It appears that Reid, a constable belonging to Perry’s party of patrole, received information from a person technically called a “nose,”—that is, an informer or spy,—that a set was made at the house of a Mrs. Martin, a lady residing at No. 4, Bury Street, St. James’s, by a party of thieves, who had derived sufficient knowledge of the customs of the house from the servant girl, Mary Wakelin, to induce them to suppose that the robbery would be a profitable speculation. Their mode of making themselves acquainted with this circumstance was this:—The girl, like most others of her condition and years, was vain of her personal charms, and the prisoner Clayton was a young man of pleasing manners and insinuating address. The “crack” was fixed upon, and Clayton was set to work upon the girl’s vanity, and so obtain the necessary information to enable his assistants and associates to complete it cleverly. He addressed her one evening at the public-house to which she was in the habit of going to fetch her mistress’s beer, and having passed a few encomiums upon her beauty, was soon admitted into conversation. The impression which he made was not unfavourable, and he was too good a judge to allow an opportunity to pass, by which he might benefit himself. Day after day he was found at the same place, and each day he was more attentive than the last; and the girl at length looked upon him in the light of a suitor. He informed her that he was a trunk-maker living in Oxford Street, and in return obtained information that her mistress was in the habit of visiting the theatres or some other place of public amusement nearly every night. He did not fail to improve upon his acquaintance at every fresh interview, and at length a Monday evening was fixed upon, when the lover was to be admitted to spend an hour with the girl in the kitchen during her mistress’s absence. It was at this period that the officers gained information of the intended robbery; and they in consequence obtained permission to occupy a room opposite to Mrs. Martin’s house, from which they could witness all that passed. Half-past eight o’clock was the time appointed by Mary to see her swain, and the constables took care to be as punctual as he. A few minutes before the time, accordingly, they saw four men and two women arrive at the spot, from whom Clayton separated himself and went and knocked at the door. He was, however, doomed to be disappointed. The mistress was unwell and could not go out, and therefore, with a kiss or two, and an affectionate hug, the sweethearts were obliged to part, not, however, without fixing the next Tuesday to carry out their design. Tuesday night came, and the officers were again at their post; but the loving pair separated after taking a little gin together. Wednesday evening passed in the same manner, Mrs. Martin being still too unwell to go out; and notwithstanding the most praiseworthy attention on the part of the supposed trunk-maker to his inamorata, every evening until the following Tuesday passed in the same way, the professions of inviolable attachment made by the tender-hearted youth growing each night more strong, and his anxiety to enter the house increasing at every meeting. On the Tuesday night, however, the girl told Clayton that her mistress was so much recovered, that she expected she would be well enough to go the following night to the play, and on Wednesday night, about eight o’clock, Mrs. Martin, accompanied by a male and female friend, went in a coach to the theatre. In a few minutes after, the servant girl came out, and returned shortly with Clayton, arm in arm together. They talked together several minutes at the door, and then went in. In about a quarter of an hour after, Clayton came out, and returned in about five minutes, accompanied by another man. Clayton knocked at the door, and the girl opened it. She appeared to refuse to let the other man in; but Clayton forced open the door, and the other man rushed in. The officers, who had been upon the close watch every night, then went over to the house, and heard all three talking very loud in the kitchen. From the noise, and what they saw through a keyhole, they ascertained that the two men were dragging the girl up stairs against her will, and she was exclaiming, “Lord have mercy upon me! what shall I do?” One of the men told her if she made such a noise he would blow her brains out, and presented a pistol to her head, and kept it there. They forced her up stairs, and the officers heard doors being broken open, &c., and, in a few minutes after, the second man came down stairs, and returned with the kitchen poker. They then heard other doors break open; but not hearing the noise of the girl continued, the officers were afraid she was being murdered, and were proceeding to force the street-door with an iron crow, when the girl exclaimed it was her mistress, gave a sudden spring, released herself from her assailants, ran down stairs, with the robbers after her: and they got into the passage just as the officers had entered. Clayton and Jenkins appeared as if nothing had happened, and wanted to get out; but Perry and Reid seized them. The villains made a most desperate resistance, which they were enabled to do, being very tall, stout, powerful men; but they were eventually secured. On searching Clayton, a large clasp knife and a bad dollar were found. On Jenkins were found a pistol, two bad dollars, &c. On examining the house, the officers discovered that a large quantity of property had been packed up, ready to be carried off. Several rooms and closets were broken open, and the thieves were in the act of breaking open a chest when they were disturbed.
