An Account of a New and Strange DISCOVERY, That was made by John Sheirly, alias Davis, & Joseph Fisher, The same Day of their Execution, Relating to the Ordinary of Newgate: With a True Copy of the Petition, that was Presented to the Lord Mayor, by the Prisoners of Newgate, concerning the same, with many other remarkable Particulars.
WHEN I discrib'd what Mr. Allen really is, or what a Clergy Man ought to be, I humbly beg I may not be thought to reflect upon the Clergy in general or of any Religion in particular. There was a Judas in the Number Twelve &c. But not an example in any Age of a Clergy Man's being Guilty to the degree of wronging those that wrong'd others, not only of their Worldly Substance, Reputation, or [...]e, but of Eternal Happiness likewise. Mr. Allens Life ought more partiticularly to be good, having the care of so great, and yet miserable number of Souls, which if not preserved under the Wings of Care and Tenderness, nay and assisted by their Shephard with Temporal Succours, may (as too many daily do) perish Eternally. His Function ought to be doing all good, suffering all wrongs, avoiding in all things giving Scandal; ready upon all occasions to venture his dearest Blood for the Propagation of the Faith of Christ Jesus, letting his Actions so shine &c. But if he be found upon due enquirey to have no Coherence with what he ought to be, but a Suborner, a deceiver of Men's Lives, Honour, Souls and all that is dear to them; then where's the harm we do any Profession, or the wrong any Creature can sustaine in his being Detected? on the contrary all the good: It was he, who robb'd the Law of Justice, and cry'd Newey deserved the worst of Punishments for his Crimes, but it [...]ow appears by his Marriage to his Sister, which is the Price of what he Swore at the Old Baily or of the trouble cost and great Pains he was at; But why all this? there was an necessity on both of them to be link'd by the Chains of Matrimony, that neither Fear Interest nor Dispair might ever discover what would prove the ruine of the Party so discovered, being both in publick Business and under a Necessity of being thought well of; I will not, notwithstanding what he has made me unjustly suffer, be for Poysoning him under pretence of Comforting him, or abeim him under the shadow of reaching a hand as he has but too often done, but will pull him from the Precipice in which he is nigh, by relating to the World some few, of his misdeeds, that the Town may find who was the Suborner of Jones, alias Ambrel, alias Clement, Mr. Allen or Newey: And to set the Saddle upon the right Horse, tho he be full of the Farsey.
Joseph Fisher was Indicted for House Breaking, and his Prosecution managed by Anderson the Theif Catcher, to whom Fisher gave Six Guineas to bring him off: But was importun'd by Anderson to make it up Twenty, or else he would be far from serving him &c. which Fisher not being able to do, was sworn against and Cast, tho he declar'd upon the Words of a dying Man that he was Innocent of that Fact, tho he had been Pardon'd by the King for one of the like nature, for some particular service done his Majesty, which induced his Jury to believe what was sworn against him. After Condemnation he was told Mr. Allen the Ordinary of Newgate could save his Life; upon which he ordered his Wife, to apply her self to him, which she did with Tears: He told her he had Interest sufficent to save any Mans Life, but he must have Money to defray his Charges; the poor Woman gave him two Guineas, being all she had, or could procure in the World; but she found that the said Allen never went or minded in the least the saving of her Husbands Life, tho she said and did all she could to induce him to it, so that upon Friday the 24th of May, her husband was brought with the rest of the Condemn'd; to the Chappel of Newgate in order to prepare himself for another World; But finding that Mr. Allen had got him no Repreive, he beg'd he would return his poor Wife the Two Guineas she had given him, but Mr. Allen deny'd to him with Execrable Oathes and Protestations that ever his Wife gave him a Farthing, and that she must have deceiv'd him, which put the Man into the greatest of Confusions, declaring that he was sure his Wife had done it, and that he had taken away his Life by the keeping those Papers which he had given him into his own Hands to show the King, they being sign'd by my Lord Berkley, for service he had done, and would induced His Majesty to have Pardon'd him; Mr. Allen protested by that Holy Place that he knew nothing of the mutter, tho the said Fisher confirm'd what he said to be True upon the Words of a dying Man, and as he hoped for Mercy from a just God; Mr. Allen telling him he must forgive every one, he answered he did, and particularly him, who he said had not only Cheated him of Two Guineas, Papers &c. but Life also. Mr. Allen asked them if they would receive the Sacrament, Fisher asked him how they could receive the Sacrament, or believe one Word he told them, and hoped there was no such Villany in the other World; They went away Exclaiming greivously against the said Allen's ill Treatment of [Page]them, to the horror and concern of all the Prisoners, and several Strangers who heard what they said. The next Day after his Execution with much Threatening the said Allen, his Wife got the Two Guineas of him, but he desired her at the same time to make Affidavit that he never had any Money of her, which she refused, but going to him the next Day for her Husbands Papers, he so far prevail'd upon her to make Affidavit before Judge Gould, under pretence that he had the Two Guineas, but that he had return'd her them again, and some things, quite contrary to what was matter of fact: Mr. Allen read the said Affidavit in his Pulpit the Sunday following, Exclaming against Mary, Fisher and her Deceased Husband to all the Prisoners: Mary Fisher having understood that Mr. Allen had made her Forswear her self, (for she could neither Read nor Write) was almost Distracted, went before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and declared all she knew concerning the matter.
