CHRONICLE. 



5 



of execution. Thorpe, on being 

 asked if he did not acknowledge 

 the justice of the sentence, said, 

 ** Do not ask me any question." 

 Mellor declared, " that he would 

 rather be in the situation he was 

 then placed in, dreadful as it was, 

 than have to answer for the crime 

 of their accuser ; and that he 

 would not change situations with 

 him, even for his liberty and two 

 thousand pounds ; but with all his 

 resolution, he could not conceal 

 the agonies of his mind, for on the 

 night before the execution, he fell 

 to the ground in a state of insen- 

 sibility, and it was thought he 

 would have died in bis cell : but 

 he soon recovered, and in the 

 morning his health was perfectly 

 restored. 



The execution of these unhappy 

 men took place yesterday, at nine 

 o'clock, at the usual place behind 

 the castle at York. Every pre- 

 caution had been taken to render 

 arescue impracticable. Two troops 

 of cavalry were drawn up in front 

 of the drop, and the avenues to 

 the castle were guarded by in- 

 fantr)'. Five minutes before nine 

 o'clock, the prisoners came upon 

 the platform. After the ordinary 

 had read the accustomed forms of 

 prayer, George Mellor prayed for 

 about ten minutes ; he spoke with 

 great aj)parent fervency and de- 

 votion, confessing in general, the 

 greatness of his sins, but without 

 any allusion to the crime for which 

 he suffered. The surrounding mul- 

 titude were evidently affected. 

 William Thorpe also prayed, but 

 his voice was not so well heard. 

 Smith said little, but seemed to 

 join in the devotion with great se- 

 riousness. 



The prisoners were then moved 



to the front of the platform, and 

 Mellor said, •' Some of my ene- 

 mies may be here ; if there be, I 

 freely forgive them, and all the 

 world, and I hope all the world 

 will forgive me." Thorpe said, " I 

 hope none of those who are now 

 before me, will ever come to this 

 place." The executioner then pro- 

 ceeded to perform his fatal office, 

 and the drop fell. They were exe- 

 cuted in their irons. They ap- 

 peared slightly convulsed for a few 

 moments. The number of people 

 assembled was much greater than 

 is usual in York on these melan- 

 choly occasions ; but not the slight- 

 est indication of tumult prevailed, 

 and the greatest silence reigned 

 during the whole of this solemn 

 and painful scene. 



Such has been the issue of that 

 fatal system, which, after having 

 produced in its progress great ter- 

 ror and alarm, and much mischief 

 to the community, has at length 

 terminated in the death of those 

 who were its most active partizans: 

 and thus have perished, in the very 

 bloom of life, three young men, 

 who, had they directed their talents 

 to lawful pursuits, might have lived 

 happy and respected. They were 

 young men on whose countenances 

 nature had not imprinted the fea- 

 tures of assassins. 



The following accounts have 

 appeared of a violent storm which 

 occurred in the Mediterranean, at 

 the close of the year. 



Motkerbank, Jan. 10.— I regret 

 to inform you, that on the 29th 

 ult. a most violent storm came 

 on at Gibraltar, from the S. E. in 

 which many vessels and lives were 

 lost. Nine sail, part of a convoy 

 from Malta, were driven on shore 

 in Catata bay (at the back of the 



