CHRONICLE. 



21 



manufacturer, of Tunstall, near 

 Burslem, Staffordshire, whose affairs 

 had lately become somewhat de- 

 ranged. Early this morning, Mr. 

 Wainwright received an anony- 

 mous note, desiring his attendance 

 upon a gentleman at a public-house, 

 near the Circus, in this town, as 

 soon as possible. Mr. Wainwright 

 suspected the note to be Mr. Smith's 

 hand-writing, although an attempt 

 had been made to disguise it. Mr. 

 Wainwright obeyed the summons, 

 and found Mr. Smith there, who 

 shewed him a printed statement of 

 his affairs, and urged him to accom- 

 pany him to the place of his resi- 

 dence, to be present at a meeting 

 of creditors, which was to take 

 place on the following day. Mr. 

 Wainwright, though inconvenient 

 to himself, agreed to accompany 

 him : they accordingly set out to- 

 gether, in a post-chaise, on the 

 afternoon of that day. During 

 their journey, all was friendly, as 

 usual; and, at their arrival at a 

 place called Golden Hill, being 

 about a mUe from Mr. Smith's 

 house, he begged to dismiss the 

 chaise, and they would walk across 

 the fields, as the carriage, driving 



' to his house, might betray his pre- 

 sence to the country, which he 

 would wish to avoid, there being 

 several writs out against him. It 

 rained slightly, and Mr. Smith pres- 

 sed Mr. Wainwright to make use 

 of his great-coat, which Mr. Wain- 

 wright refused. Mr. Smith led Mr. 

 Wainwrightoutofthe road, through 

 a piece of mowing grass, in which 

 Mr. Smitli's house stands ; when 



I Mr. Wainwright observed Mr. 

 Smith draw a pistol from his pocket, 

 with which suspecting he intended 

 to destroy himself, he exclaimed, 



" in the name of God, Mr. Smith, 

 what are you about ?" wrested the 

 pistol from him, and threw it away. 

 They now proceeded a little farther; 

 when Mr. Smith drew a second 

 pistol, presented it at Mr. Wain- 

 wright, and fired at him without 

 effect. Mr. Wainwright then clos- 

 ed with him, and threw him down. 

 Mr. Smith then called for mercy, 

 saying, he would forgive him if he 

 would not hurt him. Mr. Wain- 

 wright answered, "he wanted no 

 forgiveness, having done him no 

 injury." Two pistols being now 

 disposed of; and, having searched 

 his pockets for more without finding 

 any, Mr. Wainwright considered 

 himselfsafe,andreleased Mr. Smith. 

 They were about to proceed towards 

 the house, when Mr. Wainwright 

 reminded Mr. Smith of having left 

 his great coat and a bundle on the 

 ground ; on which Mr. Smith took 

 them up. When they had arrived 

 within a short distance of the house, 

 Mr. Smith drew a third pistol from 

 the bundle, and shot Mr. Wain- 

 wright through the body. A scuffle 

 now ensued, during which Mr. 

 Smith drew a knife ( which, it ap- 

 pears, he had purchased in Liver- 

 pool), and endeavoured to cut Mr. 

 Wainwright's throat, which, being 

 guarded by his cravat and a silk 

 handkerchief, he failed of effecting, 

 and gave him several severe wounds 

 on the left jaw : they continued 

 struggling till they reached the 

 house; when Mr. Wainwright by a 

 sudden effort, got from Mr. Smith, 

 knocked at the door, and called out, 

 murder, demanding admittance ; 

 but Mr. Smith ordered the people 

 in the house not to admit Mr. Wain- 

 wright, who then proceeded to a 

 cottage about five or six hundred 



