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)
One evening, in the July of 1819. Scanlan affected to be called from
home on business, but desired his wife to make Sullivan amuse her for an
hour on the river in the boat. With this request she complied; and
Sullivan, by his master's directions, got ready to execute their horrid
purpose. Having provided a club to knock out her brains, and a rope and
stone to tie to the body to sink it, he proceeded down the river. This
man was treated by his master and mistress with great familiarity, so
that he was not obliged to keep that distance so necessary to good
order, but used every freedom consistent with respect. When the boat had
drifted to a secluded inlet, Sullivan prepared to execute his purpose;
he raised the club in a menacing position, and was about to strike, when
the lovely creature, thinking he only intended to frighten her, gave him
a smile of such innocent sweetness and simplicity, that the assassin was
disarmed. He dropped the instrument of destruction, conducted his
mistress home, and told his unfeeling master that he had not strength to
execute his commands.
The horrid resolution was postponed, but not abandoned. A few evenings
after, Scanlan, accompanied by his wife and Sullivan, went out in the
boat as usual; but the unfortunate woman was never seen alive after.
Scanlan returned to his lodgings, and said that for misbehaving he had
shipped Ellen (his wife's name) on board some vessel, the captain of
which had taken her under his protection. This story was disbelieved;
and a few days discovered their guilt--the corpse of the murdered Ellen
was washed ashore, mutilated in a most shocking manner. The legs were
broken in several places, one arm had been knocked off entirely, and a
rope was tied round her neck. Her skull was fractured in a thousand
pieces, her eyes knocked out of her head, and nearly all her teeth
forced from her mouth. Horrid and deformed as was her once lovely
person, still it was instantly recognised, when the murderers
endeavoured to fly from justice. Of their guilt there could be no doubt;
they were seen together in the boat; Sullivan had sold the murdered
girl's clothes; and he and his master had quarrelled about some money,
in the course of which quarrel Scanlan had been accused of the murder.
Sullivan escaped for twelve months the pursuit of justice; but Scanlan
was almost immediately apprehended, though he had resolved never to be
taken alive. The following August he was tried at the assizes; and being
found guilty, Baron Smith ordered him for almost instant execution, lest
the powerful interest of his family should procure a respite, if he left
him even the period usually allowed to criminals convicted of murder.
The time allotted Scanlan to live was too short to admit of a messenger
going to Dublin and back again, and consequently he was executed, to the
satisfaction of all lovers of justice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account