Part 3

Several of the inhabitants of Cato-street had observed, since the preceding Monday, strange-looking men coming about the empty premises. On the morning of Wednesday, (the day of the arrest) they saw Davidson, the man of colour, and three others, watching at different ends of the street, while some of their associates were heard nailing up the windows within the loft. Before dusk Davidson again made his appearance, with a sack on his back, which the neighbours at the time supposed to contain carpenters’ tools for repairing or new-modelling the interior of the building, but which had in fact conveyed the arms with which they were to equip themselves for their daring enterprise. After the arsenal was formed, the band arrived; and the people in the public-house were surprised, if not alarmed, to see upwards of twenty persons, entire strangers to the place, hovering about their premises, and at last entering the den. Still they had no suspicion of what was going forward, and no presentiment of what was in a short time to occur. The police soon arrived, and the murderous struggle took place which we have already described.

The body of Smithers, who was murdered, was removed to the Horse and Groom public-house, opposite. He must have died instantly, and without convulsion. He received only one wound, about an inch below his right breast, and about an inch in width. His body was exposed in a room on the first floor of the public-house, above-mentioned, in the dress in which he was killed. His breast and neck were covered with blood, but his countenance was as placid, and his features as composed, as if their expression had been arrested, and life extinguished, during a tranquil sleep. On his death being mentioned to Lord Sidmouth, his Lordship expressed great regret at the event, and sympathy for his surviving widow; saying, with great humanity, that, as he could not, restore to her her husband, he would take care that she should not want his assistance in a pecuniary point of view. The unfortunate man’s sister, from Putney, was one of the first to view the dead body of her brother, and deeply affected the spectators with the poignancy of her sorrow.

The sword with which the murder of Smithers was perpetrated is of foreign manufacture, and nearly a foot longer than those which we are ordinarily in the habit of seeing.

A lady, of the name of Northmore, who lives in a street immediately adjoining that in which the conspirators assembled, found a _sabre_ in her yard, which had been thrown away by one of the gang, in his flight. This also is a weapon of foreign manufacture, and, from its appearance, had evidently been ground within a day or two. It was perfectly sharp on both sides, and, in addition to its brass hilt, there was attached to it a handkerchief, so disposed as to afford a sort of guard for the arm. Mrs. Northmore, on finding the weapon, sent for a friend, who advised her to transmit it to Bow-street. This was accordingly done; and, extraordinary to relate, it was recognised by an active member of that establishment as exactly representing one of two sabres, of which a description had been given at the office, and which were known to have been lately taken to a cutler, for the purpose of grinding.

The hand-grenades found in the loft, and produced in the examination, are about the size of a large orange, made of cast-iron, filled with combustibles; they have a round hole, in which is placed a fuse, which, on being set fire to, is thrown by the hand, and when it falls it explodes: the splinters caused by the explosion spread in all directions, and one of them has been known to kill ten or twelve persons. It was intended to explode these horrible instruments at the Earl of Harrowby’s house.

After the committal of Thistlewood by the Privy-Council, the whole of the prisoners underwent an examination, likewise by the Privy-Council; and on their being re-committed, one of them proposed to become king’s evidence, which offer was accepted.

During the attendance of Mr. Birnie upon the Privy-Council on Thistlewood’s examination, the officers arrived at Bow-street, with all the persons found in the house where Thistlewood had been apprehended, and Mr. J. E. CONANT, the magistrate, proceeded with their examination; they consisted of the landlady of the house, Mrs. Hill, a lodger, and Lewis Casper, a man who did not lodge in it.

ELIZABETH HARRIS, the landlady, stated, that her husband worked at the letter-foundry of Messrs. Caslon and Catherwood, in Chiswell-street, Moorfields. On Wednesday, the 23d of February, she had a bill in her window to let her lodgings, when in the morning, between ten and eleven o’clock, Thistlewood came into her house, and inquired about the lodging: she told him it was only half a bed with her nephew. Thistlewood agreed for the half bed, for which he was to pay two shillings and sixpence a week, and was to take possession of it that night. She at first said, that she had a slight knowledge of Thistlewood, but denied it afterwards. It was supposed she was concealing him, as he was locked up in the room. This she explained, by saying the door flew open, and she could not keep it shut without locking it. She said Thistlewood arrived at her house between ten and eleven o’clock on Wednesday night: he observed that he was late; she replied he was late, and she had almost given him up. He then went to bed. Her street-door standing open only by a latch, the officers had entered and searched the upper part before she knew they were there, when they asked her to unlock the door where Thistlewood was in bed, which she instantly did. She did not know Lewis Casper had been in her house till she found him in the coach with her when they were brought away.

