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  • The Freemasons' Magazine
  • May 1, 1798
  • Page 61
  • MONTHLY CHRONICLE.
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The Freemasons' Magazine, May 1, 1798: Page 61

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    Article MONTHLY CHRONICLE. ← Page 5 of 16 →
Page 61

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Monthly Chronicle.

TRIALS FOR HIGH TREASON . SPECIAL COMMISSION » l . vl AIDS TO N K , MONDaV , MAY 21 , 1798 . The KING against ARTHUR O'CONNOR , Esq . JAMES O'COIGLEY , JAMES JOHK FIVEY , JOHN ISINNS , JOHN ALLEN , and JEREMIAH LESRY . Mr . Justice Buller , Mr . Justice Heath , Mr . Justice Lawrence , and Mr . Serjeant Shepherd , took their seats on the Bench by seven o ' clock . . Previous to the names of the Jurors being called over

, Mr . Plomer observed , that ii was far from his intention to interrupt the pro - ceeeings of the day by any unnecessary observation ; but he felt it his duty , in order to preserve the puritr of the adminis'ration of public justice , nol to lose a moment in slating the contents of an affidavit which had been just sworn . It respected a charge of Ihe foulest nature ; a charge of one of the most daring attempis lo violate the public justice of th country- —of one of the grossest contempts of ihe court that ever was practised . The charge was nothing less than that of a nicked attempt to tamper with the Jury appointed to try the guilt or

innocence of the prisoners at the bar , and was founded on the affidavit of " a most respectable person , concerning whose veracity and honour there was not the slightest doubt . Their Lordships would be surprised to hear that endeavours had been made , in conversations , by indirect means , with Jurors , known to he such , to prejudice their judgments , and induce them 10 come into court with minds predetermined to convict the prisoners at the bar , guilty or not guilty . 1 he court would be still more surprised , when they heard that the person against whom he had to complain bore the sacred character of a clergymanyet he

; should slate , under his own hand-writing , . in account of the conversation lie had with several of the Jurors ; and he had no doubt but the court ,. when in possession of the facts , would mark his conduct by the severest reprehension . [ The letter was then read from ihe Kev . Arthur Young , of which the following is an extract ; the observations in the concluding part not being relevant to the business . ] ' Dear Sir , I dined yesterday will ) three of the Jurymen of the Blackburn

Hundred , who have been summoned to Maidstone to the trial of O'Connor anil Co . and it is not a lit lie singular , that not one yeoman of this district should have been summoned to an assize for this county , nor to any of the Quarter Sessions , excepting the Midsummer , for more than fifty years . These three men are . wealthy yeomen , and partisans of the High Court Parly . Now , this is as it ought to . be ; and , as they are good farmers , and much in my interest , to be sure , I exerted all my eloquence to convince them how absolutely necessary it was at the present moment , for the security of ( he realm , that the felons should swing-. 1

represented to them , that the acquiiial of Hardy and Co . laid the foundation of the present conspiracy , the Manchester , London Corresponding Society , & c . & c . I urged them , by all possible means in my power , to hang them through mercy , a memorial to others ; that had oihers suffered , the deep laid conspiracy which is coming to li ght would have been necessarily crushed in its infancy . These , with many other arguments , t pressed uiih a view thai they should go into court avowedl y determined in their verdict , no matter what Ihe evidence . An innocent mancommitted to gaolnever otfers a bribe to a turnkey to let him escape .

, , O'Connor did this to my knowledge ; and , although the Judge is sufficiently stern , and seldom acquits where hanging is necessary , the only fear I have is , that , when the Jury is impannelled , the Blues may gain the ascendancy . In short , I pressed Ihe matter so much upon their senses , that if any one of these three is chosen , I think something may be done . These three men have gained their good fortunes by farming , and 1 think they are now thoroughly sensible that they will lose every shilling in acquitting these felons . ' This lettercontinued Mr . Plomer , was UIUUT the hand-writing of the Rev

, Arthur Young , and was addressed to Gamuliah Lloyd , Esq . a gentleman of Bury St . Edmund ' s . Notice had been given to Mr . Young of this application , ancl he had acknowledged the letter to be his writing . He had been called on to state who the three yeomen of Blackburn were , in order that they might be made the subjects of distinct challenge ; but he had refused to name them . Mr . Plomer said , he was persuaded it could not be the wish of the Court , or the

