John Baker examined by the Attorney-General.—I am butler to Lord Harrowby. The cards of invitation were issued for the cabinet dinner on the 18th, or 19th. It was about eight in the evening of the 23d when I first knew that the Cabinet were not to dine at my Lord Harrowby’s. The preparations for it went on till then. The Archbishop of York lives next door to my Lord Harrowby’s. I can’t say whether his grace had company on the 23d of February. I noticed several carriages draw up at his door.
John Monument examined by the Solicitor-General.—I am by trade a shoemaker. I generally live near Brooks’-market, but I am now a prisoner in the Tower. I know the prisoner Thistlewood. I met him at the house of one Ford some weeks before the transactions of the 23d of February. He afterwards called upon me at my lodgings. He was not alone. Brunt was with him. He told me that he wanted to speak with me in private. In consequence I went out of the room with him, my mother and brother being at that time in the room with me. Brunt staid behind when I went out. Thistlewood then said to me, “Great events are now close at hand—the people are every where anxious for a change. He had been promised support by a great many men, who had deceived him, but he had now got men who would stand by him.”
He then asked me if I had any arms. I said, “No, I had not.” He said, that every man of them, that is, of those who were attached to him, had arms, pikes, pistols, or sabres; and added, that I might buy a pistol for four or five shillings. I said that I was too poor to buy one. He replied, that if such were the case, he would see what could be done for me. Brunt called upon me again in four or five days. He said, that he could not stay long with me; there were several more men of his trade waiting to see him on this business, and he must call on them. I did not see him afterwards for some time. He called, however, again upon me on the Tuesday previous to the 23d. I then told him that I thought I had lost him, as he had staid away so very long. He replied, that owing to the King’s death, an alteration had taken place in their plans. I asked what those plans were. He said that I should know them better at a meeting to be held the night afterwards, than he could tell me. I asked him where the meeting was to be. He said at Tyburn-turnpike. He did not tell me what was to be done there.
I asked him if I was to see any persons there how I was to know them as friends, and requested him to give me the word. Brunt then told me, that if I saw any persons about, I was to say B-U-T; and if they were friends, they would say T-O-N. He would, however, call on me the following morning, and tell me more particulars.
On the Wednesday afternoon, between four and five, he did call again: he came by himself. He called me down stairs, and asked me if I was ready to go. I said, “No, I have got some work to do, and it must be done before I go.” He asked me how long it would be before it was finished. I said, that it would be done about six o’clock. He then said, that he could not wait for me so long—that I must therefore come to the place appointed along with the man to whom he had introduced me; that man’s name was Tidd. He charged me not to be later than six o’clock, as Tidd had others as well as myself, to take with him to the place of meeting.
I went to Tidd’s at half-past six, who complained that many men had disappointed him. We waited till seven, but no person came. Tidd then went into a corner of the room, took out a large pistol, and stuck it in a belt, which he wore round his waist. He also took out four or five pike-heads, which he wrapped up in brown paper. He took also several shafts, four or five feet long. We then went out, along Holborn, and up Oxford-street. I asked him, in his room, where we were going. He said to a room in a mews in John-street, Edgware-road. When we got into Holborn, he gave me the pike-shafts, and told me to take care of them. I asked him again, as we were going along, where we were going; and wanted to know whether it was to the House of Commons. He said, “No, there were too many soldiers near there.” I again pressed him on the subject, and he said that they were going to Grosvenor-square, as there was a cabinet dinner there that evening. I did not ask him any more questions; for on his saying that, I was satisfied for what purpose they were going.
We then went to Cato-street. Under the archway I saw two men, whom Tidd appeared to know. He spoke to them; and, after a few moments we all went into the stable together. There were in the loft and stable about twenty-four or twenty-five persons. I had not been there long when some one proposed to count the numbers assembled. Thistlewood replied, that there was no occasion to do so, as he knew that there were about four or five and twenty persons in the room. There was a person in a brown great coat sitting on a carpenter’s bench, who spoke of the impropriety of going with so small a number to Lord Harrowby’s. Thistlewood replied, there were quite enough of them. He only wanted thirteen to go into the room, and supposing Lord Harrowby to have sixteen servants, that number would be quite enough to master them.
The man in the brown coat said, “After we have done, there will be a crowd about the door, how are we to make our escape?” Thistlewood said, “You know the larger body is already gone to arrange matters; we, the smaller, are left to do the business.” Davidson then blamed the tall man in the brown great coat for throwing cold water on the plan, and added, that if he was afraid, he might as well go away. Brunt said, “Rather than give up the business, I will go to the house and blow it up, though I perish myself in the ruins, for you know we have got that which can easily do it.” The man in the great coat then said, as they were all for it, he would not oppose it. He then proposed that all in the room should put themselves under the orders of Thistlewood. Upon which Thistlewood said, that all engaged in the business were equal, and should have the same honour as himself, and proposed that fourteen should volunteer to go into the room at Lord Harrowby’s. Those that volunteered were to range themselves on the side in which the fire-place stood. They did so in the course of a few minutes. Whether they were exactly fourteen I don’t know.
I heard nothing said of what the rest were to do. On somebody asking that question, Thistlewood replied, that they all knew their places. Thistlewood then went out for a few moments. On his return, he said that he had received intelligence that the Duke of Wellington and Lord Sidmouth had arrived at Lord Harrowby’s. I was myself taken into custody in the room.
Cross-examined by Mr. Adolphus.—I never saw Thistlewood till I saw him at Ford’s. I attended at the meeting in Finsbury-market. I was so far off that I could not tell whether Thistlewood was there, nor even the purpose of the meeting. There was no particular acquaintance at that time between me and Thistlewood. I did not then know Brunt or Edwards. There was a long interval between my first and second conversation with Brunt. I thought that they had done with me, finding me so reluctant to join in their measures. The man in the brown coat was not Adams. I have seen Adams since, at Hicks’s Hall. The room was much crowded—the parties in it were eating bread and cheese. I do not know that I ever saw Adams before I saw him at Hicks’s Hall. I recollect the prisoner Davidson from his colour. If any person had addressed them besides the man in the brown coat, I must have heard him. I was taken in the room when the soldiers came. I had no arms. I made no resistance.