Transcription
EXECUTION. A Full, Authentic, and Particular Account of the Execution of PETER HAEMAN and FRANCOIS GAUTIEZ, who were Hanged, within Flood-mark, at Leith, on Wednesday the 9th January, 1822, for the Piratical seizure of the Schooner Jane of Gib- raltar, on her voyage to the Brazils, and for the Barbarous Murder of Thomas Johnston, master, and James Paterson, seaman, whose bodies were after- wards delivered at Edinburgh to be Dissected ; to- gether with their behaviour from the Jail to, and at, the place of Execution. THESE unfortunate men, PETER HEAMAN and FRANCOIS GAUTIEZ, or GAUTIER, who suffered the last penalty of our law this day, were tried, at Edinburgh, before the High Court of Admiralty of Scotland, on Monday the 28th of November last, for the Piratical and unlawful seizure of the Schooner Jane, of Gib- raltar, in the Month of June last, when on her voyage from that place to the Brazil, with a valuable cargo, including specie to the amount of 38,180 Spanish Dollars; for most barbarously and cruelly murdering Thomas Johnston, the Master, and James Pater- son, a seaman belonging to that Schooner ; and, likewise, for con- fining Pet- Smith and Robert Strachan, seamen, in the forecastle, where, by attempting to suffocate them by smoke, the murderers succeeded in terrifying the said Smith and Str.chan to assist them . In seizing the vessel, which they afterwards sunk off the coast of Rossshire,. landed the specie on the Isle of Lewis in that county AND were soon afterwards made prisoners, and sent to Leith, by Mr M'lvor, Surveyor of Customs at Stornaway, on the information of Andrew Camelier, a Maltese boy belonging to the said schooner. Their trial attracted the most intense interest of a crowded court, and lasted till near seven o'clock on Tuesday morning. They pled Not Guilty, and attempted to exculpate themselves on the allegations that it was the Captain who shot Paterson, and that this was the only shot there was fired: That they, all struck at the . Captain together, and could not say who it was that killed him : And, that they could not say who it was that proposed to conceal the dollars, but they all assisted in doing so. They were condemned, notwithstanding these allegations. which were not supported by any evidence, on the clearest testimony, and Sentenced to be Executed, within Flood- mark, at Leith, on Wednesday the 9th January 1822, and their bodier to be delivered to the Professor of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh for Dissection. Soon after their condemnation, however both these unhappy men acknowledged the justice of their sentence confessing that they alone devised and carried into execution the murder of Captain Johnston and the helansman, Paterson. Gautiez, who was cook on board the schooner, was a Frenchman, a broad thick stout man apparently about 26 years of age, and of the Roman Catholic religion. Heaman was mate, and was a thin swarthy man, about 35 years of age a native of Shields, and.of the Church of England persuasion. He married a Frenchwoman when a prisoner of war in that country, who, on the peace, Came home with him, and who had four children to him. She has a good moral character, and was in Edinburgh at the time of the trial, with her children, in great distress, where a small sum was collect- ed for her, among several respectable individuals, including three guineas from the jury, to enable her to proceed home. They were both very penitent, and paid unremitting attention to the religious instructions given them from time to time, by the Clergymen and others, who regularly visited them in Jail. Accordingly, on Wednesday the 9th January, 1822, soon after nine o'clock in the morning, a hurdle was drawn up-opposite the main door of the Jail, into which the unfortunate men were placed, with their backs to the horse's tail, and facing the executioner, who sat opposite to them, holding the end of a rope, with which they were bound, in his hands, In this-manner the cart moved slowly down to Leith, accompanied by the Sheriff, and surrounded with a detachment of Dragoons, Sheriff and Police Officers, &c. where they were received by the Port Admiral,Clergymen, &c. They arrived at the scaffold, which was, erected on the sand op- posite the Royal Naval Yard, about ten o'clock; and, after spend- ing ten or fifteen minutes in servent prayer, they mounted the drop were they shook; hands, and again prayed earnestly for a few mi- nutes, when the fatal signal was given, and they were instantly launched into eternity, amidst an immense multitude of spectators. After hanging half an hour, they were cut down, and their bodies sent to Edinburgh in a cart to be discussed, in terms of their sentence
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Date of publication:
1822 shelfmark: Ry.III.a.2(23)
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