I had a mind to recommend the horse to visit Mr. S 's brewery, at St. Helens. I left Windsor next morning in the coach, passing over Hounslow Heath, through Chelsea and Kensington gardens; on the same afternoon had an invitation from a gentleman to accompany him on a visit to St. Thomas' hospital, and to the King's Bench prison, both of which were on the Surry side. The prison is chiefly devoted to rich debtors, " who won't pay." We passed through the whole range of the prison grounds, and the yard appeared to be one vast market; and one not knowing that he was in a prison yard, would imagine himself in some popular city market; here were stalls all round the inside of the walls, loaded with every species of game, biped and quadruped.
The gentlemen prisoners, with their servants, purchasing whatever their palates desired; for they can live here as high or extravagant as they please, although no spirituous liquors are allowed to be sold on the limits. All along on the side opposite the stalls, are numerous little shops, where small articles are sold, such as stationery, cakes, wearing apparel, and many other necessaries needed by the prisoners, some of whom remain there during their lives. But my companion directed my attention to some shops, over the doors of which the signs read "Thread an tape." "Here," said he, " these gentleman can obtain anything they want." The King's Bench prisoners are, many of them, noblemen, who prefer lying in prison to paying their debts; their object in so doing being best known to themselves.
In passing out of the prison yard into the office of admittance, your attention is directed by the keepers to a singular piece of wood, about twelve inches square, always exciting curiosity, and it is hung up over the grate; on it is written in large letters: Y " Turn iliis round and you ivill see " The greeny then turns it round, and on the reverse — " Pay for a quart and youlll be free." So all you have to do is to hand over a couple of shillings to pay for the quart, and you can then go out. Next day being Sunday, I attended church at the City Road Chapel, where Rev. John Wesley formerly preached; and heard an excellent sermon from the Rev.
John Watson, a very celebrated Methodist preacher. After service took a walk through Bun hill-fields burying ground, was shown the graves of Watts, Bunyan, and of many others, " who, being dead, yet speakeili; " then proceeded to the place said to be where the stake was erected for the burning of John Rog;ers at Smitlifield. [I mentioned in a former chapter about the crew of the Indiaman, that many of them were subsequently ship-masters. Joe Bragg, afterwards sailed out of England, and in London the following appeared on the police record.] ALLEGED MURDER ON THE HIGH SEAS. Joseph Bragg, master of the brig Valiant, lying in the East India Docks, was on Tuesday, April 11, 1827, examined at the Thames Police Office, charged with the murder of Francis Williams* a black man, the cook.
Several of the crew were examined; but as their evidence was corroborative of each other, we shall only give the evidence of Robert Harris, who stated, that he was a seaman on board the Valiant, and that during their passage to the Isle of France, the prisoner was in the habit of kicking the deceased, and knocking him on the head; and on the 16th of September the prisoner asked where the black rascal was. He was told that he was aft. Prisoner then went aft, and saw the deceased with a bone of beef in his hand. He desired him to go to the round-house, and told him to eat the bone. Deceased made no reply. Prisoner began to cut his clothes off, leaving only his frock shirt.
He then fastened a rope round his body, and dragged him to the hatchway, aud threw him down upon some barrels. The deceased lay some time insensible. The prisoner then ordered him on deck, which, he not immediately complying with, he hauled him up. Deceased begged a drink of water. Prisoner called the cook of the day, ordered him to get a panican of beef pickle, and actually forced a large quantity of it down the deceased's throat; and on his attempting to resist, he dashed him against the boom, and struck him several times; deceased fell on the deck; he then dragged him towards the head of the ship. Prisoner then told the deceased to take a bucket and fasten the bottom of it: but he seemed quite unable to do it.