THE NEW NEWGATE CALENDAR; MALEFACTOR'S BLOODY REGISTER, From the Year 1700, to the prefent Time. Embellished with curious COPPER-PLATES. Account of the horrid Murder committed by PETER CONWAY and MICHAEL RI CHARDSON, on Mr. VENABLES, a Butcher in Whitechapel, and Mr. ROGERS, a Carpenter; with an Account of their Execution, and being hung in Chains for the fame. FR ROM the best accounts we have been able to obtain of these unhappy men, we learn, that an inattention to their education laid the foundation of their ruin. They engaged in the paths of vice early in life, and having forfeited their characters by the irregularity of their conduct, their minds were gradually prepared for the commiffion of the most horrid of crimes. It was too frequently their practice to spend the greater part of the day in houses of ill fame, where they drank to fuch a degree as to qualify themselves for fcenes of more than brutal enterprize during the night, VOL. V. No. 41. B On On Saturday the 26th of May, 1770, Richardfon, Conway, and two men named Jackson and Fox, went to the fhop of Mr. Robert Dun, in Princes-fquare, near Ratcliff-highway, and purchafed a pair of piftols. The above mentioned Jackfon was afterwards an evidence against his accomplices; but we do not learn that Fox was ever taken into custody. Having thus purchased the piftols, they left them at the house of an acquaintance, named Thomas; after which they all went to the lodgings of Conway, where they spent the night. On the fucceeding day (Sunday) they took a coach to Whitechapel, where they continued drinking till the dufk of the evening, when they went to Thomas's houfe for the piftols. Being unprovided with balls, they remained for while in confultation what to fubftitute in their ftead; and at length they cut a pewter fpoon in pieces, and loaded their pistols. This being done, Conway and Richardson went together, and the other two accompanied them, but at a small diftance, that they might not appear to be a gang of ruffians. They met a gentleman's fervant, whom they stopped; but, as he had no money, he was permitted to pafs without farther moleftation. It happened that, in the afternoon, Mr. Venables, a butcher in Whitechapel, had been walking to Stepney, with his neighbour, Mr. Rogers, a carpenter; and they were returning to town when they were met by the villains above-mentioned, which happened a few minutes after they had parted from the gentleman's fervant. Mr. Venables and Mr. Rogers had the appear ance of men from whom a confiderable booty might be expected; whereupon Conway stopped the former, and demanded his money; but, inftead of delivering it, Mr. Venables, who was a robuft man, twice knocked down Richardfon and Fox; and they had no fooner recovered their legs, than Richardson and Conway inftantly fired their piftols, and the two unoffending paffengers were killed on the fpot. Thefe unprovoked murders being thus perpetrated, the villains did not ftay to rob the parties; but, with the conscioufnefs of guilt, hurried away towards Stepney, whence they went to Ratcliffhighway, and thence to Wapping, where they ftopped a man, and robbed him of eighteen fhillings and his watch. This robbery being committed, they haftened to Darkhoufe-lane, near Billingfgate, where they ftaid during the night; and the next morning, after breakfafting at a public-house in' Southwark, they parted, with a view of confulting their fafety in flight. The bodies of the deceased, being found in the road, were conveyed to, the watch-houfe; and a furgeon being fent for, he examined the wounds, and found that they had been made by pieces of pewter. On the following Wednesday Jackson was apprehended, on fufpicion of having been concerned in the commiffion of thefe horrid murders. On his examination he gave information who were his accomplices; on which he was admitted an evidence for the crown. In a few days after Jackson was taken in cuftody, Conway went to the fhop of Mr. Burtman, a pawnbroker in Jermyn-ftreet; where he offered a watch in pledge. An advertisement in the news-paper, defcribing B 2 defcribing the perfon of Conway, having been read by Mr. Burtman, the latter imagined that he was the man thus defcribed; on which he gave a hint to one of his fervants to fit by Conway, while he, (Burtman) examined the watch. The fervant, apprehending danger, whispered his master that it was probable he had pistols in his poffeffion on which a person was fent out, to request the attendance of the neighbours, with a view to prevent mischief. In the interim Conway, remarking that they whispered together, begged permission to retire to the vault; which he was readily allowed to do:-but on his return he was taken into cuftody, and a coach was called to convey him to Sir John Fielding's office in Bowftreet. * As they were going thither, Mr. Burtman hinted. a ftrong fufpicion that Conway was guilty of the murders; to which the latter made this remarkable and fhocking anfwer; "D-n my eyes! though "I am guilty (I mean not guilty) I could not shoot "two men at once." When he was brought to the house of the magiftrate above-mentioned, he was confronted with Jackson, when they mutually endeavoured to criminate each other; but the circumftances against Conway were fo very fufpicious, that Sir John Fielding did not hesitate to commit him to Newgate. Richardfon was likewise apprehended within five days after this commitment, and taken to Bow-street for examination; when the charge against him was fo very strong, that he was likewife committed to Newgate, to abide the event of a trial by jury. Jackfon * Some accounts give this man's name Conna way; but it is uncertain which is the true fpelling. |