A complete history and development of all the extraordinary circumstances and events connected with the murder of Mr. Weare : together with the trial at large, including speeches of counsel, examination of evidence, defence, &c. &c. : a faithful picture of all the fashionable "modern hells" and "black-legs" of the metropolis with sketches of the principal individuals who frequent them, whether in the character of "Greeks" or "pigeons" : an exposition of the frauds practised, the immense sums won and lost, and the calamitous events to which this system of nefarious villany has in many instances led : comprising most curious and highly interesting details, furnished from original and authentic sources, with a view to deter the young and unwary novice from this vortex of vice and misery : the whole forming a genuine series of gambling biography.

Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A complete history and development of all the extraordinary circumstances and events connected with the murder of Mr. Weare : together with the trial at large, including speeches of counsel, examination of evidence, defence, &c. &c. : a faithful picture of all the fashionable "modern hells" and "black-legs" of the metropolis with sketches of the principal individuals who frequent them, whether in the character of "Greeks" or "pigeons" : an exposition of the frauds practised, the immense sums won and lost, and the calamitous events to which this system of nefarious villany has in many instances led : comprising most curious and highly interesting details, furnished from original and authentic sources, with a view to deter the young and unwary novice from this vortex of vice and misery : the whole forming a genuine series of gambling biography. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    9 58 Anecdotes of the Thurtelis. and desired the intruders, who had got into the area, to retire at their peril; a voice answered, with a suitable volley of im¬ precations, that it was John Thurtell and his friend, and they would come in; the promise of the contents of a brace of pis¬ tols, and an alarm of the watch, caused these persons to de¬ sist, and after a time the man lay down on his bed, but did not sleep ; in about an hour, he heard the footsteps of two men stealing gently up stairs; when they had passed his door, he ventured to open it a little, and discovered John Thurtell and another man carrying a heavy bundle into a room, which the next morning he found locked ; he afterwards discovered they had been let in by a man who used to serve in the bar for the Thurtelis, and who had been suffered to remain on the pre¬ mises. The house is now shut up.—Having a back entrance into a stable-yard, it was well adapted for the dishonest pur¬ poses to which it was applied. In a room, which was John Thurtell’s bed-room, there are innumerable bullet-holes through the cupboard-door, the chimney-board, and some drawers ; here he used to practise with his air-gun. This was the most formi¬ dable instrument of destruction that ever assassin bore. It was discovered in the following manner :— When Thurtell was apprehended, Ruthven found upon him three small bullets, or what are called buck-shot, which suited the calibre of the pistol found in his pocket; but when asked about them, he denied that they belonged to, or were intended for the pistol, and said they were cast for an air-gun, which he had had for some time. He subsequently wrote a letter, requesting that care might be taken of it, and this letter being intercepted, led to the finding of the deadly instrument. The letter was addressed to Mrs. Walker, a young woman, who had lived at the Cock, in the Haymarket, as bar-maid to T. Thurtell. She married lately a man named Walker, a tailor, and lives in a garret in Windmill-street, Haymarket. (Jpson, the officer, upon having this letter put into his hand, went to the Cock, w here, in a room occupied occasionally by J. Thurtell, he found the air-gun in question. It is in the shape of a common walk¬ ing stick. It is composed of metal cased with tin, and coloured so as to look like wood. There are knobs upon it to resem¬ ble the knots which are seen upon certain descriptions of sticks. The top part of the stick takes off, and the air-pump, which is separate from the rest, but so small as to go into the pocket, is fixed on in a moment, and the gun filled with air. The cali¬ bre is very small, it being calculated only for a species of bullet very little larger than buckshot. The gun has been tried by the officer, and found to be most perfect and effective