John Sheirly, alias Davis, Declar'd upon the words of a Dying Man, that he did give Mr. Allen Forty Shillings to save his Life, and had ordered his Wife, to pawn her Cloathes off her Back for it, which she did, believing Mr. Allen, would save her Husbands Life for that Summ: The Saturday after her Husband was Condemn'd, Mr. Allen told Sarah Sheirly, that she must get him Twenty Shillings more for Coach Hire, which she did, and told him, she would go along with him, and throw herself at His Majesty's Feet, but he told her it would be but in vain, for none would be suffered into the Kings Bed Chamber, but those of his Cloath; Mr. Allen finding the said Sarah very Zealous, and not to be put off by him, did what he could to set her Husband against her, and did so Effect it, that she believing her Husband had given to some lude Woman, what she with the greatest trouble had got for him; she told him she would never come nigh him more; her Husband wish'd such wishes, that she could not but believe him, tho Mr. Allen deny'd that her Husband gave him a Farthing, with such abominable Wishes, that she could not tell what to say: The last Words the said Sheirly spoke to his Wife in the Cart was, that he had truely given the said Allen the said Forty Shillings, or that God of his Infinite Mercy, might never have Pitty on his Soul, and desired his Wife to believe what he then said; he likewise told her that if she did not do him Justice to the utmost of her Power, he should never rest, all which she made Affidavit before my Lord Mayor of; and that she could not rest Night nor Day, till she had don it; these things, with too great a number to be Incerted here, are known by above a Hundred to be matter of Fact, & occasioned this following Petition.
To the Right Honourable Sr. Richard Levit, Knight, Lord Mayor, Shereiffs, and Aldermen of the City of London.
The Humble Petition of the poor distresed Prisoners, of His Majesty's Goal of Newgate.
That your Petitioners are not deter'd from their former Misdeeds by the Example, Exhortation, or any real Encouragement, given them by Mr. Allen their Ordinary's Life or Conversation; His telling them of a great God, which they ought to Adore, and the next moment Cheating poor Wretches to the utmost of his Power, gives them to Dread, that what he says of that is likewise false; Your Petitioners cannot believe one Word he tells them, and are afraid he may Misrepresent, (as to their great Misfortunes, he has two often done) or what's worse, if Disobliged by unknown of ways, will he insure their utter Ruine.
Your Petitioners therefore most humbly Implores of your Lordship, Shereiffs, Aldermen, &c. that out of Your accustomed Zeal to the Faith of Christ, Your Clemency to the Miserable, Your Care to detect Vice, and Encourage Vertue, and prevent the Ruine of some Thousands, both as to Body and Soul; You'l be Graciously Pleas'd so to Order, that no more at their Deaths Dispair of Mercy, from a Merciful God, or so many Perish, as Daily do, without Temporal or Spiritual Succours; that You'l be but Pleas'd to Encourage such timbersome Prisoners, as knows some part of the said Dr. Allens Tricks, and Detect him in the same for the good of all Men: And Your Petitioners will for ever Pray, as in Duty Bond, &c.
A True Copy of a Certificate.
These are to Certify that I know, that in the Month of January last 1700, a Gentlewoman came into the Master-side Fellons, where I was then a Prisoner, to one Mr. Jones, who was also a Prisoner, and desired him to Swear against Captain Charles Newey; the said Jones reply'd, he would not without Forty Shillings in Hand; she then did Pay him one Guinea, and Eighteen Shillings and Six Pence, to Swear against Captain Newey; I made bold to ask the Gentlewoman, if her Name was not Madam Newey, she reply'd Sir my Name is Newey, If Examin'd before a Magistrate I can declare a great deal more,
Some that are in Prison, and some that are gone out, do know from Jones, and what they themselves heard pass betwixt Allen, Mrs. Newey, and Jones, of his being Engaged, Frightened, and Suborn'd to Swear against Captain Newey.