CHAPTER XVIII.

THE VIPER WHO STUNG HIS BENEFACTOR.

Richard Patch.

"It is one thing to sin, another to be overtaken by sin, another to be overcome by sin."-CORNELIUS WINTER.

Ir is a curious but marked feature in the tendencies and antipathies of that puzzling phenomenon, Man, that he furiously repudiates the charge of ingratitude. To extravagance, avarice, sensuality, cruelty, censoriousness, and vindictiveness, he will, without much display of virtuous indignation, plead guilty. But hint, however gently and tenderly, "ingratitude," and a most indignant disclaimer follows. He repels the charge as a base and degrading calumny. How is this? can we explain it by the remark of Swift: "He that calls a man ungrateful sums up all the evil that a man can be guilty of?"

The Deptford murder instances one of the darkest cases on record of deliberate ingratitude. If ever man was bound to protect the interests, and watch over the life, of another, PATCH, in his partnership with Blight, was that man. If ever mortal being might fairly

reckon on the firm adherence and faithful attachment of another-one whom he had loaded with obligation and rescued from penury—the kind-hearted and unsuspecting. Mr. Blight was, with reference to Patch, that individual. How was his confidence repaid? How were his expectations realised?

The first announcement of the event appeared thus:

Shot, at his house, at Greenland Dock, near Deptford, Mr. Isaac Blight, merchant. His residence closely adjoins the Dock and fronts the Thames; the back part of the premises being surrounded with a strong paling. On the night of Thursday, the 19th of September (at which time Mr. Blight with his wife were at Margate), a friend of theirs, a Mr. Patch, was sitting alone in a front parlour in Mr. Blight's house. At half-past eight o'clock he was alarmed by a pistol or gun, loaded with

ball, being fired through the window. The ball lodged in a part of the room not far from where he sat. Every search was immediately made; but the offender escaped detection. The next day Mr. Patch wrote Mr. Blight to inform him of the circumstance, when the latter instantly came to town: but neither he nor Mr. Patch were able to fix on any party whom they deemed liable to suspicion. On the night of Monday the 23rd of September, these gentlemen were sitting together in a back parlour in Mr. Blight's house; and about the same hour, half-past eight, Mr. Patch having occasion to go out for a few minutes, took a candle, and left his friend alone. He had not been absent more than two or three minutes when he heard the report of a gun; on which he immediately returned, and found Mr. Blight lying shot through the body. The ball had entered a little below his ribs, passed through his back, and lodged in the wainscoting behind him. The only person in the house when the murder was committed was a female servant, who also heard the report of fire-arms, but was in a kitchen at some distance. The unfortunate gentleman was instantly put to bed, and the

assistance of a surgeon* immediately procured: the latter speedily pronounced the wound to be mortal. Mr. Blight, during the night and the following morning, was sufficiently collected to be able to answer every question relative to the horrid transaction. The entire account, however, which he could give was extremely short.

He stated, that "after Mr. Patch had left him he sat alone, and neither heard nor suspected any one; at last, however, he saw the door of the room open slowly, (but this did not alarm him,) and almost at the same instant he was shot. He neither saw nor heard the person who fired at him. He was not conscious of having an enemy in the world."

He expired at three o'clock in the afternoon of Tuesday the 24th. The deceased was on the eve of retiring from business. The coroner's jury, after long and patient deliberation, returned a verdict of "Wilful murder by some person or persons unknown." Mr. Blight's remains were interred in Deptford church-yard, on the 29th of September.

* The celebrated Astley Cooper, who, with his habitual acuteness, instantly suspected the guilty party, and communicated his impressions, or rather convictions, to Mr. Graham, the police magistrate.

The

Mr. Graham, of Bow Street, anxious to penetrate the mystery surrounding Mr. Blight's death, and desirous to bring the murderer to justice, personally inspected the premises, and examined on the spot Mr. Patch and the maid-servant. Both, at his instance, were taken into custody. The former was committed for trial. latter was discharged on condition of appearing to give evidence. The trial, which excited an unusual degree of interest in the public mind, took place on the 5th of April, 1806. The prisoner was attended by two or three friends, and displayed unruffled composure; neither manner nor countenance gave the slightest indication of inquietude. Lord Chief Baron M'Donald was the presiding judge; and to the indictment the prisoner pleaded in an audible and firm voice, "Not Guilty." Mr. Garrow was counsel for the prosecution; and the sentences which bore with most severity upon the prisoner in the counsel's opening address, were these:

"If the defendant be indeed guilty, he is one of the worst men that the history of mankind presents; for we find him deliberately placing his benefactor and friend in a