James Bell

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 16th January 2022

1830 - New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents. Marguis of Huntley - 21 Aug 1830 Indent No; 23 Name; James Bell Age; 22 years, Protestant, Single Native Place; Deptford Trade or calling; Coachman & Groom Offence; Burgulary Trial; Maidstone - 14 Dec 1829 - Life. Height; 5 Ft. 2 1/4 in Noted against name; EXECUTED; at Norfolk Island 1834 1834 - The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. Thu 16 Oct 1834. Page 2. NORFOLK ISLAND. Thirteen desperate men have been executed, pursuant to the sentence of the court lately held on the island ; and, as we are informed, died penitent. Their names were;- Robert Douglas, Henry Drummond, James Bell, Joseph Buller, Robert Glennie, Walter Burke, Joseph Snell,Michael Andrews, William Groves, Henry Knowles, homas Freshwater, Robert Ryan, and William McCullock. They received the spiritual attendance of the Rev. Mr. STYLES and the Rev. Mr. ULLATHORNE, according to their respective religious persuasions Thus have thirteen more human lives been sacrificed to the. Moloch-Vengeance, which dooms men to scenes of horror like that of Norfolk Island. True, these wretched men were, as all others similarly circumstanced on the island are, degraded as low as humam beings can be degraded-they well deserved to be cut off from all chances of association with their kind-but are there not modes of punishment to be adopted which will not lead to the commission of still greater crimes than those for which they have been doomed to banishment ? If men are thought worthy to live, why reduce them to a state to avoid which they court death, and in order to ensure the last dread punishment which man can indict, commit new and still more fearful crimes ? This is the natural consequence of the unnatural system pursued at Norfolk Island-a system which, so long as it is persevered in, will tend only to multiply crime, and to provide occupation for the executioner. Even in the present instance, the authorities have been obliged to take measures to prevent new murders. Six men belonging to the gaol-gang at Norfolk Island, who were chiefly instrumental in preventing the intended revolt of all the prisoners there, by giving timely information of the conspiracy, have been brought up to Sydney, for safety; and such is the deadly hatred entertained against the whole of the gang to which these men belonged, that we shall not be surprised if, in a very short time, there is a necessity for another special commission and more hanging. It is, we understand, the intention of the government to break up the penal establishment at Moreton Bay, should the measure receive the sanction of the Secretary of State; we hope it will be followed by an alteration in the inhuman system upon which Norfolk Island is maintained.