Simmons, a footman, living with a respectable family in Seymour-street. He underwent an examination before the secretary of state for the home department, and another before the magistrates at Bow-street, was ultimately committed to Tothill-fields’ prison.
Tadd, a shoemaker, of whom the following account was given at the period of his arrest. He is a man of the age of 49, and lived with his wife and family in a small and miserable dwelling situated in the Hole-in-the-Wall-passage, leading from Baldwin’s-gardens to Torrington-street. His family consists of one daughter, and two orphan children, whom he had taken under his care. Tadd has been esteemed among his neighbours, and by those who have employed him in his trade, as an industrious sober man, and an excellent workman. He has earned by his own hands forty shillings a week, and very often even a greater sum. During the whole course of his life, he was never known to neglect his work, or become inebriated; but within the last week he had been in a drunken state, and his family had been at a loss to account for the extraordinary change in his conduct. On Wednesday night, three men came to Tadd while in such a state of drunkenness as scarcely to be able to keep his legs, and forced him away, notwithstanding the earnest entreaties and remonstrances of his wife and family. Nothing was said by the men who took him away, as to their object, either to the wife or any one in the house; and during the whole night, and the greater part of the next day, they were in total ignorance of the circumstances since disclosed, and were at a loss to account for the absence of Tadd. In the morning (Thursday), between seven and eight o’clock, two men came to the house, laden with a box of a considerable size, and, putting it down on the floor, said, “they would call in a few minutes for it.” The men refused to answer the interrogatories put to them as to their object in leaving the box, and only repeated, that, they would call in a short time, and take it away. Very soon afterwards, two more men came with a large bundle of sticks, some of them of the thickness of a man’s wrist. These were left in a similar manner, and the men also refused to answer any questions, saying only, that they would call again for them in a few minutes. Ten minutes had not elapsed before two police-officers entered the house, and seized the box and sticks. When opened, the box was discovered to contain a great number of pike-heads, sharpened ready for use. The sticks were also seized, and carried away by the officers. It would appear, from this statement, that Tadd was taken by the three men whom we have described to the stable in Cato-street, where he was subsequently apprehended, and carried to Bow-street, together with several others.
Robert Adams, living in a miserable hovel in Brooks’-market, Holborn, and working as a shoemaker. He some time since was a private in the Royal Horse-guards, in which regiment he served for five years. He very much resembles Thistlewood in his person, but has a cast in his left eye.
In addition to these arrests, several warrants were issued, among which was one against a native of France.
The lodgings of Thistlewood, and of all the others who were taken into custody, were searched, and several important papers, and quantities of arms, were discovered and seized. Among those found in Thistlewood’s apartment was a copy of the bill furnished to Dr. Watson by Mr. Ottley, owner of the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, for the expenses of the dinner given to Hunt, on his return from Manchester. Judging from his former connexions, it may be considered as fortunate for the Doctor that he was not able to liquidate this debt, being at the time of the arrests an inmate of Whitecross-street prison on account of this bill, and thus saved from the temptation of joining his former associates.
It is a singular fact, that when Thistlewood was arrested, he had not a farthing of money in his possession. The same observation may be made with respect to his comrades, all of whom were in the most wretched state of poverty.
We will here suspend for a time the particulars of the proceedings against the Conspirators, for the purpose of recording the proceedings of the Coroner’s Inquest on the body of Richard Smithers, the unfortunate Bow-street officer, who was murdered, as before stated, when in the execution of his duty, in Cato-street. The inquest was held on Friday the 25th February, at the Horse and Groom public-house, John-street, Edgeware-road, which is situated but a few yards from the spot where the atrocious deed was perpetrated. In the course of the day great numbers of persons visited the miserable building which the Conspirators had selected as the scene of their deliberations, and one universal feeling of horror and detestation against Thistlewood and his infamous associates appeared to actuate the multitude.
The Coroner for the county of Middlesex, Thomas Stirling, Esq., having arrived, and proclamation having been made by the beadle of the parish of St. Mary-le-bone, that the Jury summoned should proceed to inquire “when, how, and by what means, Richard Smithers came by his death,” the Jury were sworn.
The foreman of the jury observed to the coroner, that he and his fellow-jurors wished to inspect the body in the presence of the surgeon, in order that he might be ready to answer any question that might arise on the moment. This suggestion was complied with; and on the return of the jury from viewing the body,