The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins - [90]
Part Five
…the Prisoner was brought to the Bar at 9 in the Morning, a very great and extraordinary Audience present; diverse Gentlemen of Distinction and a Crowd of Ladies. The Prisoner pleaded Not Guilty as at his Arraignment.
The Council for the Crown open’d the Indictment; setting forth, That the said Thomas Hawkins, gentleman and former Student of Divinity, being a Person of inhuman and cruel Disposition did Assault and Murder the said Joseph Burden in the Unfortunate Victim’s own bed; and that the Prisoner did Stab him nine times with a great Dagger. And that the Prisoner did wound the said Joseph Burden with a fierce cut to the Heart, plunging the Blade to the very hilt and drawing forth great Geysers of Blood, by which the aforementioned soon died.
The King’s Council proceeded to open, That the Prisoner at the Bar was well known to hold a great Loathing and Hatred of his Neighbour, and had been witnessed upon several occasions threatening to Strike and Murder the Unfortunate Deceas’d.
The Council continued, That the Prisoner had every means of entering his neighbour’s home, which was upon Russell Street, having constructed a Secret and Ingenious Door between the attics, granting him Access whenever he so Wished. And thus the Prisoner had entered into the home of his Unfortunate Victim and murder’d him in an act most callous and cunning.
Following this Brutal Act the Prisoner compounded his crime and with Great Wickedness sought to place Suspicion upon innocent parties: Stephen Burden the son of the Deceas’d, Judith Burden who was his Daughter and Ned Weaver, his apprentice. That thus, despite a childhood bless’d with good Fortune and the best of Educations, the Prisoner shew’d himself to be not only a Cold and Pitiless murderer but also a Coward and a Liar, having no decency or honour.
To prove the Indictment, the Council for the King called several Witnesses.
The first was Judith Burden, daughter of the unfortunate deceas’d, who swore that Hawkins had threatened her Father upon several occasions. She depos’d that she had discovered the body of Joseph Burden on the morning of the 12th of January.
Being asked by the King’s Council, Was he dead? She reply’d Aye, Aye and with a Knife in his Heart. At this she broke down. The Court call’d for a Cordial to ease her Nerves. When she was recover’d the King’s Council asked, And what thoughts came to you when you saw your Father dead? And the witness reply’d that she thought Mr Hawkins had murder’d him, as he had promis’d. At which she broke down again.
The Prisoner at the Bar ask’d permission to question the Witness but the Court deemed that she was too much Distress’d, and that the Prisoner had question’d her close enough when he was at Liberty, to no avail. This Answer drew great Approval from the Audience gathered.
Stephen Burden, son of the Deceas’d, deposed that he heard the Prisoner threaten his Father on diverse occasions. That his Father held the strong conviction that Hawkins was a Violent and Dangerous man who frequent’d Brothels and Gaming Houses and consort’d with base Company, and that he was most Vex’d by his arrival in the neighbourhood. Being asked if his Father was afraid of the Prisoner, the Witness replied that he was, mortally afraid.
Hawkins asked the Witness if he had ever seen him strike his father, or shew any violence towards him. The Witness conceded he had not.
Hawkins. And did your Father not strike you often, and your sister?
The Witness did not answer. When prompt’d by the Court he replied, Aye, but only for my Instruction and I am glad of it now.
Ned Weaver, a Carpenter and Apprentice to the Deceas’d, confirmed that the Body was discover’d by Judith Burden. He testify’d that the Prisoner had threaten’d his Master, but added that he was not himself, having taken a great deal of Liquor. He describ’d the Secret Passage between the Houses and agreed that the Prisoner had both the Wit and the Opportunity to kill Joseph Burden. The Witness added he did not believe there was ample Proof, nor did he believe it was in the Prisoner’s Nature to Commit such a Foul deed. The Court interject’d that this was for the Jury to decide, and asked the Witness to step down.
The King’s Council then call’d upon Diverse members of the Neighbourhood, including Hannah Jenkins, a Baker’s Wife, Everett Felblade, an Apothecary and Joshua Purchase, aGamester. All testified that the Prisoner had threatened great Violence against the Deceas’d and that there was the strongest Animosity between them. Purchase deposed that the Prisoner was well known about the Town as a Rake and a Gambler, who consort’d with lewd women and common Whores.
Hawkins asked if the Witness were not describing himself and half the Town with it, which drew much Laughter from the lower sorts in the Gallery. The Court called for Order.
Felblade, ask’d if he agreed with his Neighbour’s testimony, said that in his Opinion all men were capable of Murder and Mr Hawkins no more than most.
Mrs Jenkins testify’d that after the Murder the Prisoner had impos’d himself upon the Family, Interrogating them in a Cold and Arrogant fashion. The Prisoner also insisted upon searching the House in a most Unseemly manner, causing great Distress to the poor Children of the Deceas’d. The King’s Council asked, Did the Prisoner Discover anything of Note to aid his Investigation?
