"John Merridew, you have now the opportunity of stating your own case."
He began in a trembling voice. He said that he had been long a sheriff"s officer: that he had incurred great odium by his zeal in the arrest of criminals: that it was not true that he had concocted any plot either with Mr. Probus or with the other prisoners: that he was a man of consideration whose evidence had frequently been received with respect in that very court: that it was not true, further, as had been stated by the Prosecution, that he had ever encouraged thieves or advised them to become highwaymen: that, if he went to such places as the Black Jack, it was to arrest villains in the cause of Justice: that he deposed at the last trial, what he saw or thought he saw--namely a scuffle: he might have been in too great a hurry to conclude that the late prisoner Halliday was the a.s.saulting party: the night was dark: he only knew the two witnesses as two rogues whom he intended to bring to justice on a dozen capital charges for each, as soon as he was out of Newgate: and that he was a person--this he earnestly begged the Court to consider--without whom the criminal Courts would be empty and Justice would be rendered impossible. With more to the same effect, and all with such servile cringings and entreaties for special consideration as did him, I am convinced, more harm than good.
When it came to the Doctor"s turn, he boldly declared that if the verdict of the Jury went against him--"And gentlemen," he said, "I must own that the evidence has certainly placed me in a strange, and unexpected and most painful position"--he would bring over the Archbishop of Dublin: the Dean of St. Patrick"s Cathedral: and the Provost of Trinity College: besides n.o.blemen of the Irish Peerage and many of his old parishioners in order to prove that he was what he pretended to be. "The a.s.surance, gentlemen, that I shall be thus supported, enables me to bear up even against your possible view of the case and his Lordship"s possible opinion. To a Divine of unblemished life it is, I confess, inexpressibly painful to be confused with forgers and highwaymen."
Lastly, the gallant Captain spoke of himself. "This," he said with a front of bra.s.s, "is a case of most unfortunate resemblance. It appears that I bear some likeness to a certain notorious robber and highwayman called, it is said, the Captain." Here the whole Court burst into laughter, so unabashed was the villain when he p.r.o.nounced these words.
He looked round him with affected wonder. "The event of this trial, however," he went on, "matters but little because in two or three weeks I can bring to town the Mayor and Alderman, the Town Clerk, the Rector of the Church and the Master of the Grammar School of my native town to testify that I am what I have declared myself to be. This being so, gentlemen, you may proceed, if you please, to do your duty."
The Judge then summed up. He went through the whole case, adopting the views of the Counsel for the Prosecution. He said that the evidence before him was practically unshaken. It showed that these men, who had pretended to know nothing of each other were in fact banded and allied together--in short he gave the whole weight of his opinion against the prisoners. Indeed, I cannot think what else he would do seeing the nature of the evidence. So he left the jury to find their verdict.
They found it, without leaving the box. It was a verdict of "Guilty"
against all four prisoners. I looked to see the Judge a.s.sume the black cap. To my surprise, he did not. He began by commenting in the strongest terms on the diabolical wickedness of the conspiracy. He said that he could find no difference as to the respective guilt of one or the other. The prisoner Probus, a member of a learned profession, was the contriver or designer of the deed: perhaps he might be thought the worst. Indeed, his was a depth of infamy to which it was difficult to find a rival or an equal. He would be punished worse than the rest because he would infallibly lose by his disgrace his profession and his practice. The infamy of the prisoner Merridew, when one considered the hold that he had over a large number of criminals and rogues, was very close to that of the prisoner Probus. He had apparently forced the other two into carrying out the plot, on threat of informing against them. In short, he p.r.o.nounced the sentence of the court; namely, that the prisoners should stand in pillory for an hour and then be imprisoned for the s.p.a.ce of four years.
On hearing the sentence Mr. Merridew shrieked aloud. "My Lord!" he cried. "My Lord! Have mercy! They will murder me!"
They led him off crying that he was a murdered man. The Doctor swelled out his ca.s.sock. "The Archbishop," he said, "will arrive, I believe, next week. There will still be time for his Grace to procure my release." So rolling his head and squaring his sleeves, he followed along the pa.s.sage which leads to the Prison.
I left the Court and made my way through the crowd to the gates of Newgate in order to tell Jenny.
"Four years," she said, "will more than suffice to ruin the man Merridew. His companies of thieves will be broken up; he will no longer have any hold over them. He will have to turn rogue himself. When all has been said, this is the greatest villain of them all. I hope they will not maltreat the prisoners in pillory; because there they are defenceless. But a thief-taker--a thief-taker, they cannot abide. If I were Mr. Merridew I should wish the job well over."
While we were discoursing there came a message from the Captain. Would Madame grant him the favour of speech with her?
He came in, walking with his heavy clanking irons. He had lost the braggart swagger which he a.s.sumed at the trial, and now looked as humble as any pickpocket about to undergo the discipline of the pump.
"Madame," he said, "I thank you for this favour."
"Your trial is over, Captain, I hear."
