AN EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY.

Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 533, 3 August 1866, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY.

A man named John "William Leigh, aged twenty-six, was executed at Brighton on the 10th April last, for the murder (by shooting) of his sister-in-law, Mrs Harton. The following singular history of his life was communicated to the Press by the chaplain of Lewes Gaol, where he was coufined : — "I am now twenty-six years old. lam of illegitimate birth, which, being of ,a sensitive disposition, has exercised upon me a malign influence through life. "Was nursed, if not born, in London. Between six and seven years old I was taken to Brighton by a lady married to my father, who was consul-general of . I was placed at a grammar school for a while ; but at eight years old ran away — went begging about for a week, until brought back by a policeman. "Wanted to go to sea. After some months, sent back to London, but led such a life that I had to return to Brighton again. I could then boast of being the best fighter, the most mischievous, most artful, and the most expert thief of any child of my age. lam now taken in hand again by one, the remembrance of whose gentle kindness, and my profligate and ungrateful conduct in return, has caused me many a scalding tear. May God forgive me ! She endeavoured, by every Christian and kind effort, to kill the weeds that had been sown in my young heart. But, through her mistaken notions of kindness, many were left and not rooted out. I was again sent to a boarding and then to a preparatory school, but had to be removed, as I was always in mischief and trouble. "At thirteen I left school. "Would not go again, but determined upon the sea. So I was put on board a collier to sicken me of it, but it only increased my liking for it still more, although I was nearly wrecked with other colliers in that voyage — the winter of 1853. Soon came back to Brighton. Studied navigation with a private tutor. I was then apprenticed to Messrs , "Went on board a transport witk troops to the Crimea ; remained out until wrecked in the storm near Balaclava; waa on the wreck twß days and three nights, the Cossacks on shore firing at us, and the sea breaking clean over us. Returned home in another vessel. Then went sundry voyages to India, Australia, and South America. My indentures were now cancelled and given to me — I was nearly out of my time. I finish my apprenoeeship. My employers are satisfied with my abilities. I receive an excellent character, but my morals they neither knew nor cared anything about. "Between eighteen and nineteen, I find myself a 8 far advanced in vice as I was in my profession, my principles totally corrupted, and the religious instruction that had Mat so much anxiety only introduce* when no other subject could be found to ridicule. After other voyages, shipped for Calctta as second officer. There drink first began to tell upon me. There was a mutiny on board ; I nearly killed six of the mutineers. "Was tried for this at Calcutta, but the captain took my part, and I was only fined. I was made chief officer, but was always nearly drunk with brandy, &c. Through the same cause I lost other good appointments which I obtained from time to time. "Was married in the East Indies to a Spanish girl by a Boman Catholic priest ; lived with her nine months at Calcutta. She followed me to China, and his now I now not where. After sundry voyages as chief officer, and captain I returned once more to England, but spent my time at Brighton in drinking, betting, &c. Had to leave through getting into teouble about some money which did not belong to me. " Again shipped in an American vessel, and was very comfortable as chief officer, but soon took again to drinking. At length I sailed in a Scotch clipper to Hong Kong, and thence to Whampoa. When we could not get away properly we (four of us) broke up a meat-cask, &c, aud got to shore on a raft. Was then employed to steal away sailors from men-of-war, &c, for other vessels, but, being found out, I had to leave. At Singapore I next managed a sailors' boarding-house for some months. Then sailed again for Shanghai. "We soon went up the country and joined the Taeping rebls. We used to smuggle arms and ammunition up to them, and also men from ships of war. At length I got so well known that I had to hide myself at Shanghai, and when pickets of English mariners were sent to take me, I only escaped by getting into one of these large Chinese coffins above ground, and lying with the skeleton while they searched for me. Joined the rebels again — was a chief among them, leading their troops against the English, Imperialists, and French. I was then known by the name of Palmer. Was then wounded in head, chest, and leg, through constant skirmishes. "In pirating up rivers, contrived to save enough to buy a vessel of our own, for the purpose of pirating and trading up the rivers with arms and ammunition. On going up the river with a load of arms and conroying other boats, the Imperialists came out from one of their stations and seized some of our boats, and killed some of our men. I then rounded my own boat and opened fire, and in the fight I killed two of their officers, the rest retreated. We sailed on, but having to pass another Imperialist station, I found the news had arrived of the death of the two officers, and a description of myself. So, with five of my crew, we took a small boat, and crossed the country to Ningpo, often carrying the boat. On my arrival I found that a heavy reward was offered for my head, dead or alive. I joined a lorcha and went again pirating, up the Yang-tse-keang. I was taken prisoner by a band of Tartar pirates, while defend- : ing our own boat, but set free. Myseli and others afterwards came down the i river and went cruising off the coast ; bui I we had to escape, so anxious were they tc take us.

" So, at length I returned to England/ for the last time. There were eleven of us banded together, of whom three have been executed abroad. lam now to be the fourth. I was myself once brought to the block by the rebels, but an Englishman interfered and got me off, saying that I was not a spy, as they supposed. Upon another occasion I was stunned by some of our baggage, which was struck by a cannon ball. On coming to nay senses, I found myself in an iron cage, but escaped at last. Four of us— European young men of some education — were infidels. "We had a lot of infidel books, Paine's books, &c, which we used to read together for our amusement. I reached England, April, 1863. I have been mostly in Brighton sinee — drinking, gambling, publichouse keeping, and for a while [keeping] a photographic establishment. I was married again here in Lewes some nine or ten months ago, my former wife being still alive. Then I went to Brentford, kept a publichouse there ; but you all know about my mad doings there through drink — half-a--pint of spirits several times a day and night was my habit of taking. You know how I got into Coldbath Fields for damaging the house, and all about this sad business here in Brighton, for which I have to suffer. As I said at the end of my trial, ' 1 cannot justify the act, but I can account for it.' I had many aggravations, I did not wish to hurt any of the police ; but when the inspector came up I had no alternative. In fact, he came, somehow, so unawares that I hadhardly time to think. " I was aboard the Alabama for about six weeks ; we joined her off the Cape of Good Hope." Attached to this brief biography were extracts from five letters (written by Leigh to his friends), in which, says the chaplain, "there was a great deal of tender and earnest expostulation, which, being private, cannot be added ; and which confirms the sincerity of the writer, and serves along with other considerations to increase the hope that this unhappy man, notwithstanding the dreadfulness of his career and crimes, found repentance and forgiveness. He was determined, he said when he came to us, that God should not save him ; but the grace of God is stronger than the will of man, or which of us should be saved ? Certainly the sad story is suggestive of many serious and important lessons." It will be remembered that one chamber of the revolver with which the murder was committed had passed the cock of the pistol, inducing the belief that one of the percussion caps had misfired. This appears to have been the case, for in one of his letters alluded to Leigh says, " I feel I have been providentially saved from sudden death, for repentance. I fired at myself after I shot that unfortunate woman, but the cap misfired."