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 demeanour after sentence was passed. Also, the condemned sermon, and a correct view of the execution, taken on the spot by an eminent artist / by Pierce Egan ; being an appendix to his account of the trial.

Pierce Egan

Date:: 1824

Credit: 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 demeanour after sentence was passed. Also, the condemned sermon, and a correct view of the execution, taken on the spot by an eminent artist / by Pierce Egan ; being an appendix to his account of the trial. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$she.was accommodated with a seat. She spoke in a low tone, but Mr. Gurney kindly repeated her answers aloud. Her testimony was as follows:—I remem- ber the night of the 24th of October, when Mr. John Thurtell and Mr. Hunt came to Gill’s-hill Cottage, to have heard the sound of a gig passing my cottage. It was about eight o’clock, I think. .The bell of our cottage was rung nearly an hour after. After that ring nobody came in to our house.” My. husband came home that night nearly at ten. I came down stairs, found Mr. Probert, John Thurtell, and a stranger, in the parlour. My husband introduced that stranger as. Mr. Hunt to me. I saw John Thurtell. take out a. gold chain, which he showed tome. It was.a gold watch chain with a great deal of work about-it ; it was such a chain as this, [think [the chain was shown her]. He offered to make it a present to me; I refused it for some time, and at last he gave it to me [she was shown the box and chain produced by the constable at Watford]. { recollect giving that box and the chain to the constable, in the presence of the magistrates. When I and Miss Neyes went up stairs, we left John Thurtell, Hunt, and Mr. Probert in the room, Idid not go to bed immediately; I went from my room to the stairs to listen; I leaned over the banisters. What I heard in leaning over the banisters, was all in a whisper. What I heard at first was, I thought, about trying on clothes. The first I heard was, ** This, I think, will fit you very well.” I heard a noise like a rustling of papers on the table; I heard also something like the noise of papers thrown in the fire. I afterwards went up to my own chamber. Out of doors I saw something; 1 looked from my window, and saw two gentlemen go from the parlour to the stable ; they led a horse out of the stable, and opened the yard gate and let the horse out. Some time after that I heard something in the garden; I heard something dragged, as it seemed, very heavily; it appeared to me to come from the stable to the garden; the garden is near, the back. gate; it was dragged along the dark walk; I had a view of it, when they dragged it out of the dark: walk; it seemed very large and heavy; it was in a sack. It was after this I heard the rustling of papers, and the conversation I have described. After the sack was dragged out of the dark walk, I had a view of it until it was half way down the walk to the pond. I had a good view of it so far. After this I heard a noise like'a heap of stones thrown into a pit, I can’t describe it any other way; it was a hollow sound. I heard, besides what I have before mentioned, some further conversation. The first I heard was, I think, Hunt’s voice; he said “let us take a 61. note each.” I did not hear Thurtell say any thing; then—I am trying to recollect—I heard another voice say, ** we must say there was a hare thrown up in the gig on the cushion —we must tell the boy so in the morning.” I next heard a voice, I can’t exactly say whose, ‘‘ we had better be off to town by four or five o’clock in the morning ;” and then I think John Thurtell it was, who said “ we had better not go before eight or nine o’clock ;” and the parlour door then-shut. I heard John Thurtell say also (I think it was his voice), ‘‘ Holding shall be next.” I rather think it was Hunt who next-spoke ; he asked, ‘‘ has he (Holding) got money?” John Thurtell replied, ‘ it is not money I want, itis revenge ; itis,” said John Thurtell, ‘‘ Holding who has.ruined my friend here.” I did not at first under stand who this friend was ; I believe it meant Mr. Probert, my husband. I can- not say whether Holding had any thing to do in-the transactions of my hts- band’s bankruptcy. ‘‘It was Holding,” said J. Thurtell, *‘ who ruined my friend there, and destroyed my peace of mind.” My husband came to bed eee half-past one or two o’clock ; I believe it was ; I did not know exactly the hour. | A short conversation then took place in a low tone, which was not heard in the reporter’s box, between the Counsel for the prisoners, and the learned Judge, and Mr. Gurney, as to whether it: was proper to ask Mrs. Prebert concerning any conversation that passed between her and her husband. ~ Mr. Justice Park said to Mr. Gurney, “ All that you can ask, is, whether a conversation took place, in which witness communicated to her husband what she had seen:and heard. -You cannot ask what her husband said,” Mr. Gurney then asked the witness—‘* When your husband came to bed, did you mention to him what you had seen and heard, according to the evidence you have-given?”” » i ' The witness, Mrs. Probert, became apparently excessively agitated, and faintly articulated, ‘“* Must Tanswer?? _ : ;$

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