The Olden Time Series Volume V Part 3

At the October session of the Old Bailey, London, sentence of death was pa.s.sed on thirty-seven persons, four of whom were females. Four were condemned for pa.s.sing counterfeit notes, eleven for highway robberies, two for burglary, 11 for stealing in dwelling houses, 1 for horse-stealing, 2 for sacrilege, &c.

From the "Salem Mercury," July 28, 1788.

_The following_ EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE _is extracted from the_ EUROPEAN MAGAZINE _for_ 1787.

SAMUEL BURT, convicted of forgery a few sessions since, was put to the bar, and informed that his Majesty, in his royal clemency, had been graciously pleased to extend his mercy to him on condition that he should be transported during his natural life.

The prisoner bowed respectfully to the Court, and immediately addressed the Recorder with his "most humble and unfeigned thanks, for the kindness and humanity of the Recorder, the Sheriffs, and other gentlemen who had interested themselves in his favour, and who had so effectually represented his unhappy case to the throne, that his Majesty, whose humanity could only be equalled by his love of virtue, had extended his mercy; but however flattering the prospect of preserving life might be to a man in a different situation; yet that he, now he was sunk and degraded in society, was totally insensible of the blessing. Life was no longer an object with him, as it was utterly impossible that he could be joined in union with the person who was dearer to him than life itself. Under such circ.u.mstances, although he was truly sensible of his Majesty's goodness and clemency, yet he must positively decline the terms offered him; preferring death to the prolongation of a life which could not be otherwise than truly miserable." The whole Court was astonished at his address; and after consultation, Mr. Recorder remanded the prisoner back to the jail, to be brought up again the first day of next session.

The pillory appears to have been in use in Boston as lately as 1803; for we find in the "Chronicle" of that city that in March of that year Robert Pierpont, owner, and H.R. Story, master, of the brigantine "Hannah," for the crime of sinking the vessel at sea, and thus defrauding the underwriters (among whom were Joseph Taylor, Peter C.

Brooks, Thomas Amory, David Greene, and Benjamin Bussey), were convicted before the Supreme Judicial Court, and the following sentence imposed: "That they should stand one hour in the Pillory in State Street on two several days, be confined in Prison for the term of two years, and pay Costs of Prosecution." Considering the magnitude of the crime, this was a light sentence. An underwriter in the "Chronicle" says: "It is a transaction exceeding in infamy all that has. .h.i.therto appeared in the commerce of our country."

Wholesale execution of pirates in Newport, R.I., in July, 1723.

CAPTURE OF PIRATES.

This year (1723) two Pirate sloops, called the Ranger and the Fortune, committed many piracies on the American Coast, having captured and sunk several vessels.--On the 6th of June, they captured a Virginia sloop, which they plundered and let go, who soon after fell in with his Majesty's s.h.i.+p Grey Hound, Capt.

Solgard, of 20 guns, who on being informed of the piracy, immediately went in pursuit of the Pirates, and on the 10th came up with them about 14 leagues south from the east end of Long Island. They mistaking her for a Merchant s.h.i.+p, immediately gave chase and commenced firing under the black flag.--The Grey Hound succeeded in capturing the Ranger, one of the sloops, after having 7 men wounded, but the other Pirate escaped. The Grey Hound and her prize arrived in the harbor of Newport, and the Pirates, 36 in number, were committed for trial.

_Trial of the Pirates._

A Court of Admiralty, for the trial of Pirates, was held at Newport on the 10th, 11th and 12th of July. The Hon. William Dummer, Lt. Governor and Commander in Chief of the Province of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, President of the Court.

The thirty-six Pirates taken by Capt. Solgard, were tried, when Charles Harris, who acted as captain, and 25 of his men, were found guilty, and sentenced to suffer death, and 10 men were acquitted on the ground of having been forced into their service.

_Execution of the Pirates._

On Friday the 19th of July, the 26 Pirates were taken to a place in Newport, called Bull's Point, (now Gravelly Point,) within the flux and reflux of the sea, and there hanged. The following are their names:--Charles Harris, Thomas Linnicar, Daniel Hyde, Stephen Mundon, Abraham Lacy, Edward Lawson, John Tomkins, Francis Laughton, John Fisgerald, Wm. Studfield, Owen Rice, Wm.

Read, Wm. Blades, Tho's Hagget, Peter Cues, Wm. Jones, Edward Eaton, John Brown, James Sprinkly, Joseph Sound, Charles Church, John Waters, Tho's Powell, Joseph Libbey, Thomas Hazel, John Bright.

The Pirates were all young men, most of them were natives of England, Wm. Blades was from Rhode Island and Thomas Powell from Wethersfield, (Conn.); after the execution, their bodies were taken to the north end of Goat Island, and buried on the sh.o.r.e, between high and low water mark.

As this was the most extensive execution of Pirates that ever took place at one time in the Colonies, it was attended by a vast mult.i.tude from every part of New England.

From the _Salem Observer_, Nov. 11, 1843.

Description of "Villains" in the "Boston Post-Boy," Dec. 12, 1763.

Tuesday last a Gang of Villains were apprehended at a House in Roxbury, and brought to Town & committed to Goal, they have been concerned in the late Robberies here, and 'tis suspected in some of those towards Pennsylvania, for which Reason it will be proper to advertise their Names, with some Description of them, which are as follows, viz.

