72 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



pace, towards Pennenden-heath, 

 which is distant from Maidstone 

 nearly a naile and a half, on which 

 was erected a temporary new drop, 

 which had a platform raised about 

 seven feet from the ground, and 

 was large enough to contain about 

 a dozen persons. A little before 

 two o'clock the hurdle arrived, 

 and stopped immediately under the 

 gallows, when Mr. Bramston and 

 Nicholson knelt down on it, and 

 remained for some time in prayer. 

 Some time previous to this, Mr. 

 Bonar arrived on the ground in a 

 post-chaise, and took his stand 

 within twelve yards of the fatal 

 spot, with the front windows full 

 on the gallows, and which he kept 

 open during the whole time; but 

 each of the side windows was 

 closed by blinds. So anxious was 

 Mr. Bonar to get from the unfor- 

 tunate wretch his very dying words, 

 as to whether he had either motive 

 or accomplice, that a person was 

 deputed to ascend the platform 

 after the cord was round the pri- 

 soner's neck, and to ask him the 

 following questions : — 



Q. " Now that you have not 

 many moments to live, is all that 

 you have stated, namely, that you 

 had no motive that you can tell of, 

 nor had you any accomplice, true? 

 —A. " All that I have stated is 

 true." 



•' Then there is no creature 

 living on earth who had any 

 thing to do with the murder but 

 yourself!'' — " No, no one.'' 



" You had no accomplices ?"— 

 " None." 



•'Had youanyantipathytoeither 

 your master or mistress before you 

 committed the horrid murder ?" — 

 Clasping his hands together as well 

 as his heavy irons would permit 



him. " As God is in heaven it waa 

 a momentary thought, as 1 have 

 repeatedly declared before.'' 



The above were the words of 

 this unhappy man : in a few mi- 

 nutes after they were uttered, the 

 bottom of the platform was let fall, 

 and Nicholson was launched into 

 eternity. 



He died unusually hard, being 

 greatly convulsed. After hanging 

 an hour, the body was put into a 

 post-chaise, which drove off in the 

 direction for Bromley. 



24'. An inquest has been held 

 on the body of the Rev. Nicholas 

 Westcombe, who was found mur- 

 dered on Saturday se'nnight, in a 

 path way, at a short distance from 

 Winchester, leading to the Ando- 

 ver road. It appeared, the de- 

 ceased had been seen walking upon 

 the road, at nine o'clock in the 

 morning : it was between nine and 

 ten when his body was discovered. 

 A belief prevailed that he had died 

 by apoplexy: but, on a more mi- 

 nute inspection of the body, a 

 violent bruise was discovered un- 

 der the jaw, which, it was ima- 

 gined, produced instant death ; 

 added to which, a soldier of the 

 102nd regiment, of the name of 

 Robert Glasse, on the death being 

 mentioned in his hearing, imme- 

 diately said he had seen the de- 

 ceased lyingnear the spot described 

 in the morning, but that he did not 

 attempt to disturb him, because he 

 thought he was asleep. The impro- 

 bability of the story (it being early 

 in the morning), with some other 

 circumstances, led to his being ap- 

 prehended. Upon his examina- 

 tion, he was called upon to account 

 for how he disposed of his time 

 during the morning named; which 

 account he gave ; but it was after- 



