The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

Extract of a letter from Albany, dated April 3.

John Wall, and two others were executed here yesterday, for being concerned in counterfeiting the Paper currency of this province: Wall was a hardened villain, and I believe a great rogue; after he hung on the gallows, I had the curiosity to take up his cap, and saw, as I before heard, that he was cropt. Such work as he and his fellow prisoners made the day before they were executed was never known here before: they got off their bolts in the night, and made their escape out of goal, but were soon apprehended, and their irons renew'd; the next morning (when they were to have been executed) they had them off again, barr'd the room they were con-fined in, bid defiance to the Sheriff and his party, and were determined to kill any person that should attempt to take them out ; the militia of the whole city was obliged to be got under arms. Wall and his two fellows kept them off, and none dare go in, as they were to die at any rate.-- Wall set fire to the goal, and expected to die so ; but the inhabitants soon brought the engines and extinguished it.-His next contrivance was thus ; He got about two pounds of powder from some malicious fellows, put it in a bottle, and a match to put to it when the Sheriff or any other person dare venture in: They thus kept the city in an uproar for some time ; at last a party suddenly broke in upon them, and according to his scheme,fixt his match to the bottle, which he held in his hand, bat through the mercy of providence, the powder did not take fire.. After which they were carried to the gallows; and executed according to their deserts.--n-- Wall seem'd to die a penitent, and sung psalms at the place of execution. ssns.