Account of WILLIAM LOWTHER, and RICHARD KEELE, who were convicted of Murder, and hanged at Clerkenwell Green.

WILLIAM

TILLIAM LOWTHER, was a native of Cumberland, and being bound to the mafter of a Newcastle fhip which traded to London, became acquainted with fome of that low and abandoned company which is always to be found in the metropolis.

Richard Keele was a native of Hampshire, and ferved his time to a barber in Winchefter; and on coming to London, he married and fettled in his own bufinefs in Rotherhithe; but not living happily with his wife, he parted from her, cohabited with another woman, and affociated with a number of disorderly people, till the commiffion of the crime for which his life paid the forfeit.

On the 10th of December, 1713, they were indicted at the Old Bailey, for affifting Charles Houghton in the murder of Edward Perry.

The cafe was as follows. Houghton, one Cullum, and the Prisoners, having been convicted of felony at the Old Bailey, were fentenced to be kept to hard labour in Clerkenwell Bridewell for two years. On their being carried thither, Mr. Boreman, the keeper, thought it neceffary to put them in irons, to prevent their efcape. This they all refused to fubmit to, and Boreman having ordered the irons, they broke into the room where the arms were depofited, which they seized, and then attacked the keeper and his affiftants, whom they cruelly beat. Lowther bit off part of a man's nofe. At this time Perry was without the gate, and defired the prisoners to be peaceable; but advancing towards them he was ftab

bed

bed by Houghton, and during the affray Houghton was fhot dead.

The prisoners being at length victorious, many of them made their efcape; but the neighbours giving their affiftance, Keele and Lowther (and feveral others) were taken, and were convicted on the clearest evidence. Before the paffing fentence, Keele endeavoured to extenuate his crime; but he was informed by the court that he must be deemed equally guilty with the reft of his companions, as he had oppofed the keepers in the execution of their duty.

Some time after conviction a finith went to the prifon to take measure of them for chains in which they were to be hung, pursuant to an order from the fecretary of ftate's office; but they refused to let him do his duty.

On the morning of execution, being the 13th of December, 1713, they were carried from Newgate to Clerkenwell Green, and there hanged on a gallows erected on the occafion; after which their bodies were put into a cart, drawn by four horfes, decorated with plumes of black feathers; and were hung in chains on the day after their

execution.

While thefe unhappy men lay under fentence of death, they appeared to have a due fenfe of the enormity of the crime of which they had been guilty, and made ferious preparation for the important change they were to undergo: but at the place of exécution Keele afked the underfheriff if they were to be hung in chains; when the answer given was, "Don't concern yourself "about your body, but take care of your poor "foul."

It is very remarkable that many unhappy convicts have been more anxious that their bodies

fhould

fhould not hang in chains, than even for the prefervation of life itfelf: fuch is the fense of shame which prevails in the minds of those whose crimes have been fo atrocious, that one would conjecture they had been hardened beyond all idea of fhame. What is the inference to be drawn from this fact? It feems evident that fuch is the corruption of the human heart, that men will commit thofe crimes without blufhing, the flightest punishment of which they cannot bear the idea of: for furely the hanging in chains, after death, can fcarcely be deemed a punishment. In fact, it is not intended as a punishment to the deceased, but a terror to the living and it is a circumftance of the utmoft difgrace, and the most mortifying to the human feelings, to be hung up between heaven and earth, as if unworthy of either; the fport of the winds, a prey for the birds of the air, and an object of pity, fcorn and derifion to their fellow creatures.

There is no faying to what lengths any man may proceed who once departs from the path of integrity. Many a perfon has been executed for murder, whose first crimes were of a very inferior nature but vice is not only rapid, but greedy in its progrefs. It is like a fnow ball rolled down a hill: its bulk encreases by its own swiftnefs.

Hence let the young and the thoughtless be taught to guard against the first approaches of vice: to fhun the contamination of bad company, as they would a peftilence; and, in the Scripture phrafe, to "fly from all appearance of evil."

The

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Account of HENRY PLUNKET, who was hanged at Tyburn, for Murder.

H

ENRY PLUNKET, was a native of a place called Saar-Lewis, in the dutchy of Lorrain, and was the fon of an Irish gentleman, who held the rank of Colonel in the French fervice, and was related to father Plunket, a prieft, who was called the primate of Ireland, and came to a fatal end in the year 1679. Young Plunket was made a lieutenant when he was only ten years of age, and served under his father in Flanders, Germany, and Italy. He was remarkably diftinguifhed for his courage, having never exhibited the leaft fign of fear in all the engagements in which he was concerned.

Having been a while at Oftend, he came over to England with a gentleman named Reynard, having fled from that place on account of having murdered a man.

He was indicted at the Old Bailey, for the murder of Thomas Brown, by cutting his throat with a razor, on the 30th of August, 1714.

It appeared, in the courfe of the evidence, that the prifoner lodged in the parifh of St. Anne, Soho, in the fame houfe with the deceased, who being a peruke-maker by trade, Plunket bespoke a wig of him, which Brown finished, and asked feven pounds for it, but at length lowered his demand to fix: Plunket bid him four pounds for it; but was fo enraged at what he thought an exorbitant price, that he took up a razor, cut his throat, and then made his escape; but was apprehended on the following day. Vol. I. No. 5.

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As

As foon as the horrid deed was perpetrated, Brown came down ftairs in a bloody condition, holding his hands to his throat: on which a furgeon was fent for, who dreffed his wounds, and gave him fome cordials; by which he was fo far recovered as to be able to defcribe the prifoner, who, he faid, stood behind him, pulled back his head, and cut him twice on the throat.

It was proved that a fword and a pair of gloves belonging to the prifoner were found on a bed in the room where Brown was murdered; and Plunket having nothing material to urge in his defence, was found guilty, received fentence of death, and was executed at Tyburn, on the 22d of September, 1714.

He profeffed to die a Roman Catholic; and it was with the utmost difficulty he was brought to confefs the juftice of the fentence in confequence of which he fuffered.

This was one of the moft unprovoked murders of which we ever remember to have read. Plunket bespoke a wig of Brown, and because the latter afked more for it than the other fuppofed it to be worth, he is irritated to fuch a degree of paffion as to cut his throat; The fhort and ferious leffon to be learnt from this fhocking narrative is, to guard carefully againft the first impulfe of fudden paffion; and to remember, that without a conftant guard of this kind is kept on ourselves, that the human heart is "corrupt above all things, and defperately wicked."

May the preventing grace of God keep us all from being guilty of crimes of this atrocious nature; crimes which are affuredly and feverely punished in this world, and which threaten the moft dreadful and lasting torments in the next.

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