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Untitled Article
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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knoxgqng that if they . be detected ihey * canhot suffer rnor-e than death * ** I was once present * ' ( sa 3 ' S Mr . Gilbert Wakefiek } , ) " at the execution : of a man of undaunted firmness , and ( saving this action of robbing a traveller of a few
shillings ^ without insult or ill * usage , under the seductitn of an hardened accomplice *) of an unexceptionable character . He died , without bravado , and without
obduracy , under a due sense of his awful situation , with the magnanimity of an hero ; despising that merciless and unequal sentence whiqh had brought him to this sad condition . Had I known ' , says he ^ * that I should have suffered thus for that offence , I would not have so easily been taken . ' He was a man of Herculean strength , and capable of destroying haif a dozen constables before he could have been secured , " Life of Wake field . \ . 313—315 .
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Mr * . Bi ^ Flower ' s Account of a man executed for Forgery * ffarloWy Jam . 12 , 1812 . Sir , Amongst otrjer bad effects
resulting from our penal code , the impression ^ there by made on the mind of the sufferer have not been duly considered . Of this I had & remarkable instance when I was in New .
gate in the year 1799 * in consequence of a sentence oithe House oi Lords , for a pretended libel on the . Uisli . ap , of Llaodaff , in defence ofwh ^ cli I l ?* ui ., nothing' to allege but its Truth I
An acquaintance ^ a respectable dissenting minister , one day-called on me { 9 make some inquiry con - cerning a ^ man under sentence of death iux ; / org ^ ry , and who was to mffiej : ; 4 be 09 ftjt 0 iu : e . - of the lavr ; . jn
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the course of the week . H « stated that the preceding day , at a , bookseller ' s , a peison came in and inquired for " Plato on the Immortality of the Soul , " and adding # ' it was for a person in Newgate who was shortly to suffer death . " This led to some further
conversation , and excited a wish oa the part of my friend to h ; ive some conversation with the convict alluded to . In the midst of our conference , Mr . Kir by , the then governor of Newgate ( whose memory
will , be ever respected for his wisdom , kindness and humanity , in the execution of his important office , ) came in , and I informed him of what had passed , on which he at once said lie should be glad if we would converse with the
poor man , as he could not prevail with him to hold any intercourse with the ordinary ot Newgate , or to join in any reli gious service ; offering , at the same time , to introduce us to him immediately , as the following day was appointed for his execution . We
accordingly went into tbe yard , where we found the prisoner walking . Mr . Kirby , who in the kindest manner took him , as well us the other prisoners by the hand , inquiring if they wanted any thing their situation would admit , left us
together ,, We entered into such conversation with the convict as we thought most suitable on the sad occasion . After . some time he addressed us nearly as follows : ¦ — 44 I did not wish for the
conversation of any Christians to disturb me in < my last hours ; but I th ^ nk you foryouVkindness , and will be very frank with you . I have not , I confess , thought much about Christianity , but I tave ^ een enough of it in the lives of its p ro-
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ftl *\ B . \ Flower * s Account of a Man executed for Forge ry * & ?
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1812, page 87, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1745/page/23/
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