was erroneous, and repugnant to the precision the law required in the form of indictments, and that, therefore, the judgment ought to be arrested. The case, however, being of great public importance, the judges were of opinion that the pri soner ought not to be discharged, as the prosecutor was at liberty to prefer a new indictment against him. The prisoner was of course detained in custody. However, in the succeeding month, March, he received his majesty's free pardon. JOHN INNES, EXECUTED FOR FORGERY. JOHN INNES was born at Glasgow, in Scotland; his father was a respectable merchant at that place, and gave his son a good education, by which he profited little, but as it enabled him with greater art and cunning to impose upon others. In the earlier part of his life he followed the sea, the instability of his mind not suffering him to pursue any settled employ till his return, when he married an amiable young woman, by whom he had seven children. During the period of his marriage state he was sober, steady, and diligent; but on the death of his wife his rambling disposition returned: he soon spent in extravagance and debauchery a decent fortune he had accumulated by trade, and was necessitated to follow some other pursuit. The connexion of his family, the good character he had once borne, and his abilities together, soon procured him an appointment as steward of a nobleman's estate. In this situation his mind took a different turn; he became griping and avaricious in the extreme; his conduct was vexatious and oppressive to the tenants, from whom he extorted considerable sums by threats, continually involving them in lawsuits, and other difficulties, and then extorting money from them, by way of compromising the dispute. In this situation he remained till the death of the nobleman, when the estate was sold: he then turned money-lender, and practised as a pettifogging attorney, by which un° lawful practice he acquired immense wealth: but his covetous disposition was not yet satisfied; he wanted to gain riches by wholesale, when unluckily he determined upon fo ging a will, purporting it to be the last will of Anthony Bowman, deceased, with an intent to defraud Sir Charles Morgan, Bart. and Thomas Wright, Esq. The prisoner brought an action in the Court of King's Bench against the prosecutors, to recover money in virtue of the will: but the first witness he called to prove the will said that he was nephew to Innes, and at the request of his uncle came to swear to a falsity, for that he knew the will to be a forgery. His trial came on February 21, 1794, when his guilt appearing evident, the jury, without hesitation, brought in their verdict-Guilty. He protested his innocence in the most solemn manner till the day before his death; but when he found all would not save him, and came to the place of execution, he addressed the spectators in the following words : "Good people,-You see in me the victim of early prodigality and late covetousness. In my youth I stuck at nothing to indulge my passion; when advanced in years, nothing would satisfy my thirst for riches; and I now justly meet the punishment due to my abominable extortions and wickedness. I have hitherto denied my guilt; but now I wish to atone for it in some degree, by acknowledging it before God and man. May every one take warning by my example! So, good people, I beg your prayers; may God bless you all, and have mercy upon my sinful soul!' So saying, he met his fate before Newgate, at the Old Bailey, July 11, 1794. ROBERT RAINE AND WILLIAM EVERSFIELD, CONVICTED OF ROBBERY. ROBERT RAINE and WILLIAM EVERSFIELD were indicted for feloniously assaulting Elizabeth Carter, putting her in fear, and forcibly taking from her person a pocket, containing a pair of spectacles, and other things. Elizabeth Carter swore that on the 5th of March, as she was returning from Islington, at nine in the evening, she was pushed off the foot-path, in Spafields, Clerkenwell, by the two prisoners at the bar. Eversfield tripped her up, and, throwing himself upon her, called out to his comrade to give him a knife. That a knife being given him, he cut off her pocket, which he delivered to Raine, who ran off with it; after which Ever-field struck her several blows in the face, which caused her mouth and nose to bleed in a violent manner. Soon after this a watchman came up, and took her under his protection, and, leading her towards his box, she heard the cry of Watch!' Almost immediately after this she saw Eversfield delivered by a gentleman into the custody of the officer. She immediately knew him to be one of the men who robbed her. The patrol of Clerkenwell parish, being informed by a casual passenger that a woman lay bleeding in the grass, went to the place, and found her in