RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN THURTELL, WHO WAS EXECUTED AT HERTFORD On FRIDAY, the 9th of JANUARY, 1824; FOR MURDERING MR. W. WEARE: INCLUDING VARIOUS ANECDOTES, AND AN ACCOUNT OF HIS ALSO, THE CONDEMNED SERMON, AND A CORRECT VIEW OF THE EXECUTION, Taken on the Spot by an Eminent Artist. BY PIERCE EGAN, AUTHOR OF LIFE IN LONDON, &c, &c. BEING An Appendir to his Account of the Trial, LONDON: KNIGHT & LACEY, PUBLISHERS, 24, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 1824, APPENDIX. Containing an Account of the Conduct of the Prisoners before and after their Trial and Condemnation. Execution of THURTELL. HUNT'S Confession; and PROBERT's Statement before the Coroner. First and Second Interview of the EDITOR with THURTELL. An Outline of the Condemned Sermon. RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LIFE OF JOHN THURTELL. Sketches of HUNT and PROBERT. Character of Mr. WEARE. HUNT's Letter to his mother. Including a Variety of Interesting and authentic Anecdotes respecting THURTELL; combining, altogether, a COMPLETE and VALUABLE DOCUMENT of this horrid Transaction. Thurtell, from the first moment of his arrival at Hertford Gaol, adopted a uniform deportment and course of action altogether inconsistent with those of a man conscious of guilt. To his most intimate friends he expressed his detestation of the crime attributed to him, as well as his confidence in proving his innocence to perfect demonstration on his trial; and notwithstanding the damning and conclusive facts which had appeared in evidence on the inquest against him, his manner and declarations were such, to all who conversed with him, that they could not resist the impression of its being possible that his was not the hand that committed the murder; and finding the impression which a cool and manly firmness produced, he never for a moment allowed his fortitude to forsake him, but most sedulously applied his time in preparation for a great effort to defend himself on the trial. He first procured such books as were likely to aid him in composing his address, particularly the public speeches of Mr. Charles Phillips, the barrister, and having arranged and reduced his defence to a written form, he lost no time in learning it by heart, and then practised its recitation. His rehearsals were performed in the night, and before he commenced, he placed Randall, a fellow prisoner, who was a sort of companion or guard with him for the night, to act as judge; he next selected a part of the room which was supposed to be the jury, and then went through the whole of his speech, to the no small astonishment and surprise of Randall, who being throughout the day in the same yard as Hunt, frequently told him, that Mr. Thurtell would make such a fine speech as was never before heard, and which would be sure to get him off, adding, “ Mr. Thurtell is only sorry I can't read, because then I could hold the paper, and see whether he spoke it correct to a word." In the early part of the business, and while Hunt was expected to be a witness, Thurtell expressed his disgust at his pusillanimous conduct; but when Thurtell found that he was rejected, and that Probert had consented to give evidence, his indignation was greatly aroused against the latter, and he appeared to commiserate Hunt, saying, he readily forgave him, because he owed him no obligations; but he could not forgive the rascal Probert, whose family, as well as himself, he had supported. B |