_William Robinson_, a tall slim fellow, about 5 Feet 7 inches high, wears a blue Surtout Coat with metal b.u.t.tons, and his Hat commonly flopt before, and an old laced Waistcoat, has short curled black Hair; when he speaks he seems jaw-fallen and very effeminate, is about 35 Years of Age, walks much like a Foot-pad, and has a comely Woman with him whom he calls his Wife.----_John Ca.s.sady_, a middling siz'd Fellow much pock-broken, square-shoulder'd, wears a Wig upon the yellow cast, and has a very guilty Countenance, is about 40 Years of Age, and calls himself a Shoe-maker.--_John Willson_, a short young Fellow, about 21 Years of Age, wears a blue Surtout Coat, and short black Hair, of a pale Countenance, and calls himself a Sail-maker.--_George Sears_, a well-set Fellow, with a comely Face, black Hair twisted with a black Ribbon, and says he serv'd 3 Years to an Attorney in England.

In the "Ess.e.x Gazette," Nov. 12, 1771, is the following news from England:--

A Correspondent expresses great Surprise and indignation at the Disproportion of Punishments in this Country. He says he read in a News paper that two Men were hanged together last Month in Kent, one of whom had committed a barbarous Murder on his Wife, and the other had stolen three s.h.i.+llings and Sixpence. In the same Paper there followed immediately another Paragraph, that a Woman had been only whipped for stealing little Children and burning their Eyes out.

At this day we believe it is the custom of the English authorities to treat all prisoners alike, whatever the charges against them may be.

It seems as if they were desirous of degrading men as much as possible. Mr. John Boyle O'Reilly, a poet and gentleman of culture, who was unfortunately a political prisoner, was chained to a wife-murderer. And this the English call "justice,"--as if there could be no difference in offences!

Severe punishment used to be inflicted for the crime of pa.s.sing counterfeit coin. The "Ess.e.x Gazette," April 23, 1771, under news from Newport, April 15, says,--

William Carlisle was convicted of pa.s.sing counterfeit Dollars, and sentenced to stand One Hour in the Pillory, on Little-Rest Hill, next Friday, to have _both Ears_ cropped, to be branded on _both Cheeks_ with the Letter R, to pay a Fine of One hundred Dollars and Cost of Prosecution, and to stand committed till Sentence performed.

The letter R probably meant "rogue." The same account states that--

"Last Wednesday Evening one Mr. ----, of this Town (Newport), was catched by a Number of Persons in Disguise, placed on an old Horse, and paraded through the princ.i.p.al Streets for about an Hour as a _Warning_ to all bad Husbands."

In the "Ma.s.sachusetts Gazette," Sept. 8, 1786, we find an account of the Dutch mode of executions.

NEW-JERSEY.

ELIZABETH-TOWN, _Aug. 16_. The little influence which our present mode of executing criminals has in deterring others from the commission of the same crimes, arises from a want of solemnity and terrifick circ.u.mstances on such occasions. It is not the mere loss of life which has so much a tendency to affect the spectator, as the dreadful apparatus, the awful preliminaries, which ought to attend publick executions; whose justifiable purposes is the prevention of crimes, and not the inflicting torment on the criminal. A variety of particulars might be adopted respecting the dress of the condemned, the solemnity of the procession to the place of execution, and the apparatus there, to throw horrour on the scene without in reality giving the unhappy victim a more painful exit. The Dutch have a mode of execution which is well calculated to inspire terror, without putting the sufferer to extraordinary pain. The criminal is placed on a scaffold, opposite to the gigantick figure of a woman, with arms extended, filled with spikes, or long sharpened nails, and a dagger pointed from her breast, she is gradually moved towards him by machinery for the purpose, till he gets within her embrace, when her arms encircle him, and the dagger is pressed through his heart. This is vulgarly called among them, kissing the Yssrow, or woman, and excites more terror in the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the populace than any other mode of punishment.

Inhabitants of Boston severely punished (on paper) in April, 1774, for _destruction of the tea_.

A CURIOUS HISTORICAL ITEM. In a recent English Chronological work, under the article of "Tea," we found the following brief notice of the American Revolution: "Tea destroyed at Boston by the inhabitants, 1773, in abhorrence of English Taxes; for which they were severely punished by the English Parliament, in April, 1774."

_Salem Observer_, April 28, 1827.

Sentences of death for robbery, May 6, 1788.

The Mulatto who, some time since, robbed Mr. Bacon, on the Cambridge road, was, at the late term of the Supreme Court at Concord, convicted of the crime, and had sentence of death p.r.o.nounced against him.

Thursday next is the day appointed for the execution of the two Taylors, for the robbery of Mr. Cunningham, on Boston-Neck.

Captain Phillips, of the British army, whipped in New York in 1784.

PHILADELPHIA, February 4, 1784.

On Sat.u.r.day last, was whipped at the cart's tail, for robbery, one of George the Third's pretty subjects. This fellow, who now goes by the name of Captain Phillips, under his good friend Sir Harry Clinton, learned such a knack of thieving while he commanded a whale-boat along this coast, under his good master, that now, having lost his protection, he and a number more of those lads called Loyalists are swarming amongst us, and have set up business in a small way; and though many of them may not choose to steal themselves, yet, by harbouring and encouraging others, may do much mischief to the good inhabitants of these states.