John Race, otherwise Raise, an accomplice in the fact, deposed that on the 14th of February was twelvemonth, he was at Rowland’s Castle; that when he came in, he saw there Edmund Richards, William Steel, Carter, Jackson, Little Sam, Richard Kelly, Jackson’s wife, and the prisoner Henry Sheerman, together with Galley and Chater: that he saw Jackson take Chater to the door, and heard him ask him whether he knew anything of Dimer the shepherd, and Chater answering that he was obliged to appear against him, Galley came to them, to interrupt their talking, which Jackson resenting, struck him on the face with his fist. Being all come into the house again, Jackson related to the rest of them what Chater had said in relation to Dimer; upon which they consulted together what to do with Galley and Chater, and it was agreed by them all to carry them to a place of security, till they should have an opportunity of sending them to France; and that the prisoner was present at this consultation.
William Steel, another of the accomplices in the fact, deposed that on the 14th of February was twelvemonth he was sent for to the widow Payne’s; that when he came there he found Jackson, Little Sam, Kelly, Carter, Richards, Race and Little Harry; that he saw the two strangers there, Galley and Chater, who were drinking with the prisoner, and the rest of the smugglers; that Jackson took Chater out of the house, and was followed by Galley, who soon after returned with his face bloody, having, he said, been knocked down by Jackson. That Galley and Chater wanting to be gone, the prisoner, with the rest of the smugglers persuaded them to stay, and the company continued drinking till Galley and Chater were quite drunk, and were led into a little inner room to sleep; this was about four or five o’clock. That in the meanwhile this witness, with the rest of the smugglers, the prisoner being present, consulted what to do with Galley and Chater; and it was proposed to make away with them, and to that end, to throw them into the well in the horse pasture, about a quarter of a mile from Rowland’s Castle; but upon second thoughts that well was judged too near, and might occasion a discovery. That then it was agreed to allow threepence a week each, and to keep them in some private place till they saw what was the fate of Dimer; and as Dimer was used, in the same manner they agreed to use Galley and Chater. That about seven o’clock Carter and Jackson went into the little room, and having waked Galley and Chater, brought them out all bloody; and he believed that Jackson and Carter had kicked them with their spurs, which they had just before put on; that they then brought Galley and Chater out to the street door, and set them both upon the same horse, and tied their legs together under the horse’s belly. That then he (the witness) got upon a grey horse, and led that the deceased and Chater were upon; that they had not gone above 80 yards, before Jackson called out “Whip the dogs, cut them, slash them, d—n them”; and then the company fell to lashing and whipping them; while they rode about a mile to a place called Wood’s Ashes; that there they all alighted, and the prisoner, Little Harry, gave each of them a dram, but none to Galley and Chater; that mounting their horses again, they fell to beating and lashing the two men as violently as they had done before, till they came to Dean, which was about half a mile further; that then one of the company pulled out a pistol, and swore he would shoot them (Galley and Chater) through the head, if they made any noise while they were passing through the village; when they were got through Dean, they fell to whipping them again, till they came almost to Idsworth, when Galley and Chater fell again with their heads under the horse’s belly; upon which they parted them, and set up Galley behind him (this witness), and Chater behind Little Sam, and thus proceeded towards Lady Holt Park, about three miles further, whipping them all the way; but the lashes of their whips falling on this witness, he cried out and they left off whipping Galley; that being come to Lady Holt Park, Galley being faint and tired, got off, and Jackson and Carter took him by the arms and legs, and carried him to a well there, into which they said they would throw him; but some of the company interposing, they set him up behind this witness, but went on till they came down a hill, and Galley, not being able to ride any further, got down again; upon which they laid him upon the pommel of the saddle, across a horse before Richards, with his belly downwards, and in this manner carried him about a mile and a half; that then Richards, being tired of holding him, let him down by the side of the horse; that then they put him upon the grey horse which this witness rode upon, and this witness got off; they sat him up, his legs across the saddle, and his body lay over the mane, and Jackson held him on, and went on in this manner for about half a mile, Galley crying out grievously all the time, “Barbarous usage! barbarous usage! For God’s sake shoot me through the head or through the body;” he (the witness) imagined that Jackson was squeezing his privy parts. That they went on for two miles further, and coming to a dirty lane, Carter and Jackson rode forwards, and bade them stop at the swing gate till they returned. Being gone a little while, they came back again and said that the man of the house was ill and could not entertain them. It was then proposed to go to the house of one Scardefield at Rake, upon which the prisoner tied Galley with a cord, and got up on horseback behind him in order to hold him on; and coming to a gravelly knap in the road, Galley cried out, “I shall fall, I shall fall;” whereupon the prisoner then said, “D—n you, then fall,” and gave him a push, and Galley fell down, gave a spirt and never spoke afterwards; he (the witness) believed his neck was broken by the fall; that then they laid him across the horse again, and went to the Red Lion at Rake, kept by William Scardefield, whither they carried Chater all over blood. That Jackson and the prisoner went from Scardefield’s with Chater, to Old Mills’s, where he was left to the care of the prisoner, and in the meantime they buried Galley.
This witness was asked by the court whether the prisoner was present at the first consultation at the widow Payne’s, and continued in the same company to the death of Galley, and he answered: “Yes, he was with them all the time.”
Then William Scardefield was sworn, who deposed that the prisoner at the bar was with the rest of the smugglers at his house at Rake, when Galley was brought dead there, but went away with Chater, the other man who was all bloody.
The counsel for the King said they had a great many more witnesses, but they would rest the matter as it now was, and not give the court any further trouble.
The prisoner, being called upon to make his defence, said he had nobody to disprove the facts or speak to his character; and said he was sent for to Rowland’s Castle, though he did not know for what; that when he came there he was threatened by Jackson, Richards and others that were there, that they would shoot him through the head if he would not go with and assist them in what they were going about, and that it was not in his power to make his escape from them.
The jury brought him in guilty. Death.
Having now given the trial of Henry Sheerman, alias Little Harry, at East Grinstead, it will be necessary next to give an account of his life and behaviour under sentence of death, and at the place of execution, before we proceed to the trial of that notorious villain John Mills, alias Smoker, for the cruel murder of Richard Hawkins.
Henry Sheerman, alias Little Harry, about 32 years of age, was born and bred up at West Strutton, in the county of Sussex, to husbandry, whose parents were people of good character, though of but middling circumstances; and gave him as good an education at school as they could afford; but he said he never minded his learning—his mind run more upon other things, so that he made but very little progress, though he could read very well and write a little.
He said that Jackson was the cause of his ruin, and the considerable gains that were allowed to those who were as servants to the master smugglers, seduced him to leave his honest employment and take on with them.