30 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



pistol towiii'ds the stage, and it 

 tippeareil to be aiuied at tlie per- 

 formers ; iinniediately after the 

 prisoner fired off the pistol, the 

 witness lost no time in collaring 

 hini; and he assisted in securing 

 him. The prisoner denied that 

 he was the man. He was con- 

 veyed into the avenxie of the pit, 

 and a case of gunpowder was 

 foimd upon him. 



Mr. John Taylor, a gentleman 

 from Scotland, but at present 

 lodging at Osborn's hotel in the 

 Adeli)hi, stated, that he was in 

 the pit of Drury-lane theatre at 

 the time the outrage was com- 

 mitted, and sat on the same scat 

 as the prisoner, was within one 

 person of him, and saw him pre- 

 sent and lire off a [)i8tol towards 

 the stage at the lime Miss Kelly 

 and Mr. Knight were on it ; the 

 pistol appeared to be directed to- 

 wards the performers. He as- 

 sisted in searching tlie prisoner, 

 and took out of his light-hand 

 coat-pocket a pistol, which, he 

 had no doubt, had recently been 

 fired off. He fnllnwcd up his 

 statement by observing, that the 

 pistol was neither loaded with 

 shot nor ball. Mr. liirnie, the 

 magistrate, reciuested that he 

 would not give a hasty oj)inion 

 upon so serious and important a 

 question. He then confessed that 

 all the knowledge he had upon 

 the subject was from the report 

 of the pistol i but his opinion 

 was completely contradicted by 

 several gentlemen in the office, 

 who stated that, they distinctly 

 heard shots rattle against tin, or 

 something of a hard substance. 

 One gentleman was positi\e that 

 sliot had passed his head ; which 

 statement was strongly corrobo- 



rated ijy Mr. Rauei', a gentleman 

 belonging to the box-otKce of the 

 theatre, who produced a num- 

 ber of shots, a pen-case filled with 

 gunpowder, and a second pistol, 

 which were found upon the pri- 

 soner. 



The prisoner was then called 

 upon to give an account of him- 

 self. He said his mother and 

 father-in-law live in Brown's 

 buildings. Stanhope-street, Clare- 

 market. 



He was asked if he had any 

 personal knowledge of Miss Kelly. 

 He at first denied that he had any 

 knowledge of her, but afterwards 

 said he had, and that she could 

 explain it. 



On his being (lucstioncKl as to 

 his motive for the daring outi'agc, 

 he declined answering it, but said 

 he would say more at a future 

 time. He hesitated in answering 

 all the ipicstions )iut to Mm, and 

 gave very contradictory accoimts. 

 He was then cou\eyed (o Tothill- 

 iiclds Bridewell liy the constables 

 who apprehended him. 



It was with some dilliciilty that 

 Miss Kelly finished acting her 

 character in the farce. On her 

 being informed of the young 

 man's name, she rcc(dleHcd that 

 it was the same name which she 

 had received, signed tn several 

 love-letters, some of wKich con- 

 tained threats, if she did not ac- 

 cept of his ofl'er, &c. — She, not 

 knowing the person, treated the 

 whole as a matter of indifTcrcnce; 

 she had, however, mentioned the 

 circumstance to Mr. Lamb, one 

 of the gcntlcmenof the committee 

 for managing the affairs of the 

 theatre ; also to her dresser, and 

 several other })er3ons a-bout the 

 theatre. The fright had such an 



effect 