"It is over," he sighed. "Mr. Halliday, Sir, I hope you are satisfied."
"I desire no revenge," I said. "I want safety and peace--nothing more.
These blessings you and your friends denied me."
"It is quite true, Sir. It was a most d.a.m.nable plot. The only excuse for me is that I had no choice but to comply and obey, or be hanged."
"Captain, I do not desire more of your company than is necessary. Will you tell me what you want of me?"
"The sentence is"--he made a wry face--"Pillory, Pillory, Madame. And four years" imprisonment. But the four years will pa.s.s--what I fear is Pillory."
"I have heard of a man"s friends protecting him."
"Mine will do what they can. But, Madame, my fear is not so much on my own account as that I may be put up on the same scaffold with Mr.
Merridew or Mr. Probus. There isn"t a rogue in London who will not come out with something for the thief-taker. Madame, no one knows the terror in which we poor robbers live. The world envies us our lot; they think it is glorious to ride out of a moonlight night and stop the coach all alone. They don"t know that the thief-taker is always behind the highwayman. He lays his hand on the largest share of the swag; he encourages lads to take the roads, and whenever he wants money he says that the time is up and then he takes the reward. My time was up."
"I know all this--unhappily--as well as you. What do you want me to do?"
"Mr. Probus--he will prove quite as unpopular as Merridew. They thirst for his blood. There will be murder done in the pillory. Madame, for the love of G.o.d, do something for me."
"What?"
"You have great influence. Everybody knows what powerful friends you have. Make them put the two unpopular prisoners on the same scaffold.
They will share the flints between them. Let me stand up beside the Bishop. n.o.body will give us much more than a dead cat or two and a basket of rotten eggs. But the other two"--he shivered with cold terror--"I know not what will happen to them."
"Well, Captain, perhaps if Merridew gives up the profession, you may possibly turn honest man again when you go out of this place."
He shook his head. "No, that is impossible."
"Well, I will do this. The Governor of the Prison is civil to me. I will ask him as a special favour to place you as you desire. I hope that you both--the Bishop as well as yourself--will enjoy your short hour on that elevated position. Will, give the Captain a bottle of wine to take away with him. You can go, sir."
CHAPTER XX
THE HONOURS OF THE MOB
It was far from my intention to witness the reception of my friends in Pillory from the sympathizing mob. I was, however, reminded that the day had arrived by finding in my morning walk from Lambeth to the Old Bailey the Pillory itself actually erected, in St Martin"s Lane, somewhat above St. Martin"s Church. It was put up in the open s.p.a.ce where Long Acre runs into St Martin"s Lane, very nearly in the actual spot where the a.s.sault was delivered and the plot carried out A just retribution. Even now, after thirty years, only to think of the villainy causes my blood to boil: nothing surely could be bad enough for these creatures, vilest of all the vile creatures of this wicked town. At the same time when I saw the preparations that were making for the reception of the criminals, my heart sank, and I would willingly have spared them all and forgiven them all to save them from what followed.
The pillory, on a scaffold four feet high, was put up with "accommodation"--if we may so describe it--for two persons standing side by side, so that they could not see each other. They were also so close together that favours intended for the face of one might if they missed him be received by some part of the body of the other. A vast crowd was already a.s.sembled, although the sentence would not be carried out till eleven, and it was then barely nine. The crowd consisted of the sc.u.m and off-scouring of the whole city: there was a company from Southwark.
While I was looking on, they arrived marching in good form like soldiers: there were contributions from Turnmill Street and Hockley-by-the-Hole: there were detachments from the Riverside: from St.
Katherine"s by the Tower: from Clerkenwell: but, above all, from St.
Giles"s.
"Who is to stand up there to-day?" I asked one of them--a more decent-looking man than most. Of course, I knew very well, but I wished to find out what the people intended.
"Where do you come from, not to know that?" the man replied. "Tis the thief-taker: him that makes the rogue: teaches the rogue and then sells the rogue. Now we"ve got him--wait till we leave him. And there"s the lawyer who made the plot to hang a man. We"ve got him, too. We don"t often get a lawyer. Wait a bit--wait a bit. You shall see what they"ll look like when we leave them."
He had his ap.r.o.n full of something or other--rotten eggs, perhaps: or rotten apples: or, perhaps, brickbats. The faces of all around expressed the same deadly look of revenge. I thought of the Captain"s terror, and of his pet.i.tion to Jenny; that he might be put up with the Bishop; it was impossible not to feel awed and terrified at the aspect of so much hatred and such deliberate preparation for revenge. A thief-taker and a lawyer! Oh! n.o.ble opportunity! Some carried baskets filled with missiles: some had their ap.r.o.ns full; the women for their part brought rotten eggs and dead cats, stinking rabbits, and all kinds of putrid offal in baskets and in their arms, as if they had been things precious and costly. They conferred together and laughed, grimly telling what they had to throw, and how they would throw it.