LEWIS CASPER stated himself to be a watch-finisher, residing in Union-street, Bishopsgate, and accounted for his being in the house by saying he was with Mrs. Hill, the lodger, who washed for him, and he appointed his little boy to call for a key there.

This man was detained till it was ascertained if he was the man he represented himself to be. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Hill were discharged for the present.

In the course of Thursday, the 24th of February, the following persons were arrested as concerned in the conspiracy:--

BRUNT, who was to have been second in command to Thistlewood. He was a shoemaker; an excellent workman, and earned between forty and fifty shillings a week. He was taken in bed. He had previously provided himself with a sword and a brace of pistols, in case of need, but he did not make use of them on this occasion. He was apprehended at his lodgings in Fox-court, Gray’s-inn-lane; in his room a vast quantity of hand-grenades, and other combustibles, were found. These were charged with powder, pieces of old iron, and other materials, calculated upon explosion to produce the most horrible consequences. A great number of pike-blades, or stilettoes, such as were discovered in Cato-street, and a number of fire-arms, were likewise found. The whole of these were taken to Bow-street. He was afterwards sent to Whitehall, and then committed to Coldbath-fields.

FIRTH, the person by whom the stable was let to Harris. He admitted that he has attended some of the Radical meetings, but denied any knowledge of the conspiracy.

COOPER, a shoemaker, living in Garden-court, Baldwin’s-gardens: he was apprehended in the middle of the day.

SIMMONS, a footman, living with a respectable family in Seymour-street. He underwent an examination before the secretary of state for the home department, and another before the magistrates at Bow-street, was ultimately committed to Tothill-fields’ prison.

TADD, a shoemaker, of whom the following account was given at the period of his arrest. He is a man of the age of 49, and lived with his wife and family in a small and miserable dwelling situated in the Hole-in-the-Wall-passage, leading from Baldwin’s-gardens to Torrington-street. His family consists of one daughter, and two orphan children, whom he had taken under his care. Tadd has been esteemed among his neighbours, and by those who have employed him in his trade, as an industrious sober man, and an excellent workman. He has earned by his own hands forty shillings a week, and very often even a greater sum. During the whole course of his life, he was never known to neglect his work, or become inebriated; but within the last week he had been in a drunken state, and his family had been at a loss to account for the extraordinary change in his conduct. On Wednesday night, three men came to Tadd while in such a state of drunkenness as scarcely to be able to keep his legs, and forced him away, notwithstanding the earnest entreaties and remonstrances of his wife and family. Nothing was said by the men who took him away, as to their object, either to the wife or any one in the house; and during the whole night, and the greater part of the next day, they were in total ignorance of the circumstances since disclosed, and were at a loss to account for the absence of Tadd. In the morning (Thursday), between seven and eight o’clock, two men came to the house, laden with a box of a considerable size, and, putting it down on the floor, said, “they would call in a few minutes for it.” The men refused to answer the interrogatories put to them as to their object in leaving the box, and only repeated, that, they would call in a short time, and take it away. Very soon afterwards, two more men came with a large bundle of sticks, some of them of the thickness of a man’s wrist. These were left in a similar manner, and the men also refused to answer any questions, saying only, that they would call again for them in a few minutes. Ten minutes had not elapsed before two police-officers entered the house, and seized the box and sticks. When opened, the box was discovered to contain a great number of pike-heads, sharpened ready for use. The sticks were also seized, and carried away by the officers. It would appear, from this statement, that Tadd was taken by the three men whom we have described to the stable in Cato-street, where he was subsequently apprehended, and carried to Bow-street, together with several others.

ROBERT ADAMS, living in a miserable hovel in Brooks’-market, Holborn, and working as a shoemaker. He some time since was a private in the Royal Horse-guards, in which regiment he served for five years. He very much resembles Thistlewood in his person, but has a cast in his left eye.

In addition to these arrests, several warrants were issued, among which was one against a native of France.

The lodgings of Thistlewood, and of all the others who were taken into custody, were searched, and several important papers, and quantities of arms, were discovered and seized. Among those found in Thistlewood’s apartment was a copy of the bill furnished to Dr. WATSON by Mr. Ottley, owner of the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, for the expenses of the dinner given to Hunt, on his return from Manchester. Judging from his former connexions, it may be considered as fortunate for the Doctor that he was not able to liquidate this debt, being at the time of the arrests an inmate of Whitecross-street prison on account of this bill, and thus saved from the temptation of joining his former associates.

