JOHN HALL, EXECUTED FOR HOUSEBREAKING. FROM the humble avocation of a chimney-sweeper, this fellow bc. came a notorious and daring thief. He was remarkably distinguished in his time, on account of the number and variety of robberies in which he was concerned; and few thieves have been more the subject of public conversation. Hall's parents were very poor people, living in Bishop's-head Court, Gray's-inn Lane, who put him out to a chimney-sweeper; but he had not been long in this employment before he quitted it, and commenced pick pocket, and was accounted very dexterous in that profession; but,notwithstanding this dexterity, he was frequently detected, and treated in the usual manner, by ducking in the horse-pond: he was likewise often sent to Bridewell, as a punishment for these offences. Notwithstanding frequent punish ments of this nature, he commenced shoplifter, and, in the month of January, 1682, he was convicted at the Old Bailey of stealing a pair of shoes; for which he was whipped at the cart's tail: but he had no sooner obtained his liberty, than he commenced housebreaker; and, being convicted of breaking open the house of Jonathan Bretail, he was sentenced to be hanged in the year 1700, but was afterwards pardoned, on condition of transporting himself, within six months, to some of the American plantations. In consequence hereof he entered on board a ship, from which, how ever, he soon deserted, and engaged with his old accomplices; and they now took up the trade of robbing country waggons, and stealing portmanteaus from behind coaches., For an offence of this latter kind Hall was tried and convicted, in the year 1702, and, being first burnt on the cheek, was committed close prisoner to Bridewell for two years. Hall had no sooner obtained his liberty, than he joined with Stephen Bunce, Dick Low, and others of his dissolute companions, in breaking open the house of a baker, at Hackney; which burglary was attended with the following circumstances: Having broke into the house soon after midnight, and the journeyman and apprentice being at work, the robbers tied them neck and heels, and threw them into the kneading trough, and one of the villains stood over them with a drawn sword, while the others went up stairs to rob the house; but the baker being unwilling to tell them where the money was, Hall seized a young child, a granddaughter of the old people, and swore he would thrust, her into the oven if they did not make the discovery. Terrified at this circumstance, the old man told him where they might find his money, in consequence of which they robbed him of about seventy pounds. Although this singular robbery was the subject of much conversation, yet the perpetrators of it were not taken into custody. Soon afterwards the house of Francis Saunders, a chairman, near St. James's, was broke open; and Saunders being informed that this robbery was committed by Hall and his companions, he observed these very men, as he was attending at St.. James's Gate, about three in the morning; and informing the watchmen, they pursued them; on which Hall and one of his accomplices fired at a watchman, who was wounded in the thigh. Hall escaped; his companions were apprehended and tried, but acquitted for want of evidence. Hall was in custody in 1705, for breaking open the house of Richard Bartholomew; but he had been so frequently at the Old Bailey, that he was afraid of being tried by his name, and therefore changed it to that of Price: the evidence not being sufficient to convict him, he was again acquitted. Having obtained his liberty, he returned to his former practices, and in October, 1706, was indicted for stealing a handkerchief, in company with Arthur Chambers, but once more discharged in defect of evidence. Repeated as these excesses were, they made no impression on the mind of Hall, who was soon afterwards taken into custody, for a fact which he had reason to think would have put an end to his wicked career, wherefore he became an evidence against Chambers, Bell, and Fitch, three of his accomplices, and thus once more preserved his life. After this he was concerned in breaking open the house of Captain Guyon, near Stepney, in company with Richard Low and Stephen Bunce, and stealing a considerable quantity of plate and other effects. Of this offence the parties were found guilty, and were executed at Tyburn, on the 17th December, 1707. STEPHEN BUNCE and RICHARD LOW, ACCOMPLICES OF, AND EXECUTED WITH, JOHN HALL. STEPHEN BUNCE was descended from a reputable family in the county of Kent, and educated by his grandfather, who had an estate of 800%. per annum, in the neigh bourhood of Feversham. Bunce, being of a wild disposition, was sent to sea; and, having made two or three voyages, his ship was ordered to Plymouth, where, going on shore, he contracted an acquaintance with the daughter of a publican, whom he married; but his wife, who was a vulgar woman, soon making illicit connexions, he abandoned her, and repaired to London, where he frequented billiard-tables and gaming-houses, and having soon spent his money in bad company, he began to supply his extravagance by depredations on the public. offence he was tried in August, 1705, found guilty, and received sentence of death; but was afterwards pardoned on the condition that he should transport himself. Having thus obtained his liberty, he immediately associated himself with his old companions, and committed several robberies, for one of which he thought he should be convicted he therefore turned evidence against his accomplices, who were all executed. He continued his illicit practices till he was detected for stealing a sword from the side of an officer of the city trained bands, for which Being once more at liberty, he entered into connexions with Jack Hall, with whom he and Low were apprehended for breaking open the house of Captain Guyon; and were tried, convicted, and executed for this offence. Bunce was not quite twenty-eight years of age when he was hanged. He confessed himself penitent; acknowledged the numerous robberies of which he had been guilty; but requested his friends not to petition for his life, as his suffer obtained the rank of lieutenant in the army, invited several officers to dine with him at the Dolphin Tavern, parties invited Morgridge likewise to go, assuring him that he would be made welcome on the part of Mr. Cope. We now present a dreadful instance of the effects of intoxication. This unfortunate man, who, through indulgence in this vice, met an un-in Tower Street; and one of the timely fate, was a native of Canterbury, whose ancestors had served the crown for upwards of two hun. dred years. He had been kettledrummer to the first