The trial of these desperadoes came on at the Old Bailey, on the 15th of January, when Mary Wakelin, before named, deposed that she first became acquainted with the prisoner Clayton about eight or ten days before the 1st of January; he then came to her mistress’s house, when she answered the door, and told her his name was Wilson, and that he had a letter for Mrs. Martin, which was the name her mistress went by. A night or two afterwards he threw things down the area. Her mistress sent her out with a message, and she then saw Clayton, who asked her to take something to drink, which she at first refused; but upon his insisting they went and had something to drink. She saw him a night or two afterwards in the streets, as she went out on an errand, and frequently after that; but she never saw the prisoner Jenkins till the night of the 1st of January.
The jury found both the prisoners Guilty, and they were sentenced to death.
The fearful sentence was carried into effect on the scaffold before the Debtor’s door, Newgate, on the 19th February 1812, at the usual hour, and with the accustomed solemnity. Clayton was twenty-eight years of age, and Jenkins thirty-five.
After the culprits had been divested of their irons, Clayton observed to Jenkins it was an awful moment, and he exhorted him to cheer his spirits, and die with manly fortitude—adding that the sentence was just, and trusting their example would warn others against keeping bad company.
DANIEL DAWSON.
EXECUTED FOR POISONING RACE-HORSES.
THIS fellow had long exercised the business of a tout to betting-men of an inferior class on the Turf, obtaining for them such information from the grooms and other persons employed about the racing-stables as he conceived they might deem useful; when having got together a little money, he thought that he might be able to employ his information to his own advantage, and he therefore turned betting-man himself. He was a man utterly devoid of education, and therefore unfit to mix among the gentlemen of his class; and being confined to the society of grooms and other persons of “low degree,” he imbibed none of those principles of “honour” for which the speculators on racing and other gambling events are generally proverbial. In order then to make sure of winning his bets, he determined to render the horses unfit for running, by drugging them. In this practice he continued until April 1811, when he conveyed a large quantity of the solution of arsenic into a watering trough, from which two horses belonging to Lord Foley and Sir F. Standish had to drink.
The drug being too powerful to produce that effect only which was requisite, the horses died, and suspicion falling upon Dawson and a companion of his named Cecil Bishop, they were taken into custody. Bishop immediately made a full confession, and accused Dawson of having poisoned another horse in the year 1809, belonging to a Mr. Adams at Royston, and he made such disclosures as established a chain of evidence which left no doubt of the truth of his story. He was therefore admitted as a witness, and his companion was committed to take his trial at the ensuing Lent Assizes at Cambridge. It there turned out, that instead of being a principal as he was charged, he was an accessary only, and he was acquitted; but he was detained in custody upon another charge of poisoning race-horses in the year 1809. He was arraigned upon a second indictment therefore at the Assizes held in August 1812, and upon this he was found guilty and sentenced to death. For some time after his conviction, he entertained hopes that his life would be spared, and Lord Foley, in consequence of some communications which he received from him, was induced to second his application for mercy. This, however, was attended with no good effect, and the wretched culprit was left for execution. Determined not to throw away all chances, he resolved to attempt to escape from custody, and he wrote to his wife in the following terms, in order to procure some assistance to enable him to complete his design.
“Dear Wife,—I learn by yours, I am in danger; but I have another way of escape without fear of being discovered.—You go to a tool-shop, and get a small back saw, as the watch-makers use, the smaller the better, to convey to me: the best way you can get it in will be between some turf, with some black thread; if you can find a better way, do it; but be careful, for all the danger is to get that to me, for I have but one bar to cut, and I am in town by four o’clock in the morning. They will not miss me till eight, when they come to unlock us. I shall be by that out of their reach. Dear girl, bring me the turf six pieces at a time. When I have got the saw, I must have some friend come round to see the Castle, but take no notice of me, but to see the situation; I am in full north; and come again in one hour after we lock up; bring rope enough to reach over the wall, and he stand on the other side, and hold it till I am up the wall. Fasten a large spike to the end of the rope, and throw it over the wall, and tie knots about nine inches asunder to hold by, and about twenty-five feet long. There is no danger in this, for there is nobody inside after we come to bed. A rainy night will be best; but I will let you know the night by another line. Mr. Prince says he has got a very respectable man, who will come forward and swear to everything of the concern, all but seeing it put in. If anybody can be found to write to Lord F. 0. (alluding to a threat), it will have great effect. Mr. J. B. South-street Grosvenor Square, Mr. B. King’s Mews, Elbs (meaning Theobald’s) Road, Gray’s-Inn Lane, have a good look out, if there is any danger. I shall soon be along with you, with a little of your assistance; by applying to the people above mentioned you will get good intelligence. When you write, direct your letters to Mrs. Howell’s sister. When you come, ask me for my pocket-book, and I can give you all at once. I shall call them things breeches and coat, so you will know.”