THE CAREER OF A REMARKABLE CRIMINAL.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 65, 30 March 1868, Page 80

THE CAREER OF A REMARKABLE CRIMINAL.

(From a Scotch Paper.)

There was re-arrested at Carlisle, on a charge of burglary,, a man whose daring criminal achievements have for a quarter' of a century furnished food for the wonder of the gossips of a wide district. In 1844 John Gillespie was sentenced to death for attempted murder at Wigtown, he having broken the nose of a shopkeeper with his “Jemmy” while robbing the shop at niidhight. Gillespie was left for execution, and would in all probability have been executed but for a series of well-sus-tained artifices. He feigned serious illness, and as he was 1 believed to be on the point of death ; the execution of his sentence .was indefinitely postponed. On the tenth day after trial, as he was going up the stair of the prison chapel, he fell backward—fin a fit, as was supposed. He was carried to the hospital, where, by some means, he managed to vomit blood at pleasure; and, in order to revive him, the generous governor, Mr Orridge, had .him removed to a more cheerfuF room, the day room, which he occupied for four years: "During his, abode here—a perfect , cripple to all appearance, confined to his bed, and in the last 1 stage of illness—unaccountable robberies took place in the larder of the Governor’s house; his wine was ; consumed by some mysterious means; on one or two Occasions female prisoners had beep found drunk by the warders. All this was inexplicable until the day on which Gillespie, seemingly at the point of death,' was liberated and conveyed home. Asearch of his room was made, and at the bottom of a, water cistern a large,bunch of keys was found, which opened every lock ini the gaol, even the Governor’s safe and private drawers! He also had a small oil lamp concealed in the same place, and. a pot of paint for co-: vering ever any : damage he might do to the wQQ.d-WQrk in his. lock-picking explorations about the prison. Next day Gillespie was j wallring about the streets, his crutches thrown avsy,. and no sign of ids prolonged 'debility visible. ; ‘ A fortnight I£ter J fib' ! wa§ Bppre> hendfed for burglary near was lodged iii Dumfriesshire 'gaol, Out of whicK; Rany-'; with 1 anothef x-prisoiier named’

M < Callum. . The latter got clear for a time, but ultimately: he was taken near Durham. Gillespie, who has a “ club ” foot, was tracked 4 by a policeman, and after a prolonged and bloody fight he was secured. He was sentenced to ten years* transportation, and was sent to Aberdeen' prison to put in part of his time, from which he again escaped, only'to be again captured, and was once more conveyed to Aberdeen, and confined there. In course of time —strange to say—he got a ticket-of-leave, when he returned to Carlisle, and, —-stranger still to relate —he was appointed master of the Reformatory School there. However, his instructionbeing very much of the Fagan stamp, Mr Sabbage, now Superintend dent of Police at Newcastle, got his license withdrawn, and Gillespie was sent back to serve out his term of punishment. Other incidents of his career might be narrated, but the above will, no doubt, appear sufficiently extraordinary. In the present case, he was arrested on a charge of breaking into the house of a solicitor at 1 o’clock in the morning, and stealing silver plate; but a witness having withdrawn his identification of the prisoner he was discharged. Ultimately, however, a purse which had been carried away was found near his house, and his reapprehension was resolved on by Superintendent Taylor.

Dr. Hochstetteb’s "Work:. —From the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce we have received information that Jjer Majesty the Queen has graciously accepted the dedication of the valuable work on New Zealand by the above gentleman. We have also received a copy of the letter conveying the above information to the Chamber, from Colonel Sir T. M. Biddulph, Keeper of the Queen’s Privy Purse, which we shall have much pleasure in placing before our readers in our next.

Rain.—-The Province has been visited by some very welcome falls of rain during the past few days. Arrival. — His Honor Mr C. D. R. Ward was a passenger from Wellington by the Lord Ashley yesterday.

