WILLIAM COLMAN
A Convict on board the Hulks, at Woolwich. Executed on Pennington Heath, 26th of March, 1810, for the Murder of a Fellow-Prisoner
AT the Lent Assizes for the county of Kent, William Colman was indicted for the wilful murder of Thomas Jones, on the 29th of August, 1809, in the parish of Woolwich, by giving him several stabs in the neck and breast with a knife.
The prisoner was a young man, aged only twenty, and both himself and the deceased were convicts on board the hulks at Woolwich. The case was proved by two other convicts, and the facts they stated were as follows.
A brick had, a night or two before, been thrown at one of the officers of the convicts, and the prisoner suspected that the deceased had given information that he was the man who had committed the offence. Being incensed at the deceased, he repeatedly swore he would be revenged. They were, however, apparently reconciled, shook hands, and drank together; the deceased also helped the prisoner into bed, as he was incommoded by being loaded with very heavy irons. It appeared, however, that the prisoner still cherished his purpose of revenge, for, after remaining in bed some time, when he supposed all about him were asleep, he softly rose and went to the place where he knew a knife was kept, which he got. He then stole to the bed of the deceased and stabbed him in the throat and breast in the most determined manner. The wounds he gave were instantly mortal. He was, however, observed to have got out of bed, and go to the place where the knife was, by the two convicts, who gave evidence against him.
The jury instantly pronounced him guilty; and he suffered death on the third day after conviction.