16 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



William Wakelin, the person 

 from whom he had bought the pis- 

 tols, being brought to the house, 

 was examined. He said, it was 

 true that he had bought a pair of 

 pistols of him, and that he had said 

 that they were for his young master, 

 who would give him a blunderbuss 

 for them : but he had not yet got 

 the blunderbuss. He knew very 

 little of Hadfield, but knew where 

 he worked, and had heard a good 

 character of him ; but that the least 

 drink affected his head. 



Several persons from the house 

 of Mrs. Mason, his acquaintance, 

 confirmed this fact : and they said 

 they ascribed this to the very severe 

 wounds he had received in the 

 head. The least drink quite de- 

 ranged him. 



Upon this evidence, he v/as com- 

 mitted to Cold-bath-fields for re- 

 examination ; and their royal high- 

 nesses the duke of Clarence, duke 

 of Cumberland, and Mr. Sheridan, 

 conducted him thither. His ma- 

 jesty's privy council, however, de- 

 siring to examine him forthwith, to 

 discover if he had any accomplices, 

 he was taken to the duke of Port- 

 land's office, where he underwent 

 another examination. The persons 

 who were instrumental in securing 

 him, and whose evidence is the 

 most material, as to directing the 

 pistol towards his majesty's box, if 

 not towards his person, also at- 

 tended. 



On Friday the privy-council sat 

 on the farther examination of this 

 man's conduct. Several of the pri- 

 soner's shopmates were examined, 

 the tendency of whose evidence 

 shewed that he was insane. He 

 told his wife, and others, that, on 

 Tuesday last, he met a man who 

 assured him that he had had Jesus 



Christ in keeping five years in 

 Mount Sion, and that he was soon 

 to visit this world. This man was 

 one Truelock, a cobler, at Islington. 

 He was taken before the privy- 

 council that day, and is much pos- 

 sessed with an opinion of the speedy 

 return of our Saviour. With this 

 idea he had possessed the prisoner 

 also. Both seem to be religiously 

 mad. 



At the privy-council also ap- 

 peared, and were examined, the 

 adjutant, and one of the captains 

 of the 15th light dragoons, who 

 said the prisoner had been considered 

 as insane, otherwise he was a brave 

 good man, and much beloved by 

 the regiment. About three months 

 ago, he came down to Croydon to 

 see the regiment, and, while there, 

 was taken so ill, it was necessary to 

 put him in a straight waistcoat. 

 They wondered he had not since 

 been taken care of as a madman. 



The second slug, which v/as fired, 

 was found, on Friday morning, by 

 the duke of Clarence, in lady 

 Milner's box. It appears that Had- 

 field did not fire very wide of his 

 majesty ; only about a yard too far 

 to the left. The king stood erect 

 after he fired. The queen came in, 

 and the king waved his hand for her 

 to keep back. Her majesty asked 

 what's the matter ? The king said, 

 " Only a squib, a squib ; they are 

 firing squibs." After the assassin had 

 been taken away, the queen came 

 forward, and, in great agitation, 

 curtsied. She looked at the king, 

 and asked if they should stay .'' The 

 king answered, " We will not stii-, 

 but stay the entertainment out." 



Died. 18th. AtPetersburgh,the 

 celebrated field-marshal SuvarofF. 

 At this time last year, his name 

 resounded from every mouth, and 



