Volume III
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ISAAC AND THOMAS HALLAM Murderers and Highwaymen, hanged in Lincolnshire, 20th of February, 1733, upon the Spot where they committed their Crime had long, with too much success, carried on a series of daring robberies, and perpetrated cruel murders, insomuch that Government offered a reward for their apprehension. They were at length taken, and charged with the murder of William Wright, a youth of only eighteen years of age, who was found in a post-chaise at Faldingworth Gate, near Market Rasen, in Lincolnshire, with his head almost severed from his body, covered over with the seat-cloth, and his ordinary search was made after these desperate depredators, but they baffled their pursuers nearly a month. At length they were taken into custody, and committed to the jail of the city of Lincoln. Among their various outrages, they, in mere wantonness, forced a post-boy to blow his horn, then told him he had sounded his own death-peal, and immediately cut his throat, as well as that of his horse, and the bodies of the man and the beast were next morning found close together. From this detestable barbarity, the post-boys of Lincoln mustered with horns on their entrance into Lincoln, and greeted them with their loudest blasts ; whereupon, now stung with remorse, one of them was observed to weep. They were convicted of the murders of William Wright and Thomas Gardner; and afterwards confessed that they committed, in company with each other, sixty-three robberies and one murder, exclusive of that for which they were con- demned to die. Yet did these shocking offenders attempt to evade their punishment. They procured a case-knife, which they notched like a saw, in order to cut off their irons ; and then, with a spike-nail, they began digging through the wall of their prison ; but were detected. In passing to the place of execution of Isaac, which was the spot where they had murdered the post-boy, this unfortunate brother fell into violent agonies and perturbation of mind. At the gallows, there being no clergyman to attend them, he called to one of the spectators to assist him in his devotions, which the good man readily complied with, and he prayed with much fervency. Thomas was ordered to be carried farther, to the place where they had murdered Mr Wright, but on his seeing his brother turned off, and struggling with life, he shrieked out in a dreadful manner. He then was drawn to Faldingworth Gate, where he died in dreadful agonies of mind. This execution took place on the 2oth of February, 1733. |