It is a singular fact, that when Thistlewood was arrested, he had not a farthing of money in his possession. The same observation may be made with respect to his comrades, all of whom were in the most wretched state of poverty.

We will here suspend for a time the particulars of the proceedings against the Conspirators, for the purpose of recording the proceedings of the CORONER’S INQUEST on the body of RICHARD SMITHERS, the unfortunate Bow-street officer, who was murdered, as before stated, when in the execution of his duty, in Cato-street. The inquest was held on Friday the 25th February, at the Horse and Groom public-house, John-street, Edgeware-road, which is situated but a few yards from the spot where the atrocious deed was perpetrated. In the course of the day great numbers of persons visited the miserable building which the Conspirators had selected as the scene of their deliberations, and one universal feeling of horror and detestation against Thistlewood and his infamous associates appeared to actuate the multitude.

The Coroner for the county of Middlesex, THOMAS STIRLING, Esq., having arrived, and proclamation having been made by the beadle of the parish of St. Mary-le-bone, that the Jury summoned should proceed to inquire “when, how, and by what means, Richard Smithers came by his death,” the Jury were sworn.

The foreman of the jury observed to the coroner, that he and his fellow-jurors wished to inspect the body in the presence of the surgeon, in order that he might be ready to answer any question that might arise on the moment. This suggestion was complied with; and on the return of the jury from viewing the body,

Mr. FISHER, the surgeon, was sworn, and deposed as follows:--I am surgeon to the Police establishment in Bow-street. I was called upon for the first time, this day, to examine the body of the deceased. I found an external wound under the right breast. It was two inches in length, and half an inch broad. I opened the body to ascertain the depth and direction of the wound, and I discovered that some sharp instrument had penetrated between the fifth and sixth ribs, wounded the outward surface of the right lobe of the liver, passed through the diaphragm into the chest, lacerated the pericardium, penetrated the right ventricle of the heart, wounded the left lobe of the lungs, and struck against the ribs on the left side. The wound I supposed to be about twelve inches in length. The blood flowed from the heart, and occasioned immediate death. The opening in the pericardium was larger than that presented by the external wound, which was always the case with wounds of this description. The weapon was prevented from passing entirely through the body by the ribs on the left side. It must have been a very sharp instrument, both pointed and cutting, to make such a wound. The membranes, which were cut asunder, could only have been severed by an exceedingly sharp instrument. That death was inevitable after such a wound, the heart having been cut open, and the blood effused into the cavity of the chest.

GEORGE THOMAS RUTHVEN being sworn, said, I am an officer belonging to the public-office in Bow-street. On Wednesday evening last, at half-past eight o’clock, I was in this house. I received an order from Mr. Birnie, who is a Justice of the Peace for the county of Middlesex, to go to a shed or stable in Cato-street, in consequence of a number of men being assembled there for treasonable purposes. There was a warrant issued by Mr. Baker, a magistrate of Marlborough-street. On entering the house, I observed in the lower place a man with a cutlass at his side, and a musket on his shoulder. The door by which I entered from the street was not fast; there were persons going in and out; the man with the musket seemed as if he was guarding the staircase; there was only one man on guard. Ellis, Smithers, the deceased, and several others, went in with me. I don’t know how they came in. They were of course ordered. They were all constables, in number about a dozen. I was the first person that entered. Mr. Birnie, the magistrate, was not there at that time; he was at hand in the street, giving orders. The man who stood at the door as sentinel was walking about. I did not stop to see what he did particularly, but immediately called out to some of the party who followed to secure him. I am not aware that they did secure him, for I immediately went up the stairs. I believe that man was taken; but I am not aware that he was apprehended then; I believe he was caught afterwards. I ascended by a sort of step-ladder staircase. The stairs were so narrow, that the officers were obliged to go one by one. When I got up to the top of the ladder, I observed a sort of table or carpenter’s bench, and a number of arms on it. Thistlewood was on the right-hand side of the table. I know Thistlewood very well. I have followed him for days and nights together. I think about twenty-four or twenty-five persons were assembled. There were different sorts of arms on the table: a variety of pistols and swords. They looked as if they were sorted out. They were handing about as if they were giving or distributing them to each other. Arthur Thistlewood was one. I am quite certain that he was present: I have followed him for days together. He stood by the side of the table handing arms about. He had on a sort of a long brown coat, I think. I knew him as well as I knew my father; quite as well. I could not be mistaken. I have no doubt whatever as to the identity of Thistlewood. As soon as I thought that three or four of the party were up, I said aloud, “We are officers, seize their arms.” I did this to warn the people who we were. As soon as I said this, they each took up what they could from the table, and retired to the farther part of the room. Thistlewood, being near a door that leads into a little closet over the coach-house, retired into that room. He was not further from the door of the little room than I am from that gentleman who is writing there (pointing to a gentleman who sat writing within about four feet of witness). There were others in that little room; how they got in there I cannot tell. I suppose there were five or six, or four or five persons in it. The whole party appeared at that time to be armed. Thistlewood, as he retired, had a sword in his hand, which he moved in a menacing way to keep the officers off. He was not striking with it, but moving his arm round as if to make a stab. The sword appeared bright. As we approached, he retired; and Smithers, who was within a pace of me to the right, stepped forward with his staff. Thistlewood immediately stabbed him, and he fell on me. A pistol was then fired; I know not by whom. I saw the swords of the party directed against the candles, which were immediately put out. Thistlewood stabbed the deceased in the right side as he approached. He did not come out of the little room to do it. He was within the little room, and thrust forward his arm to strike the blow. I saw the sword he carried; it was bright, and glittered. I did not see the hilt. It was a long blade, three feet and a half or four feet long. It appeared straight; but he waved it in such a way, that my eyes might have deceived me as to its shape.

