The tryal of Christopher Layer, Esq; at the King's Bench Bar, Westminster, for high-treason, Nov. 21. 1722. Mich. 9 Geo. I.

  • Layer, Christopher, 1683-1723.
Date:
MDCCXXXV. [1735]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The tryal of Christopher Layer, Esq; at the King's Bench Bar, Westminster, for high-treason, Nov. 21. 1722. Mich. 9 Geo. I. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    4 The Tryal of CHRIST gury to that Degree that is very painful, and I am told your Lordfhip is aftii&ed with that Diftemper. I ho’pe thefe Chains fhall be taken off in the firft Place, and then I hope I fhall have a fair and tender Trial. L. C. J. There have been a great ma¬ ny Things faid by which we cannot exa¬ mine into. You have given a general Charge of fome People ufing you ill, your Expreffions are not juft and right ; you charge no particular Perfon ; we can take no Notice of them. As to the Chains you complain o£ it muft be left to thofe to whom the Cuftody of you is committed by Law, to take care that you make not your Efcape ; when you come to your Trial, then your Chains may be taken off. Conuder the Matter of this Day 5 if you have any Objections to the Indict¬ ment the Court will hear them 5 if not, you muft plead. Att. Gen. [Sir Robert Raymond.] I am fure nothing is intended but that he fhould have a fair Trial 5 but to com¬ plain here of hard Ufage, of Chains and Imprifonment, carries with it a Reflecti¬ on of Cruelty, and we know what Ef¬ fect thefe Things may have Abroad. My Lord, I don’t believe there is a- ny Occafion for faying any Thing more in Anfwer to this, than that the Prilo- ner hath been kept, as all Perfons in his Circumftances are, when they have been attempted to make an Efcape; there was an Attempt of that Nature made by him, and I believe Nobody will fay, but on fuch an Occafion, there is Realon to take particular Care that he may not efcape. My Lord, as to any other Matters of Hardfhip, I hope what he fays, is not fo; I verily believe it is not, but that he hath as much Freedom and Liberty as is proper and OPHER LAYER, EfTy ufual. And as to what is faid in re^ fpeCt to the Man that infulted him if the Hall, I know nothing of it, noi heard of it before ; but cant but ob* ferve that it is an eafy Matter for Peo¬ ple to contrive fuch a Thing in com cert together, with fome particulai Views; and I don’t know but if the FaCt was fo, it might be fomebody fet on by himfelf that did it. L• C. J, Alas! If there hath been an Attempt to efcape, there can be no Pietenfion to complain of Hardfhip ; He that hath attempted an Efcape once, if true, ought to be fecured in fuch a Manner, as to prevent his efca- ping a fecond /Time. The Gentleman Jailor, what doth he fay ? Gentleman Jailor, Mfy Lord, he never attempted to Efcape fince he was in mv Cuftody. ,, • J Att.Gen. No,, it was before. r Sol: Gen. [Sir Philip Tort] My Lord, This Complaint is made for no other Purpofe, but to captivate the Minds of the By-ftanders,without any juft Grounds in the World ; for if the whole of the Complaint made and aggravated in this lolemn Manner be confidered; it a- mounts only to this, That a Prifoner who ftands charged with fo great an Of¬ fence as High-Treafon, who I admit; notwithftanding the Weight of that Charge, ought to have all the Juftice and all the Opportunity of defending •himfelf, which the Law allows, I fay it amounts to no more than this, that a Prifoner in thefe Circumftances is brought up hither under a ftrong Guard, and in Fetters, as Perfons. in that Condition u- fually are. It is very well known that when this Gentleman was in the Cufto¬ dy of a Meflenger, he not only made an Attempt to efcape, but a&ually e- fcapeb, got out of a Window two pair