C H 11 O N I C L E. 



71 



his throat. He then rifled him of 

 a gold watch, several diamond 

 rings, and 6000 francs in gold. 

 He did not attempt to escape ; but 

 declared next morning, that his 

 master was fatigued and would not 

 rise till mid-day. Late in the af- 

 ternoon the postmaster's wife, sur- 

 prized to hear no movement in the 

 chamber, peeped through the key- 

 hole, and saw the General naked 

 and weltering in his blood. Pa- 

 vinsky, who was in the kitchen 

 regaling himself, was immediately 

 apprehended, and confessed his 

 crime. 



This morning, at about 25 mi- 

 nutes past six o'clock, two of the 

 powder-mills at Hounslow blew 

 «p -with tremendous explosions. 

 The reports, which took place with 

 only a momentary interval be- 

 tween them, were heard for up- 

 wards of 20 miles round. At 

 Kensington and Brompton, the 

 shocks resembled those of an 

 earthquake, and the concussion of 

 the air was so extraordinary as to 

 ring small bells hung in gardens 

 in these parts. Three persons, it 

 is said, fell victims to this explo- 

 sion ; the cause of which, as must 

 generally be the case in such events, 

 cannot be ascertained, 



22. During divine service, at tlie 

 dissenting chapel, at CockeyMoor, 

 near Manchester, at which a very 

 great number of persons were as- 

 sembled to hear a funeral sermon, 

 the gallery, being overloaded, gave 

 way. Fortunately it was observed 

 in time to give a cautionary alarm; 

 and the persons who were in im- 

 minent danger, had coolness e- 

 nough to profit by the advice of- 

 fered them, viz. to come down 

 quietly and separately, avoiding all 

 hurry and bustle. By these means 



they all got down without the least 

 accident. 



23. Execution of Nicholson.— 

 Nicholson was removed on the 

 17th instant from the House of 

 Correction in Coldbath-fields; and 

 at the instance of Mr. Bonar, Go- 

 vernor Adkins sent down to Maid- 

 stone his principal assistant (Jo- 

 seph Becket), who had very parti- 

 cular instructions respecting the 

 care and treatment of the prisoner. 

 After sentence of death was pass- 

 ed, Nicholson was placed in the 

 condemned cell, which intheMaid- 

 stone gaol is under ground, and the 

 approach to it is dark and dreary, 

 down many steps. In this cell 

 Mr. Bonar'had an interview with 

 the prisoner, at half-past five on 

 Monday morning. On his ap- 

 proaching the cell, he found Ni- 

 cholson on his knees at prayer. 



At about twelve o'clock the pre- 

 parations for the removal of Ni- 

 cholson being nearly completed, 

 Mr. Bonar, accompanied by his 

 brother, and Mr. Bramston the 

 Catholic clergyman, had another 

 interview with the wretched man ; 

 soon after which, the hurdle or 

 sledge, which was in the shape of 

 a shallow box about six feet by 

 three, was drawn up to the gaol 

 door ; at each end was a seat just 

 capable of holding two persons. 

 Nicholson, double-ironed, was first 

 placed in it, with his back to the 

 horses ; he was also pinioned with 

 ropes, and round his shoulders was 

 coiled the fatal cord ; by his side 

 sat the executioner ; opposite to 

 the prisoner the Rev. Mr. Bram- 

 ston took his seat, and by his side 

 sat one of the Maidstone gaolers 

 with a loaded blunderbuss. Every 

 thing being in readiness, the pro- 

 cession advanced, at a very slow 