When Smithers fell, he fell upon me, being stabbed on the right side, and I standing a little to his left. I could not at the moment tell whether he appeared to be much injured. In falling, he said, “Oh, Lord! Oh, my God! I am done!” I believe these were his words, or something of that sort.

I don’t know whether Thistlewood drew the weapon out of his body; for instantaneously a pistol was fired, and the lights were put out. I have been enabled to recognise three of the persons who were in the room, besides Thistlewood, I think, since. They are Shaw Strange; he has another name; a man named Blackburn, and James Wilson. There was another man who stood at the door, and fired at a sergeant; his name is Tidd: I don’t know his christian name. The sergeant at whom he fired is present. Tidd first attempted to fire a pistol at Captain Fitzclarence. I seized his arm, and he pulled me down on him. I called on the sergeant to take the pistol from him, and he fired at the sergeant and tore his clothes. I am sure that Blackburn, Wilson, Shaw Strange, and Tidd, were present. There were also two other persons taken, who had been in this house (the Horse and Groom) in the course of the evening. I did not recognise them in the room; but I know they were apprehended, and, I believe, admitted that they had been there. They left a stick behind them in the Horse and Groom; the end of it was evidently cut for the purpose of holding a weapon.

It was like a broom-stick, with a hole cut in the top. The persons that I allude to have admitted that they were in the room at the time the officers entered; but I do not know it. One of them was taken by Captain Fitzclarence; I have seen him here before. These two persons came in to drink a pint of porter, and left the stick behind them in a mistake. One of them came back, and asked for a little walking-stick. The boy, who thought it a queer sort of a stick, had taken it up-stairs, but returned it to the person who called for it. That stick was at the public-office. These persons called at the Horse and Groom an hour before the officers proceeded to the loft. Nothing took place before the party fired, except my exclaiming, “We are officers--take their arms.” When Smithers fell, a pistol was fired, and the lights were put out. I cannot say by whom the pistol was fired. The moment Smithers fell, somebody in the room where Thistlewood was, cried out--“Kill the b----rs; throw them down stairs!” I also cried, “Aye, kill them,” that they might mistake me for a friend. There were nine persons taken that night. I was not present at the apprehension of all of them. While I was securing two of them the rest were brought in. After I had secured Tidd, Wilson, and Blackburn, I proceeded to secure the others; they were then conveyed to Bow-street, and afterwards to the House of Correction.

Several of the party escaped; nine only being taken, and the number in the room appearing to me to be about twenty-five.

When the prisoners were secured by the soldiers, I went up into the loft, and saw Smithers lying on his face; this was twenty minutes or half an hour after the entrance had been made. There were hand-grenades and arms lying about the room. I had no time before to pay attention to Smithers. A man below stairs endeavoured to escape from the door; he had a pistol in his hand. I called out, “Secure that man!” When I did so, he lifted his arm, and attempted to fire the pistol at Captain Fitzclarence; I caught hold of him, and the sergeant coming up, I desired him to take the pistol. The man fired, and struck the sergeant’s coat with a bullet.