The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763 — John Shaqi
The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763Speckman, Charles
History
The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763
Speckman, Charles
Criminals -- England -- Biography; Speckman, Charles, -1763
friend to Covent-garden round-house, and the next day before Sir John
Fielding, who committed me to New-prison, as before mentioned: I
saw several of my old acquaintances about Sir John’s, and some who
have deserved what I have met with; but they say they are now turned
honest, though I greatly fear it is all a sham: but I was to them
all unknown, at least with regard to my old pranks; they did think
I dealt on the highway, and also in horses; but my old friend Mr.
Fuller knew something of me with regard to horses, not much to his
benefit: how can it possibly be so to people who have any concern
with those of my unhappy profession?
During my long course of wickedness, I never was addicted to common
or profane swearing, to excess in eating, drunkenness, and but little
to women; to none of these I can charge the errors of my life, my
faults are all my own seeking and doing, without the advice, privity,
or solicitation of any person whatever: I never was fond of even
conversing with thieves and robbers, though at accidental meetings
I have met with several, who guessing I was of their profession,
would set forth the advantage of associates, or appearing in company
to rob and plunder the honest and unwary part of mankind. Pallister
and Duplex, lately executed at Coventry, who called themselves
family men, and the heads of a great gang, pressed me violently
to go on the highway with them and their companions, but all they
could say was in vain. I never would make use of, or indeed knew the
flash or cant language, in which these two men were very expert.
Of all my acquaintance, men or women, Benjamin Campbell Hamilton,
and Mrs. Pembruge[2] were by far the worst; of the latter I have
already given a particular relation; but of the former I neglected
to mention, that after his being acquitted at the Old Bailey, (my
evidence not being sufficient against him, or his mother Catherine
Hall, in Newtoner’s lane) he soon went into foot-pad and street
robberies, with other idle boys, committing a vast number in the
fields and streets; he was with his companions taken, tried, and
executed at Tyburn on the 16th of May, 1750, with Lewis, May, and
Giddis, his associates, and behaved under sentence, on the way, and
at the place of execution, with the utmost hardiness and unconcern,
not at all forced or constrained, but talked to the mob, and his
fellow sufferers in the cart, with as much disengaged ease, as if
he had been going to a ball or merry-making, and continued so to
within a few minutes of his death; for at the place of execution, his
behaviour was most intolerably indecent, talking and laughing aloud
as the executioner was tying them up; making use of most scandalous
and blasphemous expressions, at the instant of his launching into
eternity; and yet astonishing as it may seem, this active, wild and
extravagant youth, had only lived seventeen years.
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