lords, amidst shame and misery, I yet wish to live; and most humbly implore, that I may be recommended by your lordship to the clemency of his majesty."

The Recorder now replied,

"Dr. William Dodd,

"You have been convicted of the offence of publishing a forged and counterfeit bond, knowing it to be forged and counterfeited; and you have had the advantage which the laws of this country afford to every man in that situation, a fair, an impartial, and an attentive trial. The jury, to whose justice you appealed, have found you guilty; their verdict has undergone the consideration of the learned judges, and they found no ground to impeach the justice of that verdict; you yourself have admitted the justice of it; and now the very painful duty that the necessity of the law imposes upon the court, to pronounce the sentence of that law against you, remains only to be performed. You appear to entertain a very proper sense of the enormity of the offence which you have committed; you appear too in a state of contrition of mind, and I doubt not have duly reflected how far the dangerous tendency of the offence you have been guilty of is encreased by the influence of example, in being committed by a person of your character, and of the sacred function of which you are a member. These sentiments seem to be yours: I would wish to cultivate such sentiments; but I would not wish to add to the anguish of a person in your situation by dwelling upon it. Your application for mercy must be made elsewhere: it would be cruel in the court to flatter

flatter you; there is a power of dispensing mercy, where you may apply. Your own good sense, and the contrition you express, will induce you to lessen the influence of the example, by publishing your hearty and sincere detestation of the offence of which you are convicted; and that you will not attempt to palliate or extenuate, which would indeed add to the degree of the influence of a crime of this kind being committed by a person of your character and known abilities; I would therefore warn you against any thing of that kind. Now, having said this, I am obliged to pronounce the sentence of the law, which is-That you Dr. Wm. Dodd be carried from hence to the place from whence you came; that from thence you are to be carried to the place of execution, where you are to be hanged by the neck until you are dead."

To this Dr. Dodd replied, " Lord Jesus, receive 'my soul!"

The exertions now made to save Dr. Dodd were perhaps beyond all example in any country. The newspapers were filled with letters and paragraphs in his favour. Individuals of all ranks and degrees exerted themselves in his behalf: parish officers went, in mourning, from house to house, to procure subscriptions to a petition to the king: and this petition, which, with the names, filled 23 sheets of parchment, was actually presented. Even the lord-mayor and common council went in a body to St. James's, to solicit mercy for the convict. - As clemency, however, had been denied to the unfortunate Perreaus, it was deemed unadvisable

to

to extend it to Dr. Dodd. This unhappy clergyman was attended to the place of execution, in a mourning coach, by the Rev. Mr. Villette, ordinary of Newgate, and the Rev. Mr. Dobey. Another criminal, named Joseph Harris, was executed at the same time. It is impossible to give an idea of the immense crowds of people that thronged the streets from Newgate to Tyburn.— When the prisoners arrived at the fatal tree, and were placed in the cart, Dr. Dodd exhorted his fellow-sufferer in so generous a manner, as testified that he had not forgot the duty of a clergyman, and was very fervent in the exercise of his own devotions. Just before the parties were turned off, the doctor whispered the executioner. What he said is not ascertained; but it was observed that the man had no sooner driven away the cart, than he ran immediately under the gibbet, and took hold of the doctor's legs, as if to steady the body, and the unhappy man appeared to die without pain; but the groans, prayers, and tears of thousands

* It was observed to his majesty, that if Doctor Dodd was pardoned, the Perreaus were murdered. Since the execution of Dr. Dodd, several convicted of forgery have been pardoned; therefore, according to this sophistical mode of reasoning, Doctor Dodd, the Perreaus, and all who have suffered before, have been MURDERED. How often in a gang of convicted mutineers are several, at the moment of expected punishment, forgiven, and only two or three examples made-are those exam. ples MURDERED? Mercy is a royal prerogative, and justice should withdraw, when she is pleased to smile. EDITOR

sands attended his departure. He suffered on the 27th of June, 1777. See GRIFFITHS, WM.

DONELLAN, JOHN, Esq. (MURDERER,) was the son of Colonel Donellan. At the age of twelve years he entered into the royal regiment of artillery; with part of which regiment he went to the East Indies in 1754. On his arrival there, he changed his service into the 39th regiment of foot; but, on that regiment being ordered home, he, with many other officers of the same regiment, bad his Majesty's leave to remain in the service of the East-India Company, without prejudice to their rank in the army. He then obtained a company, and certainly distinguished himself as a good soldier, being much wounded in the service, and, if his own account may be credited, was singularly instrumental to the taking of Mazulapitam. However, being appointed one of the four agents for prizemoney, he condescended to receive some presents from some black merchants, to whom part of their effects had been ordered to be restored. For this he was tried by a Court-martial, and cashiered. In the sequel, he purchased a share in the Pantheon, where he figured some time as Master of the Ceremonies. After a variety of applications, he at length obtained a certificate from the War-office, that he had behaved in the East Indies "like a gallant officer;" in consequence of which he was put upon half-pay in the 39th regiment. But, notwithstanding the most strenuous memorials and petitions, representing his great services, and insisting that the offence for which he was broke was of a civil nature only, not cognizable by a Courtmartial, he never could obtain a restoration into the Company's service. In June 1777, he married Miss Boughton. On Friday, March 30, 1781, he

was

was tried at the assizes at Warwick, for the wilful murder of Sir Theodosius Edward Allesley Boughton, Bart. his brother-in-law. Mr. Digby opened the indictment; after which Mr. Howorth stated, and minutely commented on all the circumstances, which he intended, in the course of the trial, to adduce in evidence. Mr. Powell, apothecary, of Rugby, was the first witness examined on the part of the Crown. He had attended Sir Theodosius Boughton for two months before his death, on account of a slight venereal complaint. He gave him some cooling physic for about three weeks. This was discontinued for about a fortnight; when it was repeated, on account of a small swelling in the groin, that did not rise above the skin. For this he gave him four more doses, two of manna and salts, and the other two of rhubarb and jalap. The last draught he sent was on Tuesday the 29th of August. He had previously seen Sir Theodosius that day, who appeared to him in great spirits and good health. He produced two phials in court, the one containing the rhubarb draught, exactly as he had sent it to Sir Theodosius; the other had the same ingredients, with the difference of laurel water, instead of simple water. On the Wednesday morning, he was sent for to Lawford-hall. He arrived there a little before nine. Captain Donellan accompanied him into Sir Theodosius's room. He had been dead near an hour. The witness saw no distortion, nor any thing particular. He continued some minutes in the room. Captain Donel lan asked him no question, but, in answer to his enquiries, said that Sir Theodosius died "in convulsions." Being questioned what further conversation he had then with Mr. Donellan, he said that

he