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    May 91868.3 THE TOMAHAWK. 191 ,

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    ¦ THE PEEP-SHOW.

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    AT THE OLD BAILEY. Scene.—The Central Cr...

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    May 91868.3 The Tomahawk. 191 ,

    May 91868 . 3 THE TOMAHAWK . 191 ,

    ¦ The Peep-Show.

    ¦ THE PEEP-SHOW .

    At The Old Bailey. Scene.—The Central Cr...

    AT THE OLD BAILEY . Scene . —The Central Criminal Court during a trial for murder . bench One-ei ) ghth to three carpet -fourths , red school curtain -desk , , atid form soft , and seat table { forming { composing the famil the Bar y pew , Press { confining , and public the ) prisoner , to . one-ei ) g . hth Long , pla . in "windows , drapery { -less half ground Through glass the ) windows reaching an from extensive the ceiling view towards of brick the wall floor and . leaden the bench sky a . large Ifats clock piled , up under over the the doors clock of the the dock court , above . Facing the dock three bow-shaped galleries . In the centre hot stuffy air the bounded Sozith on by the the North Jtidges by the and Prisoner the City and . Mag his istrates attendants , on , the on public East b . y A the dead Jury silence , and . on Prisoner the West calm by the and Press bare-h arid eaded the : Public capped . excited Text of and the ivhite Judge -wi 's gged remarks , Jud to ge the solem prisoner n and — " black You - shall be hanged by the neck ttntilyou are dead !"

    A SOLEMN scene , my . dear friends , in spite of the coarseness of the Sensational scenery . ? I should think sobut ; there will be : ascene far - more sensational than this when the , Judge has had his . say , and the the Kxecutioher Prisoner Chaplain has has has had had had his his his say say , , ! . and and the last , Press and not has least had , its the say Publi , and c Believe me , the scene I say have . placed before you gains all its effect from the terrible tableau that you know will have to follow before the jtragedy can become complete . If I had chosen another time I might have shown you the prisoner guarded on the best by possible some genial term -looking s with , his well counsel -dressed and gentleman his soli — - citors—on a footing of intimacy with his companions in filled trouble commission with . X" a mi in , red ght the -haire have American d , shown pale-faced you army the informer , and now admitting empty , boasting witness that , of -box his his you evidence the jury is a acquitting mere question three of of the gold prisoners . I mig and ht have condemning shown the fourth—the man with the high colour , blue eyes , regular beetle the stood features huge - beside bro , and we red d him , golden , beard deep nor - furrowed brown and his yellow hair man — -cro not in wned the the of the black white head coarse - , curl faced nor y vul the hair fellow sullen , who face in , and grey-streaked ; beard , but companion the intelligent artisan who gar might have hand done from so the w death ell-and -dealing made such powder a name , had , he had but he turned but kept his fine his intellect to other uses than the concoction of murder—murder prisoners aimless and turning foul . their I mig eyes ht have towards shown heaven you , the and three leaving acquitted their companion to his fate without a word of sympathy or encourageleaving ment . I the mig dock ht have that shown their p you laces the mig genial ht be -looking taken gentlemen by stern , powerfu the Judge l gaolers is passing . But the no sentence ! " I perfer and to paint the Prisoner this moment is listening , when

    to nis doom . ... effective I will though not sentiment it maybe alise . Who over can the love speech or sympathise of the murderer with the , words of Cain ? I will not lay a stress upon the " learned hire Counsels if he " earns and not their honestl doings his —the reward labourer . I is will unworth merel y of tell his of y y me the men audience and . women Yes , ' ' who that would is the have word ; hailed —atidience with ! del I i see ht the before - pearance of the Gladiators in the ring , who would have g shouted ap bull out to "Bravo the tatirOy . blind when -folded the time horse arrived to the for the death infuriated ! I see before gore me men poor and women who have come very to pry into the face of a dying man—to laugh and feast and be merry as they watch the last feeble struggles for life of a miserable wretch should doomed be to so the weak scaffold when ! my I see indignation this , and is so grieve strong that —that my with pen these harpies before me I have not the club of a Hercules ! But my scene is set—now let me attempt to describe it . of First Aldermen for the . Bench The . Alderman Two learned seated Jud under ges and the a theatrical sprinkling - looking don't let sword me abuse has him a right . It to , is be the there proud . Oh righ , I t know of the that wealth : so y cheesemonger , or the successful butcher , or the prosperous

