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THE AFFECTING CASE OF THE UNFORTUNATE _THOMAS DANIELS_.




_LONDON_


_Thomas Daniels_, the person named in the Pamphlet hereunto annexed,
Intitled, "_The Affecting Case of the unfortunate Thomas Daniels_ &c."
maketh Oath and saith that the said Pamphlet (containing twenty-four
pages) is a just and faithful Narrative of his Case; and that the same
is published at his particular desire of having the Public truly
informed of the whole and every circumstance of his case, with a view to
the removing all unfavourable prejudices against him.

    _THOMAS DANIELLS._

    Sworn this 23d of _November_,
    1761, before me
    _W. ALEXANDER._


THE AFFECTING CASE OF THE UNFORTUNATE _THOMAS DANIELS_, WHO WAS
Tried at the SESSIONS held at the OLD BAILEY, _September_, 1761,
FOR THE Supposed MURDER of his WIFE;
By casting her out of a CHAMBER WINDOW:
And for which he was sentenced to die, but received his MAJESTY'S
most GRACIOUS and FREE PARDON.

IN WHICH IS CONTAINED,
A circumstantial Account of the Behaviour of that unhappy Woman,
from her Husband's first Acquaintance with her, to the Day of her Death.

Drawn up and authenticated by the said DANIELS himself;
And faithfully prepared for the PRESS, by
An IMPARTIAL HAND.

  LONDON:
  Printed for E. CABE, in _Ave-Mary-Lane_.
  MDCCLXI.




THE AFFECTING CASE OF THE UNFORTUNATE _THOMAS DANIELS_.


The calamitous circumstance of having been condemned to death by the
laws of his country, for the most hateful of all crimes; and his most
extraordinary deliverance from an ignominious fate, and being restored
to liberty unconditionally and free! will naturally render the case of
_Thomas Daniels_ a subject of eager curiosity and warm debate. That
persons in the superior stations of life should sometimes find means to
evade the punishments incurred by infringing the laws of their country,
and by disturbing the order of society, does not greatly excite our
wonder; an experience of the manners and customs of the world, occasions
our hearing such instances as things of course; we make a natural
reflection or two on the occasions, and think no more of them. But when
a person in one of the lowest classes of mankind, by a fatal accident,
appears before a court of justice with apparent evidences of guilt,
sufficient to influence a jury of his impartial countrymen to sentence
him to the most severe penalty the law can inflict; when this man,
meerly from the advantage of a good character in the narrow circle of
his acquaintance, and from a re-examination into the probability of the
fact, for which he was condemned, shall have the inferences drawn from
the depositions on his trial, totally invalidated, so that the sentence
passed on him is freely remitted! it is _such a sanction_ of his
innocence, that it would be cruel and unjust, in particulars, afterward
to retain any suspicions injurious to him.

It ought to be principally attended to in this affair, that his Majesty,
whose regal virtues are so generally known and acknowledged, cannot
appear in a more amiable view, than in the attention with which he is
said to have endeavoured to discover the merits of the intercession made
for this poor convict. An instance which, as it may be deemed too
trivial to engage any particular share of princely consideration, yet is
certainly one of the truly parental duties of a Monarch, and will endear
him in the hearts of many of his useful subjects, who are beneath caring
for the retention of _Guadalupe_ or _Canada_. And it is doing justice to
the poor fellow, to own, that he seems to retain a grateful, if not a
politely expressed, sensibility of the great obligation he owes to the
royal parent of this his second period of existence.

But as an imputation of so base a nature, confirmed by a court of
justice, would naturally prejudice female minds universally against him,
too strongly for any after testimony in his favour easily to efface; and
as Mr. _Daniels_ is not yet old enough to relinquish all thoughts of
matrimony, and seems to possess too happy a share of vivacity to be
totally depressed by his past misfortunes, however severe they have
been; it is probable he may be hardy enough yet to venture on a second
trial of that state, can he find any good girl candid enough _to venture
on him_: but however this may be, from many important considerations the
poor man is willing to give the world all the satisfaction in his power,
relating to the unhappy woman who was lately his wife, and on whose
account he has gone through so much trouble and anxiety from his first
connexion with her: and it is charitably hoped, that, as he has so
solemnly authenticated the particulars of it, the same degree of
credibility will be allowed _him_, which would be granted to any other
person of fair character and good estimation.

The following particulars concerning this unfortunate couple, were
penned by _Thomas Daniels_ himself, since his enlargement; and are
faithfully exhibited with no other alterations than what were absolutely
necessary, with regard to spelling, style, and disposition, to render
the narrative in some measure clear and fit for perusal. This dressing
was not intended to give any undue colouring to facts, but simply to
supply the deficiencies of the writer; whose laborious situation in life
has denied him those literary advantages indispensable to the writing
his story with tolerable propriety.

Thus much being premised, it is time to let the principal offer his
plea, as candidate for the favourable opinion of his readers.

"It was in the year 1757 that I first became acquainted with _Sarah
Carridine_, by living in the same neighbourhood. She was a very pretty
girl; and I had a great affection for her, as I imagined her to be a
good industrious person. I made my friends acquainted with my regard for
her, but they were entirely against my having her, because of her living
in a public-house: but I was obstinate, and told them I loved her and
would marry her at all adventures, as I believed she would make a good
wife: upon this they said I might have another far preferable to her,
but that if I was resolved not to listen to their advice, they would
have nothing more to say to me, and I should never come near them more.
Finding therefore it was in vain to hope for my father's consent in this
affair, I consulted with her what to do, and at her desire I agreed that
she should take a lodging for us both, and her mother took one
accordingly. I then left my former lodging and lived with her; but as I
still worked with my father as before, he soon found that I had changed
my lodging, and upon what account. This discovery made him very angry,
and we had a quarrel about it, which made me resolve not to work with
him any more. This laid me under a necessity of seeking for business
elsewhere; and in my walks for this purpose, I met with some
acquaintance, who told me they had entered on board the _Britannia