Letter

Handwritten letter from the condemned burglar Stephen Sandford to J. Wontner the Keeper of Newgate Gaol. Written on the day of his execution on 31st December 1829 the letter refers to the discovery of poison in the condemned cell earlier that morning.
The letter reads: Sir To prevent any blame being attached to our friends concerning the Prussic acid and hearing that would be the case I thought the best plan would be to let you know truth about a month ago William Williams called me on one side in the yard observing at the same it was his opinion that I should suffer but to prevent that he told me that he got some poison he show'd it to me and also where it was placed also said that Tom Walker had got a bottle S Sandford'.
Sandford, aged 24, shared the condemned cell with other prisoners Thomas Maynard aged 36, convicted of forgery, William Newitt, aged 36 convicted of sheep stealing & William Leslie aged 31 convicted of burglary. All four men were executed outside Newgate on 31st December 1829.

On the reverse of the letter is an annotation by the Reverend Cotton that reads 'The Keeper of Newgate having information that poison had been introduced into the condemned celss he ordered a strict search to be made and a bottle of Prussic Acid being discovered there, the prisoners then under order for execution were strictly questioned at the time and it was in reference to this subject that Sandford addressed this note to him the very morning of his execution viz 31 Dec 1829 Cotton Ordinary'