    respected grocer , or " the tinker " long , or -established the " well " -known linendraper " tailor , or who the becomes " highlypossessed of that gorgeous but highly ludicrous robe , —the Alderman Great heavens ' s gown ! how , to preside would the at the Central Central Criminal Criminal Court Court get . on without him ? For all that , we don ' t want more than these one noble " worth intellectual y . Alderman -looking . " gentlemen You see if seated we have beside many the of Jud dignity ges on of the the Bench fed cushion , to mere s , we mortal run the men risk , almost of rendering insupport the - garbed able ! A in nice a purp , stout le and , honest furred , red- gown faced , , and expressionless a pair of shopman ill-fitting trousers it a very , pretty is such si a ght very when pretty the si nice ght , at stout all , times honest , but , red especiall -faced , y ex is - pressionless shopman takes his seat at the Central Criminal murder Court , and ! Oh makes I these believe Aldermen that he , these is trying Aldermen a human , they creature . are such for . merry wags — they have so much quiet humour ! Near the Aldermen you will notice Viscount Crossbones . His lordship has thing been " rather hard better hit latel fun y on than the Newmarket turf , and finds . He this is " telling kind of a good course story ? Yes to , that Captain ' s the man Scull ; . the You firm know supporter Captain and protector Scull , of of the Drama—and the ballet !

    gentlemen Let me with see , who moire have time we than here briefs ? First on their , the hands white . -wigged I have nothing to say to them . They have a right to be here and should be here . I don't complain of the medical student who who is present wears at out the his dissection gown at of a a case corpse for , murder or the sucking . Far from barrister itwhat would the world do without lawyers or doctors ? Nor do I complain of the reporters and journalists—what "would the penny papers do without " scenes in court" and "important Viscount evidence , Crossbones this day 1 " and No . Captai All I n wish Scull to on say the is Bench this , : and I find I find men uncommonly like Captain Scull and Viscount Crossbones ( but not so highly connected ) in the body of the Court ; and I say ( with all possible respect to the aristocracy and the army ) that had I my way , I would put on my thickest pair of boots and I would kick the Captain and the Viscount off the say Bench this , and , knowing their imitators perfectly from well that the body " seeing of the a fellow Court . tried And for I — Viscouht what do Crossbones you call it , and ?—murder so much is , for rather Captain , fun . " Scull So . much R . I . P for . ! But now I must brush up my hair , and smooth down my collar , and look into the glass to see that I have a sweet smile ladies playing . Ladies upon niy do lips you , because hear?— I ladies ' m going listening to talk to about a trial some for murder ! There , , I think that will do : so off with my hat , a low bow , and my very best air of politeness .

    very As charming you see , the indeed dear — young don't ladies they ? in my That peep one -show in they the blue look bonnet is extremely nice ; and as for the dear creature in the white ravissante gauze . Quite and the so . p And ink just rosebuds the p , lace why for , she these is dear absolutel things y — these their ing a creature Court conduct dear of g s irls Justice even during as they better — the isn chatted . trial ' t it Oh , ? you yes and I ' m , would it smiled certain was have jy to , ? too p one liked leasant , had another the to you charm notice , seen and - simpered when the Judge turned towards them , and wiped their Jury lips after , and lunch looked , and so p took leasantly such an at interest the Prisoner in the when verdict the of sen the - tence verdict of of death the Jury was shoul passed d have upon been him . " Wasn guilty ' t V * it nice Oh , it that would the have been so disappointing had the unhappy wretch left the would dock a have free man been ! no " Wh " emotion y , had such in Court a calamity , " and no occurred " black , there cap , " and no " speech of the Prisoner , " and no " sensation 1 " But dislike don ' t let more me than dwell to upon see a it . la ' There - Usappointed is nothing . in the world I faces In before conclusion me ; , and let noted me say then it expression as I looked , I full upon y sympathised the sweet with scheme the for asp g irations iving females . of Mr the . Mill suffrage , and . those Had who woman support only her the ri in g that hts , I Court am certain on that I day could a score have of found fair candidates among those for the darlings post of Common Hangman ! maidens Psha' ! like I weary unto those of my I sarcasm saw at . the Were Old all Bailey our , matrons I'd cry from and the very bottom of my heart , God help Mankind !

• Citation
  • Tomahawk (1867-1870), May 9, 1868, page 191, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_09051868/page/9/