“Tyburn” reminds us of the fearful numbers sentenced to death at that time. The law sadly wanted reformation in this respect; besides murder, coining, forgery, &c., many minor offences were punishable with death, although all convicted and sentenced were not executed; some being reprieved, and punished with transportation. George III. had a great dislike to capital punishment, and remitted the sentence to as many as he could. Take as an example of the awful severity of the law, only one sessions at the Old Bailey, ending September 24, 1801: “Sentence of death was then passed upon _Thomas Fitzroy_, alias _Peter Fitzwater_, for breaking and entering the dwelling-house of James Harris, in the daytime, and stealing a cotton counterpane. _Wm. Cooper_ for stealing a linen cloth, the property of George Singleton, in his dwelling-house. _J. Davies_ for a burglary. _Richard Emms_ for breaking into the dwelling-house of Mary Humphreys, in the daytime, and stealing a pair of stockings. _Richard Forster_ for a burglary. _Magnus Kerner_ for a burglary, and stealing six silver spoons. _Robert Pearce_ for returning from transportation. _Richard Alcorn_ for stealing a horse. _John Nowland_ and _Rd. Freke_ for burglary and stealing four tea spoons, a gold snuff-box, &c. _John Goldfried_ for stealing a blue coat. _Joseph Huff_, for stealing a lamb, and _John Pass_ for stealing two lambs.” [Illustration: THE CONDEMNED SERMON. NEWGATE.] In fact, the “Tyburn tree” was kept well employed, and yet, apparently, the punishment of death hardly acted as a deterrent. A sad, very sad street cry, yet one I have often heard, was of these poor wretches; true, it had been made specially to order, in Catnach’s factory for these articles, in Monmouth Court, Seven Dials; but still it was the announcement of another fellow-creature having been done to death. The executions which would arise from the batch of sentences I have just recorded, would take place at Newgate. The last person hanged at Tyburn, having suffered, November 7, 1783, and the above illustration shows in a peculiarly graphic manner, the _condemned sermon_, which was preached to those about to die on the morrow. To make the service thoroughly intelligible to them, and to impress them with the reality of their impending fate, a coffin was set in the midst of the “condemned pew.” [Illustration: THE LAST DYING SPEECH AND CONFESSION.] Crowds witnessed the executions, which took place in the front of Newgate, and on one occasion, on the 23rd of February, 1807, an accident occurred, by the breaking of the axle of a cart, whereon many people were standing; they were not only hurt, but the crowd surged over them, and it ended in the death of twenty-eight people, besides injuries to many more.