_ in 1832.

May can hardly be described as even a minor poet, if the following verse,
written whilst in prison, may be taken as a fair sample of his
compositions:

"James May is doomed to die,
And is condemned most innocently;
The God above, He knows the same,
And will send a mitigation for his pain."

At the execution of Bishop and Williams, there was a scene of the most
tremendous excitement. By some mistake, three chains hung from the
gallows; one was taken away as soon as the error was noticed, and this was
recognized by the crowd as a sign that May had been reprieved.

The _Weekly Dispatch_ sold upwards of 50,000 copies of the number which
contained the confessions of the murderers. Many persons were injured in
the crowd, and the _Dispatch_ states that those who were hurt were
attended to "by Mr. Birkett, the dresser to Mr. Vincent, who had been in
attendance [at St. Bartholomew's Hospital] to receive any accident that
might be brought in."

Bishop was the son of a carrier between London and Highgate, and on the
death of his father he succeeded to the business. This he soon sold, and
became an informer. He got mixed up with some of the resurrection-men, and
then regularly took to the occupation. Williams, _alias_ Head, was
Bishop's brother-in-law, and was a well-known member of the
resurrection-gang.

In the _Weekly Dispatch_ for December 11th, 1831, the following curious
information respecting Williams appeared:

"EXCISE COURT.--YESTERDAY.

"THE KING _v._ THOMAS HEAD, _alias_ WILLIAMS, THE MURDERER.--The Court was
occupied during a great part of the morning in hearing the evidence in
the case of Head, _alias_ Williams (who was hung with Bishop) for carrying
on an illicit trade in the manufacture of glass. It appeared that the
deceased was a _Cribb Man_, or regular porter, to private glass blowers.
There were found on the premises at No. 2, Nova Scotia Gardens (the scene
of the late murders), a regular furnace, and all the necessary apparatus
for the manufacture of glass, which trade it appears was carried on to a
very considerable extent on the premises. Alexander M'Knight, an officer
of Excise, deposed that on the 6th of August last, he went to No. 2, Nova
Scotia Gardens, and made a seizure of 68 cwt. of manufactured glass, 24
cwt. of cullet, and 16 cwt. of iron, articles used in the manufacture of
glass. In about half-an-hour afterwards he saw Williams come out of
Bishop's yard; Williams spoke