troop of horseguards for a considerable time, and would have been promoted, had it not been for the following unfortunate quarrel :-A Mr. Cope, having VOL. I. When dinner was over, Cope paid the reckoning, and then, each man depositing half-a-crown, Morgridge and others adjourned to the guard-room, to which place more 4 liquor was sent. They had not been long there before a woman of the town came in a coach, and asked for Captain Cope. Being introduced, she remained a short time, and then said, Who will pay for my coach ?' Morgridge said I will;' and, having done so, he advanced to salute her; but she pushed him from her in a disdainful manner, and spoke to him in very abusive terms, which induced him to treat her with the same kind of language. Morgridge's rudeness was resented by Cope, who took the woman's part, and a violent quar. rel ensued between Cope and Morgridge, both of whom were intoxicated. This contest increased to such a degree, that they throw the bottles at each other; till at length Morgridge, inflamed with passion, drew his sword, and stabbed Cope, who instantly expired. Morgridge, being taken into custody, was tried at the Old Bailey, July 5, 1706; but a doubt arising in the breast of the jury, whether he was guilty of murder or manslaughter, they brought in a special verdict, and the affair was left to be determined by the twelve judges. The judges having consequently met at Serjeants' Inn, the case was argued before them by counsel; when they gave an unanimous opinion that he was guilty of wilful murder, because he did not kill Cope with the weapons he was originally using, but arose from his seat, and drew his sword, which, was deemed to imply a malicious intention. Morgridge, in the interim, made his escape from the Marshalsca Prison, and went into Flanders, where he remained about two years; but, being uneasy to revisit his native country, he imprudently came back to England, and, being apprehended, received sentence of death, and suffered along with William Gregg, at Tyburn, on the 28th of April, 1708. After conviction he was truly sensible of the crime of which he had been guilty, acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and submitted to his fate with a devout wish that his misfortune might have its proper effect, in the preventing similar destruction happening to others. This is but one instance of several that we shall have occasion to record of the fatal consequences arising from a connexion with women of abandoned characters: but for a woman of this cast, the two men who were thus sacrificed, the one to the impetuosity of passion, the other to the rigour of the law, might have lived, a credit to themselves, and an advantage to the community. On this occasion it may not be improper to reflect on the horrid crime of seduction. The man who is guilty of seducing a modest young woman from the paths of virtue is, in some degree, an accessory to every crime she may thereafter commit. Women in general are of natures more gentle, of dispositions more harmless, than men ; yet, when the mind of a woman is once contaminated, she commonly becomes more vicious even than a man of bad character; and the amiable softness of the sex seems to be totally eradicated. If a youth is tempted to a criminal connexion with a woman already debauched by another, let him reflect that he is but seeking to perpetuate that infamy she has acquired, and to render still baser a mind already contaminated. One would imagine that a slight degree of thought would be sufficient to restrain youth from connexions of this nature; but, unhappily, the passions are more prevalent than reason, and the connexion is made before the youth has given himself time to think of its criminality. May the case of Morgridge be an instructive one; and may those who are tempted to a commission of the crimes we would reprobate receive a timely warning therefrom. WILLIAM GREGG, EXECUTED FOR HIGH TREASON. WILLIAM Gregg was born at Montrose, in Scotland, and, having received the common instructions in the grammar-school of that town, finished his education in the university of Aberdeen, and was intended by his friends for the study of divinity; but his inclination leading him to seek for advancement in the state, he came to London, and soon afterwards went abroad as secretary to the ambassador to the court of Sweden. Gregg, during his residence abroad, debauched a Swedish lady, and was guilty of some other irregularities; in consequence of which the ambassador dismissed him from his service, aud he was glad to embark for London in the first ship that sailed. As soon as he arrived in London, he was engaged by Mr. Secretary Harley, to write dispatches; and letters of great importance were left unsealed, and perused by Gregg. As the account of this malefactor which was given by the Ordinary of Newgate is very superficial and unsatisfactory, we shall give the following extracts respecting him, exactly copied from Bishop Bur. net's history: At this time two discoveries were made, very unlucky for Mr. Harley Tallard wrote often to Chamilard, but he sent the letters open to the Secretary's office, to be perused and sealed up, and so be conveyed by the way of Holland. These were opened upon some suspicion in Holland, and it appeared that one in the secretary's office put letters in them, in which, as he offered his service to the courts of France and St. Germains, so he gave an account of all transactions here. In one of these he sent a copy of the letter that the queen was to write in her own hand to the emperor; and he marked what parts were drawn by the secretary, and what additions were made to it by the lord treasurer. This was the letter by which the queen pressed the sending Prince Eugene into Spain; and this, if not intercepted, would have been at Versailles many days before it could reach Vienna. He who sent this wrote, that by this they might see what service he could do them, if well encouraged. All this was sent over to the Duke of Marlborough ; and, upon search, it was found to be written by one Gregg, a clerk, whom Harley had not only entertained, but had taken into a particular confidence, without inquiring into the former parts of his life; for he was a vicious and a necessitous person, who had been secretary to the queen's envoy in Denmark, but was dismissed by him for his ill qualities. Harley had made use of him to get him intelligence, and he came to trust him with the perusal and sealing up of the letters which the French prisoners, here in England, sent over to France; and by that means he got into the method of sending intelligence thither. He, when seized on, either upon remorse or hopes of pardon, confessed all, |