Mr. Wheeler’s account is as follows—

November the 23d. 1740.

This day Wm. Duell (who had been indicted at the Old Bayley for a Rape and had received sentence of Death for the same) was carryed to Tyburne in order to be executed where having hung some time was cutt down and brought to this Company’s Hall in order to be dissected where he had not been five minutes before Life appeared in him & being let blood and other means used for his recovery in less than two hours he sat upright drank some warm wine and lookˀd often round him and before he was carryed back to Newgate which was about Twelve o’the Clock at Night he severall times pronounced distinctly the word Dont when anybody touched him though was thought to be mostly insensible of anything but paine which in a great measure he endured by his most violent screamings & was often in strong convulsions in his bowells which he then exprest by applying his hands to those parts.

The Sheriffs having ordered him back to Newgate he was carryed out in a blankett putt into a Coach & was seemingly much composed & quiet not making any manner of noise wherein 3 or 4 days time he recovered sufficient to converse & eat & drink very freely but never could give any reasonable account of what had passed. He afterwards obtained a reprieve in order to be transported for life which he was accordingly in the 16th year of his age. (Vide his Tryall in the Sessions paper of that time.)

The Wardens’ accounts give the following particulars relative to this case:—

£s.d.
Paid the Beadles their expences in bringing the last Body from Tyburne2190
Paid the Officers of the Two Compters220
Paid Joseph Wheeler the Company’s Clerk his Coach hire and expences in attending the Sheriffs when the Body came to life0100
Paid the Chairwoman for her trouble and expences about the Body050

A somewhat similar account of the foregoing circumstance will be found in Maitland’s London (ed. 1756), Vol. I, p. 613, and also in the Gentleman’s Magazine, Vol. X, p. 570.