“The Freemasons' Magazine: 1798-05-01, Page 61” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 10 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fmm/issues/fmm_01051798/page/61/.
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
LONDON: Article 1
TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c. Article 2
MEMOIR OF THE COUNTESS OF DERBY, Article 3
DESCRIPTION OF THE SOURCE OF THE RHINE, Article 4
WISDOM AND FOLLY. Article 7
HAWKESWORTH'S NOTES on ROBERTSON'S HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. Article 10
LETTER II. Article 12
PROCEEDINGS OF A GREAT COUNCIL OF JEWS, Article 14
COLVILLE. Article 17
THE LIFE OF XIMENES, ARCHBISHOP OF TOLEDO. Article 23
A BRIEF ENQUIRY INTO THE LEARNING OF SHAKSPEARE. Article 29
SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 33
THE FREEMASONS' REPOSITORY. Article 38
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 41
PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. Article 45
POETRY. Article 47
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. Article 49
IRISH PARLIAMENT. Article 55
HOUSE OF COMMONS. Article 56
MONTHLY CHRONICLE. Article 57
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Page 61

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Monthly Chronicle.

TRIALS FOR HIGH TREASON . SPECIAL COMMISSION » l . vl AIDS TO N K , MONDaV , MAY 21 , 1798 . The KING against ARTHUR O'CONNOR , Esq . JAMES O'COIGLEY , JAMES JOHK FIVEY , JOHN ISINNS , JOHN ALLEN , and JEREMIAH LESRY . Mr . Justice Buller , Mr . Justice Heath , Mr . Justice Lawrence , and Mr . Serjeant Shepherd , took their seats on the Bench by seven o ' clock . . Previous to the names of the Jurors being called over

, Mr . Plomer observed , that ii was far from his intention to interrupt the pro - ceeeings of the day by any unnecessary observation ; but he felt it his duty , in order to preserve the puritr of the adminis'ration of public justice , nol to lose a moment in slating the contents of an affidavit which had been just sworn . It respected a charge of Ihe foulest nature ; a charge of one of the most daring attempis lo violate the public justice of th country- —of one of the grossest contempts of ihe court that ever was practised . The charge was nothing less than that of a nicked attempt to tamper with the Jury appointed to try the guilt or

innocence of the prisoners at the bar , and was founded on the affidavit of " a most respectable person , concerning whose veracity and honour there was not the slightest doubt . Their Lordships would be surprised to hear that endeavours had been made , in conversations , by indirect means , with Jurors , known to he such , to prejudice their judgments , and induce them 10 come into court with minds predetermined to convict the prisoners at the bar , guilty or not guilty . 1 he court would be still more surprised , when they heard that the person against whom he had to complain bore the sacred character of a clergymanyet he

; should slate , under his own hand-writing , . in account of the conversation lie had with several of the Jurors ; and he had no doubt but the court ,. when in possession of the facts , would mark his conduct by the severest reprehension . [ The letter was then read from ihe Kev . Arthur Young , of which the following is an extract ; the observations in the concluding part not being relevant to the business . ] ' Dear Sir , I dined yesterday will ) three of the Jurymen of the Blackburn

Hundred , who have been summoned to Maidstone to the trial of O'Connor anil Co . and it is not a lit lie singular , that not one yeoman of this district should have been summoned to an assize for this county , nor to any of the Quarter Sessions , excepting the Midsummer , for more than fifty years . These three men are . wealthy yeomen , and partisans of the High Court Parly . Now , this is as it ought to . be ; and , as they are good farmers , and much in my interest , to be sure , I exerted all my eloquence to convince them how absolutely necessary it was at the present moment , for the security of ( he realm , that the felons should swing-. 1

represented to them , that the acquiiial of Hardy and Co . laid the foundation of the present conspiracy , the Manchester , London Corresponding Society , & c . & c . I urged them , by all possible means in my power , to hang them through mercy , a memorial to others ; that had oihers suffered , the deep laid conspiracy which is coming to li ght would have been necessarily crushed in its infancy . These , with many other arguments , t pressed uiih a view thai they should go into court avowedl y determined in their verdict , no matter what Ihe evidence . An innocent mancommitted to gaolnever otfers a bribe to a turnkey to let him escape .

, , O'Connor did this to my knowledge ; and , although the Judge is sufficiently stern , and seldom acquits where hanging is necessary , the only fear I have is , that , when the Jury is impannelled , the Blues may gain the ascendancy . In short , I pressed Ihe matter so much upon their senses , that if any one of these three is chosen , I think something may be done . These three men have gained their good fortunes by farming , and 1 think they are now thoroughly sensible that they will lose every shilling in acquitting these felons . ' This lettercontinued Mr . Plomer , was UIUUT the hand-writing of the Rev

, Arthur Young , and was addressed to Gamuliah Lloyd , Esq . a gentleman of Bury St . Edmund ' s . Notice had been given to Mr . Young of this application , ancl he had acknowledged the letter to be his writing . He had been called on to state who the three yeomen of Blackburn were , in order that they might be made the subjects of distinct challenge ; but he had refused to name them . Mr . Plomer said , he was persuaded it could not be the wish of the Court , or the

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