the situation described. He was leading her along, when he was called by a gentleman, who delivered Eversfield into his custody. Mr. Surrell said that he was an attorney, and lived in Spafields; that on the 5th of March, about ten at night, he was attacked by the two prisoners, near his own house, who attempted to rob him of a small bundle which he had in his hand. He immediately seized Eversfield, and delivered him to the patrol. The patrol, in consequence of the woman's description, apprehended Raine the next day, and found in his possession a pair of spectacles, a nutmeg-grater, &c. all which articles the prosecutrix swore to. The prisoners, in their defence, said that the prosecutrix frequently visited them in prison, and expressed an unwillingness to prosecute them; that she agreed to make it up for six guineas, and had received two guineas in part. Elizabeth Carter, on being questioned by the Court, said that, at the earnest entreaty of Raine's wife, she went once to Newgate. The charge being clearly proved, the jury found them guilty-Death. William Eversfield was born of poor, but honest parents, in the parish of St. Sepulchre, in the city of London, and at an early age put into the charity school belonging to the parish. Being a sharp and active lad, he took what learning the school afforded very fast, and, upon quitting it, very few in the school could surpass him in reading and writing. He then lived some time in Chick Lane, as pot-boy to a public house, and, quitting that situation, was bound as an apprentice to a knifecase maker, residing near Smithfield. In this situation his behaviour was so very indifferent, that his master frequently declared he verily believed his apprentice, Eversfield, would come to the gallows. When out of his time he paid but little attention to business; and, giving himself up to idleness and bad company, supported a precarious livelihood by committing those depredations upon the public, which, in the prime of life, had nigh brought him to an untimely and wretched end. He received, however, a conditional pardon, on account of his youth. Robert Raine, concerned with him in committing the robbery, declared that idleness and bad company were the cause of his ruin. Whilst under sentence of death they behaved in a manner suitable to their melancholy situation. Raine suffered with John Innes and Swindeu, leaving behind him a wife and two small children. THOMAS DUNN, PILLORIED AND IMPRISONED FOR PERJURY. THIS perjured man appeared as a witness against Mr. Walker, of Manchester, a gentleman in high estimation, and nine other innocent men, who were put upon their trials on a charge of high treason. Mr. Sergeant Cockell, the counsel for the prosecution, entered very fully, and with great feeling, upon the nature of the charge, which contained no less than ten different perjuries imputed to Dunn, the defendant. Taking advantage of some local circumstances and prejudices in the town of Manchester, this man had accused several innocent and respectable individuals of the great est crime known to the law, viz. high treason. Two witnesses, however, being required to every treasonable act, they were indicted only for a misdemeanor; but had the jury who tried them believed the diabolical fabrication of this prisoner (then a witness,) the effects must have proved rainous and destructive to these parties and their families; and, if any second person could have been found equally detestable with him, Mr. Walker, and nine of his fellowubjects, would probably have forfited their lives and properties, alhough totally free from any offence, It pleased one of the magistrates of Manchester to accept this Duon as a fit person to be evidence against these gentlemen, but on an investigation of the case before a jury, they were honorably acquitted. Previously to their trials, however, Mr. Paul, one of them, had been committed for treason, and lingered for more than two months in Lancaster Castle. During this interval Dunu felt the sharpest compunction for the accusation he had made, and voluntarily sought occasion to see Mr. Walker, who admitted of this with all possible precaution, having persons of character present during the whole time of his stay, and never being alone in his company. Dunn, in their hearing, begged pardon for the injury he had done to Mr. Walker; said that he had been bribed to the deed, and that he had sworn falsely when before the grand jury. On the trial of Mr. Walker, however, being questioned as to these confessions, he answered that no such thing had ever occurred. The record of Mr. Walkers trial being read, Mr. Gurney, who took notes of it at the time, read from them what Dunn had sworn on his evidence for the crown, and on his cross-examination. To prove the falsehood