FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93  
94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   >>   >|  
PED AT NEWGATE--A YARN IN THE LAW LINE--WITH DUE PRECAUTIONS AND PREPARATIONS, THE DOMINIE MAKES HIS FIRST VOYAGE--TO GRAVESEND. It was on the 7th of November, if I recollect rightly, that Fleming and Marables were called up to trial at the Old Bailey, and I was in the court, with Mr Drummond and the Dominie, soon after ten o'clock. After the judge had taken his seat, as their trial was first on the list, they were ushered in. They were both clean and well dressed. In Fleming I could perceive little difference; he was pale, but resolute; but when I looked at Marables I was astonished. Mr Drummond did not at first recognise him--he had fallen away from seventeen stone to, at the most, thirteen--his clothes hung loosely about him--his ruddy cheeks had vanished--his nose was becoming sharp, and his full round face had been changed to an oblong. Still there remained that natural good-humoured expression in his countenance, and the sweet smile played upon his lips. His eyes glanced fearfully round the court--he felt his disgraceful situation--the colour mounted to his temples and forehead, and he then became again pale as a sheet, casting down his eyes as if desirous to see no more. After the indictment had been read over, the prisoners were asked by the clerk whether they pleaded guilty or not guilty. "Not guilty," replied Fleming, in a bold voice. "John Marables--guilty or not guilty?" "Guilty," replied Marables--"guilty, my lord;" and he covered his face with his hands. Fleming was indicted on three counts;--an assault, with intent to murder; having stolen goods in his possession; and for a burglary in a dwelling-house, on such a date; but I understand that they had nearly twenty more charges against him, had these failed. Marables was indicted for having been an accessary to the last charge, as receiver of stolen goods. The counsel for the crown, who opened the trial, stated that Fleming, _alias_ Barkett, _alias_ Wenn, with many more _aliases_, had for a long while been at the head of the most notorious gang of thieves which had infested the metropolis for many years; that justice had long been in search of him, but that he had disappeared, and it had been supposed that he had quitted the kingdom to avoid the penalties of the law, to which he had subjected himself by his enormities. It appeared however, that he had taken a step which not only blinded the officers of the police, but at the same time h
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93  
94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

guilty

 

Marables

 

Fleming

 
Drummond
 
stolen
 

indicted

 
replied
 

assault

 

murder

 

intent


dwelling
 

desirous

 

counts

 

casting

 

possession

 
burglary
 

indictment

 

Guilty

 

pleaded

 
covered

prisoners

 
opened
 

kingdom

 

quitted

 

penalties

 

supposed

 

justice

 
search
 

disappeared

 

subjected


police

 

officers

 

blinded

 

enormities

 

appeared

 

metropolis

 

infested

 

accessary

 

charge

 

receiver


failed

 

twenty

 

charges

 

counsel

 

notorious

 

thieves

 
aliases
 

stated

 

Barkett

 

understand