children, save my character from the disgrace of dying a
traitor. For my children only do I feel, and when I think of them, I am
deprived of utterance----. I can say no more."
Ings, on being called upon, said, "I have very little to say, for my
abilities will not allow me to speak. If Mr. Edwards had not got
acquainted with me, I should not be here; he came to me, unfortunately,
when I had no business, nor any means of getting a living for my family.
I entered into the conspiracy only through him, and it was only
necessity and the want of means to support my wife and family that
brought me here. It is only through Edwards that I shall lose my life. I
do not mind dying, if you will let that man come forward and die with me
on the scaffold; for it was through him that I was going to do that
which, I must allow, was of a most disgraceful and inhuman nature. On
the other hand, his Majesty's ministers conspire together, and impose
laws to starve me and my family, and my fellow countrymen; and if I were
going to assassinate these ministers, I do not see that it is so bad as
starvation. There is another thing, a meeting was called at Manchester,
under the protection of the law of England, for which our forefathers
died, and which King John signed in the open air. This meeting was
called under the protection of that law, for the people to petition
parliament to give them their rights; but previous to the business of
the meeting, the Manchester yeomanry rode in among them, and cut down
men, women, and children, in a manner that was a disgrace to the very
name of Englishmen. Those yeomen had their swords ground beforehand, and
I had a sword ground also, but I do not see any harm in that. I shall
suffer, no doubt; but I hope my children will live to see justice done
to their bleeding country: I would rather die like a man, than live like
a slave. I am sorry I have not power to say more; I shall therefore
withdraw."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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