of the facts sworn to by Dunn, various witnesses were called; and, among the rest, Mr. Ridgway and Mr. Jones stated that they saw Dunn at Mr. Walker's house on the 18th of March; that he fell upon his knees, and begged Mr. Walker's pardon; said that he had injured his character, that he had accused him falsely, and that he had been bribed to what he had done; and that, when Mr. Walker refused to be alone with him, he threatened him, and said it should be worse for him. Several other witnesses were called, who corroborated the above facts. Mr. Scarlett made an ingenious defence for the prisoner; after which Mr. Justice Rooke summed up the evidence in a very full and perspicuous manner, and the Jury returned their verdict-Guilty. He received the judgment of the Court, that he should be confined two years in Lancaster gaol, and stand once within that period in the pillory. His trial took place at Lancaster, September the 2d, 1794. ARCHIBALD HAMILTON ROWAN, ESQ. CONVICTED OF PUBLISHING A SEDITIOUS LIBEL. THE extraordinary and somewhat romantic circumstances attending Mr. Rowan's escape induce us to insert this case, though we do not consider the very numerous convictions for seditious publications and VOL. III. expressions which took place about this period as being all within our province. The agitated state of this country, and of Ireland in particular, arising from the alarming circumstances with which the pro 80 ceedings of the French revolutionists were attended, occasioned a series of prosecutions, the record of which would alone fill volumes. In the Court of King's Bench, Dublin, on the 29th of January, 1794, Archibald Hamilton Rowan, Esq. was tried for publishing, on the 16th of December, 1792, a false, scandalous, malicious, and seditious libel, purporting to be an address from the United Irishmen of Dublin to the volunteers of Ireland, signed by Mr. Rowan, as secretary, against his majesty's government, &c. A person who, in June, 1793, received an ensigncy in the 40th regiment, without purchase, was called to prove the publication. Exceptions were taken to the credibility of his testimony, on account of his formerly having been a witness to two bonds passed by his father to his younger brother, which were suspected of being forgeries. Three witnesses were called to his credibility, two of whom said they did not know enough of him to speak positively; and a third that he was not to be believed, even on his oath. A second witness was called in support of the prosecution, whose evidence was defective, and admitted by the Court to go for nothing. Mr. Curran made an admirable defence for the prisoner, to which the attorney-general and the primesergeant replied; and Lord ChiefJustice the Earl of Clonmel having summed up the evidence, the jury retired a few minutes, and returned with a verdict-Guilty. Mr. Rowan was immediately conveyed to Newgate, and Mr. Curran was escorted by the people to his own house. On the 7th of February, Mr. Justice Boyd, after a motion for a new trial, which was overruled, pronounced the sentence, which was imprisonment for two years, a fine of five hundred pounds, and security for good behaviour for seven years, Mr. Rowan in two thousand pounds, and two others in one thousand pounds each. After two or three months of his imprisonment had expired, William Jackson, a divine of some notoriety in England, and several others, were arrested on a charge of high treason, in which it appeared probable that Rowan would be implicated; he therefore determined on effecting his escape, and the manner in which he accomplished it has been thus narrated: Having discovered, on the 28th of April, 1794, the extent of the danger in which he was involved, he arranged a plan of flight, to be put into execution on the night of the 1st of May. He had the address to prevail on the gaoler of Newgate, who knew nothing farther of his prisoner than that he was under sentence of confinement for a political libel, to accompany him at night to Mr. Rowan's own house. They were received by Mrs. Rowan, who had a supper prepared in the front room of the second floor. The supper over, the prisoner requested the gaoler's permission to say a word or two in private to his wife in the adjoining room. The latter consented, on the condition of the door between the two rooms remaining open. He had so little suspicion of what was meditated, that, instead of examining the state of this other room, he contented himself with shifting his chair at the supper-table, so as to give him a view of the open door-way. In a few seconds his prisoner was beyond his reach, having descended by a single rope, which had been slung from the window of the back chamber. In his stable he found a horse ready saddled, and a peasant's outside |