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
Licence: Public Domain Mark
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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![of his friends came to me on the night of the murder; on Monday a labourer delivered a Knife‘and @ pistol to me, ‘which T afterwards handed over to Sim- monds, the officer; it was bloody; on Monday evening I observed what ap- peared like Brains about the barrel of the pistol, Mr, Probert came to. my Baie on Monday; something passed between us respecting what happened in thelane. |... ‘Wie ’ John Pidlock examined.. I am a surgeon; Iwas at. the Artichoke at Els- tree, when the body of Mr. Weare was there ;»I took the shawl from off the neck ; saw asack over the shawl: I.saw the body first at the Artichoke; when the sack was taken from the body I found'a handkerchief, which I de- livered to Simmons the officer; the body was quite naked. : John Fleet nextexamined. I am assistant to Mr. Johnson, the messenger, On the 24th of October I was at the Cock public-house, in the Haymarket, acting officially under a commission; Hunt came in a gig there, about half- past tour in the afternoon ; he delivered anote to me, which I have destro ed; John Thurtell lived at the Cock; I have seen him ving there. I knew the room he occupied; it was No. 10. The contents of the note were, ‘‘ Have the goodness to give Mr. Hunt my great coat and red shawl, which you will find in a closet at No. 10.” I went to the room, took the things out, and brought them down, and gave them to Hunt. The shawl produced is some- thing like the shawl I gave to Hunt. 1 do not know the hand-writing of the note. Caroline Williams. I was servant at the Cock, which was kept by Thomas Thurtell; his brother, John Thurtell, lodged there: he had a shawl like the one produced. ; Lucy Siater examined. I was a servant at the Cock; John Thurtell lodged there; I have seen him use a shaw] similar to the shawl produced. _ John Marshall examined. I am a gunsmith in London; I know the gun produced; I saw it last, a twelvemonth ago; I saw it at Mr. Weare’s chambers in Lyon’s Inn. . Cross-examined by Mr. Andrews. It is at least a twelvemonth ago since I saw it. W. Blakesley examined; In October I lodged at No.9, King-street, Golden- square, the residence of the prisoner Hunt and his wife; remembered Hunt coming home on the 27th of October in a single-horse chaise; I saw him take a carpet bag, filled with things, a gun with a dark case, similar to that pro- duced ; a dressing-case, similar to that on the table ; they were carried into his apartments ; there were also some coats. Jolin Upson examined: I am an officer. I took the prisoners from London to Watford ; we came in two gigs ; at Watford, the next morning, a conversa - tion took place between me and Thurtell, about Hunt’s confession ; I made use of no previous promise or threat ; in the course of the conversation about Hunt’s confession, I asked Thurtell what he did with the watch, and he told me that he threw it away in a place among some trees where there were some palings. This is the account he gave me. By Mr. Thessiger: When we were at Watford, Hunt gave me anorde the things to be given up, and told me where they were to be found. J. Foster examined: I ama constable at Rickmansworth ; on the 30th Octo- ber I had Thurtell in my custody at the Plough; he made a communication to me ; I made use of no previous promise or threat; he said that Hunt was a rascal for nosing him so ; that he (Thurtell) would not do so to him (Hunt), particularly after he (Thurtell) had offered the watch for sale in his (H.'s) mame, and as his property. He said he was offered no more than 251. for it, though it was worth 607. T. Thurtell was again called, but he did not answer. Mr, Justice Park. Gentlemen of the Jury, you have relieved me from a great difficulty ; I should not have acceded to the wish of the prisoners, had not you also expressed your concurrence in that course; one advantage arising from which wili be, that we shallhave given the case the fullest and most patient attention. I shall now adjourn the court till to-morrow morning. Let two of ine most steady constables be sworn according to the form which I shal. irect.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b33287442_0088.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
