DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0079
RICHARD PATCH.
63
Blight, in the prisoner’s presence, Is there any person whom
you suspect of having committed this act ? his answer was,
No; God knows I never did any man an injury that could
lead him to wish to take away my life; but Mr. Patch has
mentioned to me a man of the name of Webster. He says
he turned towards Patch, and asked, Who is this Webster?
The prisoner anxiously said he was a man who had been sus-
pected of having robbed the premises, that a search warrant
had been taken out against him, and that his son had since
absconded; this was said to shew that there was no great
degree of improbability that some man had done this from a
motive of revenge. Mr. Cooper then said, surely you should
send to Bow Street, the premises should be again searched;
to which the prisoner answered, No, for nothing will be
found; and if nothing should be found I shall certainly be
shot, or they will certainly shoot me, or words to that effect.
Now, the observation made upon this is, that it was one of
the most natural things in the world, when a friend came in,
and was told that his friend w as murdered, when a proposi-
tion was made to make the earliest possible enquiry, that
there should have appeared some anxiety, instead of that in-
difference expressed by the prisoner, saying, that nothing
would be found, and if nothing was found that he himself
would be in peril. Mr. Cooper says, that he spoke to Mr.
Blight respecting his will; he suggested to him in as delicate
a way as he could the necessity of settling his affairs; Mr.
Blight expressed a desire that a person of the name of Fer-
guson, and also the prisoner, should be added as execu-
tors to his will; he introduced their names into the will;
he says, that some interlineations were made in it, which
Mr. Blight with much effort signed. Soon after six
o’clock the next morning, the prisoner came to him, and told
him Mr. Blight was in great pain, and was anxious to know
if he could do any thing for him; he said he was afraid it
was impossible, but he went and found him in a great deal of
pain? and his belly very much swollen; he soon after left the
63
Blight, in the prisoner’s presence, Is there any person whom
you suspect of having committed this act ? his answer was,
No; God knows I never did any man an injury that could
lead him to wish to take away my life; but Mr. Patch has
mentioned to me a man of the name of Webster. He says
he turned towards Patch, and asked, Who is this Webster?
The prisoner anxiously said he was a man who had been sus-
pected of having robbed the premises, that a search warrant
had been taken out against him, and that his son had since
absconded; this was said to shew that there was no great
degree of improbability that some man had done this from a
motive of revenge. Mr. Cooper then said, surely you should
send to Bow Street, the premises should be again searched;
to which the prisoner answered, No, for nothing will be
found; and if nothing should be found I shall certainly be
shot, or they will certainly shoot me, or words to that effect.
Now, the observation made upon this is, that it was one of
the most natural things in the world, when a friend came in,
and was told that his friend w as murdered, when a proposi-
tion was made to make the earliest possible enquiry, that
there should have appeared some anxiety, instead of that in-
difference expressed by the prisoner, saying, that nothing
would be found, and if nothing was found that he himself
would be in peril. Mr. Cooper says, that he spoke to Mr.
Blight respecting his will; he suggested to him in as delicate
a way as he could the necessity of settling his affairs; Mr.
Blight expressed a desire that a person of the name of Fer-
guson, and also the prisoner, should be added as execu-
tors to his will; he introduced their names into the will;
he says, that some interlineations were made in it, which
Mr. Blight with much effort signed. Soon after six
o’clock the next morning, the prisoner came to him, and told
him Mr. Blight was in great pain, and was anxious to know
if he could do any thing for him; he said he was afraid it
was impossible, but he went and found him in a great deal of
pain? and his belly very much swollen; he soon after left the