On that day the necessary witnesses to his crime were called, and their depositions formally taken, and the prisoner was then called upon for his defence. His address to the magistrates was highly characteristic of the old sailor, a station to which it appears the prisoner was entitled. He said, “I own myself in a great fault for throwing these stones at his Majesty. I was in Greenwich Hospital on the 16th of December last, as an in-pensioner. I had been there eighteen months. The ward-keeper was sweeping the place, and I told him he had no business to sweep it more than once a-day; the boatswain’s mate abused me, and I returned it. A complaint was then made to Sir Richard Keats (the governor), and I was expelled for life. I petitioned to the Lords of the Admiralty to have the pension which I had before I went into the hospital restored to me. I am entitled to that pension by an act passed in the reign of George IV., which entitles a pensioner to have the same pension which he had before he became an in-pensioner, unless he struck an officer, or committed felony, or did anything of the kind, which I did no such thing; on the 19th of last April I petitioned the king to have my pension restored. He answered by sending the petition to the Lords of the Admiralty, and Mr. Barrow, the secretary, sent a letter to me at the public-house, the Admiral Duncan, with the same answer the king gave. The answer was, that ‘His Majesty could do nothing for me.’ This was part in writing, and part in print. I had neither workhouse nor overseer to apply to, and had not broke my fast for three days; merely distress drove me to it. His majesty never did me an injury, and I am exceedingly sorry I threw a stone or anything else at his majesty. On the 17th of the present month I went to Admiral Rowley’s; he swore at me and kicked me. I can only say I am very sorry for what I have done, and must suffer the law. They had no right to take my pension from me, to which I was entitled by Act of Parliament.”
This was all the wretched man said, and he was then fully committed for trial in the customary form, upon the charge of high treason.
His trial took place at Abingdon on Wednesday the 22d August, when he was arraigned upon an indictment, charging him with assaulting his majesty, with intent to kill and murder him,—with intent to maim and disable him,—and with intent to do him some grievous bodily harm.
The prisoner pleaded not guilty, and the case was immediately commenced. The evidence was conclusive as to the facts which we have stated, and a verdict of “Guilty” upon the last count was returned.
The sentence awarded by the law to the offence of high treason was immediately passed, the prisoner being ordered to be drawn and quartered, in obedience to the ancient and long existing practice.
It was directly known that a sentence so severe would not be carried into full effect upon a man whose only crime appeared to have been insanity, although there was no distinct evidence by which this supposition could be proved; and on the following Friday, a respite was received at Abingdon jail, by which the punishment of death was removed in the case of the wretched old convict.
Collins, at the time of his trial, was upwards of seventy years of age, and, as his defence before the magistrates imported, he had served in the navy for many years. His gallant conduct in an action was the cause of his losing his leg, and he was compelled to quit the service. He subsequently exerted himself to procure his admission to Greenwich Hospital, and eventually he succeeded; but he was expelled for the misconduct which he pointed out. From this time he appears to have supported himself by begging, and he was well known at the various fairs and race-courses, which, however, he had previously been in the habit of frequenting in a similar character.
His sentence was eventually commuted to transportation for life, and he was sent from this country to Van Dieman’s Land. A short residence in that colony ended his days. He died at Port Philip in the spring of the year 1834.