Public Works.— Tenders are invited for the following works in the Meanoe district Ist, for metalling about 20 chains of the North road, between the race-course and the Meanee Bridge; and 2nd, for metalling about 45 chains of the North road, between Messrs Peacock’s and the bridge over the Salt-water Creek. Tenders are also invited for making 80 chains of the upper beach road between Napier and Tareha’s Bridge.

We take the following from Morgan’s Trade Circular:—The territory recently purchased by the United States from Russia, seems already to have attracted a characteristic share of speculative activity, such as to justify the prognostications of Mr Seward. Enterprises of every description, it is said, are springing up, which promise to develope . a vast Pacific, trade. “ Building lots have advanced several hundred dollars in price at New Archangel and Sitka, in anticipation.of a large flow of emigration thither,” and numerous parties are organising in California to proceed to. the territory “ to reap the wealth afforded by her gold, copper, and coal mines, her trade and fisheries.” The ship-builders on Puget Sound are looking for, extensive orders in connection with the traffic to be opened up, and a, United States navy yard is to be established on Cambridge Island.

The Climate op New Zealand. —The Lancet has the following paragraph “It is probable that the British army engaged during the late war in New Zealand^enjoyed better health, and sustained fewer losses than in any previous campaign. Dr Mackiuon attributes this to the'very beautiful and salubrious climate; and he adds that the change which it effected in the men of regiments arriving from Tnrb'n ■was most marked. . Sickly; and sallow-com-plexioned ,on arrival, they soon, lost the marks of ili-heqith by tropical service, arid regained health und strength whilst undergoing arduous .service in the field.. The late Staff-surgeon Dr Thompson, in his adiriirable “Story of New Zealand” pomted out the importance of that country as a sanatorium for our Indian invalids. It .is riot, a little curious that .there is | an entire absence of malaria iri New Zealand.”

.Native Ape airs at Taranaki.— We take the following from, .a,..recent number of, the Taranaki .Heraldi—- ;Theipe was . a meeting of. ria,tives at Oropuriri, near Bell Block, on the 4th.inst,, at whioh Mr. Parris and the Rev. Mr Whitely were, present! The natives were assembled ■ to hear the great prophet, Horo Paperii, prophesy what tiie god Marti was going to do to, them. Mr Parris 'severely; reprimanded Horo Paperu, the natives then' quie'tly dispersed to their homes.' It musfc'be very gallingL to the prophet -to Arid 'that his are neverrealised.i: Native affairs iave not , looked 40 Hopeful for many years past.

" The New French Gun.— The Paris correspondent of the Star, writing on the 2nd on the experiments that are being made at Meudon with, the new French gun, says: —jit .would appear that a.more terrible arm ha* never been indented. None bat the artillery officers who direct the exper 5 - ments are aware of the; construction: of' these guns. They are, brought on the ground in leather .coverings; even the.ammhnition and carriages are carefully concealed. The practice takes place behind scaffolding. . The, only fact which has. transpired is tfiat,these guns, project a perfect shower.of balls on a target .two yards in and measuring three feet across* at the enoririoris distance of 2,500 yards, each ball penetrating the ..half-inch iron target. Twenty rounds oan be fired per minute, and the gun, its carriage, and. ammunition only require two men for the. transport. It is also stated that they are most easily handled. Prussia has heard of these guns, and sent some officers,to Meudon for the purpose of finding out all about them. They disguised themselves in' blouses and grey trousers, so aB to present the appearance of German workmen in search of employment. They were very much pleased to find several Al* satian workmen near the exercise ground, with whom they, entered into conversation, in German. ‘ The Alsatians talked about the gunsj gave them details, and asked the Prussians to take a glass of wine at a neighboring cabaret. Some drunken men -were there and got into a row; the police entered, and, as usual in such cases, arrested every one in the caboose. Much to the amazement of the Prussian officers, they discovered their quondam friends to have been mouchards, disguised like themselves as workmen. This discovery they only made in the presence of the prefets de police, who politely requested the officers to return to Berlin by the earliest train, which they naturally promissd to do. Thus has Bismark been outwitted.