"I don"t waste my basket," said one, "on rotten eggs. There"s something here sharper than rotten eggs. He took my man before his time was up, because he wanted the money. My man was honest before he met Merridew, who made him a rogue, poor lad!--yes, made him--told him what to do--taught him: made him a highwayman: told him where to go; hired a horse for him and gave him a pistol. Then he sold him--got forty pounds and a Tyburn ticket for him and twenty pounds allowance for his own horse. Oh! If my arm is strong enough! Let me get near him--close to him, good people."
"He took my son," said another, "to be sure he was a rogue, but he thieved in a safe way till John Merridew got him. If I had my strength that I used to have it wouldn"t be rotten eggs; but never mind--there"s others besides me. Don"t waste your brickbats: throw straight: let the women get to the front. Oh! He shall look very pretty when he is carried home. He shall have a pleasant hour with his friends. We love him, don"t we? We love him like a son, we do."
This man had for years exercised absolute sway over Rogueland. He instructed the young in the various branches of the criminal"s horrid trade: he led them on from pocket-picking to stealing from stalls and bulkheads: to shop-lifting; to burglary; to robbery in the street: to forgery: to coining and issuing false coin: to highway robbery and, at times, to murder. "Twas the most accomplished and the most desperate villain that ever lived--I cannot believe that his like was ever known.
No one dared to cross him or to refuse his orders. If anyone should be so presumptuous, he speedily repented in Newgate under a capital charge followed by a capital sentence. There are so many ways of getting hanged, and so few outside the law know what offences may be capital and what are not, that there was never any certainty in the mind of the smallest rogue that he was safe from such a charge. Children of fourteen on his information were hung as well as grown men: little girls of fourteen were hung on his information as well as grown women: for shop-lifting, for lifting linen from the hedge--why this devil incarnate would instigate a child to commit a capital offence and then give him into custody for the reward, careless whether the child was hanged or not. It was a terrible end that he met with. I read sometimes of dreadful punishments: of tortures and agonies: yet I cannot picture to myself a punishment more awful than to stand up before an infuriated and implacable mob; to look down upon thousands of faces and to see no gleam of relenting upon one: not one with a tear of pity: to hear their yells of execration: to see their arms springing up with one consent----Poor wretch! Poor wretch!
These people knew very well that Mr. Merridew could hang them all: that, in course of time, he would hang them all; and that, if they offended him, he would hang them all at once. It was a terrible weapon for one man to wield: nor can I believe that the laws of the land intended that any one man should be able to wield such a weapon. Why they allowed him to exist I know not--seeing their insensibility to crime, one would think that they would have murdered him long before. From wives he had taken their husbands; from mothers their sons; from girls their sweethearts: he had taken their wives and their mistresses from the men; he had taken the boys--one cannot say the innocent boys--from their playfellows; and he had hanged them all. It would be interesting to know how many he had hanged, this murderous, blood-stained villain, whose heart was like the nether millstone for hardness.
The punishment of pillory hands a man over to the people, for judgment and execution or for acquittal or for pardon. The law says practically, "We find him guilty: we a.s.sign him a term of imprisonment: it is for the people to increase the punishment or to protest against it." In the case of a common rogue, whose offence is in no way remarkable, a few rotten eggs, broken on his face and dropping yellow streams over the nose and cheeks, please the mob, who like this harmless demonstration in favour of virtue which does not hurt their friend and brother, the prisoner. In other cases, where the sympathy of the people is entirely with the prisoner, one hour of pillory means an hour of triumph. For they bring bands of music and welcome the criminal; they shout applause: they hang the pillory with flowers: they take out the horses and drag the carriage. This happened to Dr. Shebbeare, who came to the pillory in the sheriff"s carriage and stood in front of the pillory, not in it, a man holding an umbrella over his head the whole time to keep off the rain.
It is, however, the most terrible punishment that can be devised when the mob are infuriated with the prisoner. In this case the thief-taker, the Man-slayer was about to stand before them: and with him the designer of a plot to take away the life of an innocent man.
The crowd now became so dense that it was impossible to get forwards or back. Therefore, though it might seem revengeful to look on at the popular reception of these two wretches, I was fain to stay where I was, namely, on the top step of Slaughter"s Coffee House. The time pa.s.sed quickly while I stood looking on and listening. The crowd grew thicker: on the outskirts with me were many respectable persons. Their indignation against the crime was, like mine, tempered by the prospect of the horrible punishment that awaited the evil-doers. I would not tell them that I myself was the object of this plot, for fear of being considered as wishing to enjoy a revenge full and satisfying.
"The greatest villain of the four," said one gentleman, "is the attorney. He will barely escape, I think: but these people are a.s.sembled to vent their revenge upon the thief-taker. I know not whether, when he is gone, crime will decrease, but it is time that something was done to prevent the encouragement of crime with one hand, and the arrest of the criminal with the other. Such a wretch, Sir, is not fit to live."
"And," said another, "unless I mistake, we are here to witness the resolution of the mob that he shall no longer live."