Welsh Journals

EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND AND MAGAZINE. No. 23.* Thursday, August 16, 1832. Half-penny. CONVICTION OF COOK. Wednesday, August 8th, being fixed for Cook to take his trial, the public interest seemed once more to have become intense; for long be¬ fore the usual hour for opening the doors of the court arrived, they were beset by crowds of persons anxious to obtain ad¬ mission. Among the ladies on the bench was Miss Payne, a very religious person, of evan¬ gelical principles, who has spent a great part of her time with Cook in the prison, exhorting and praying with him, as well as paying him every other attention in her power. It was generally un¬ derstood that, by her per¬ suasion, the prisoner had determined to plead guilty, and thereby avoid the additional crime of falsehood in denying his guilt. As soon as the learned Judge had taken his seat on the bench, the prisoner was conducted by the gaoler up the dock staircase to the bar of the court. He was respectably, almost genteelly, dressed: having on a black stock, blue coat, and white Berlin gloves. His whiskers approached his chin on either side, and were cut in what was the fashion a year or two ago. His features, without being handsome, were more than passable, and evinced the ex¬ pression of a quiet firmness of mind, but wholly free from the slightest indication of fe¬ rocity. In figure he appeared about the middle height, slightly but firmly moulded. He seemed to be about twenty- two, his actual age. Altogether, his appearance was that of a respectable, sensible young man, in the middle class of life. When placed at the bar, he looked quietly to the bench, and slightly around him, and then let his eyes fall easily in front of him, never evincing for a single moment the faintest symptoms of dismay or ap¬ prehension, or any sort of nervous excitement; neither was there any thing in his manner indicative of unbe¬ coming boldness or hardness of heart: it was altogether that of a man of a firm and resigned mind, who had ceased to contemplate even the possi¬ bility of averting a fate, for which he had therefore com¬ pletely resigned himself.