Some account of John Sherry, who was executed in [front] of the New Jail of Glasgow, on Wednesday the 1st of No[vem]ber, 1815, pursuant to his sentence, for highway robber[y on] the road leading from Glasgow to Paisley, on the 19th May [last]

Some Account of JOHN SHERRY, who was Executed in of the New Jail of Glasgow, on Wednesday the 1st of No ber, 1815, pursuant to his Sentence, for Highway Robbery the road leading from Glasgow to Paisley, on the 19th May JOHN SHERRY, who this day underwent the sentence of the law, was a native of Ireland, and was born in the Country of Monaghan. He was about 29 years of age, and has left a wife and five children, the oldest of whom is about seven years of age, to lament his untimely end. He was put to the weaving business, but left his parents when little more than eight years of age-a circumstance which he has often regretted; for, after he left their protection , he soon fell a prey to bad company, forsook his industry, went from place to place, and from one bad scene into another, until he committed the crime which this day terminated his existence. It is about ten years since he left Ireland, and whether he worked at his trade in Scotland is a circumstance which could not be learned-but it appears that he had recently fallen in with a set of bad men at Carlisle, who were guilty of house-breaking, and one of whom was apprehended and executed for that crime. Sherry was suspected of being concerned in the affair, but, along with others, made his escape. He was, however, afterwards apprehended at Glasgow , and remained in jail a week, when he was sent off to Carlisle, under the care of a Messenger, who came here for the purpose of conducting him thither. The mode of conveyance was the top of the coach, the inside being full; but, on the road to Carlisle , Sherry complained that he was in great pain, on account of his arms being too hard bound, and requested the Messenger to ease the cords, in order that he might travel a little more comfortably. This request being humanely complied with, and Sherry now finding he could use his arms with considerable freedom, watched an opportunity, sprung from the top of the coach, and, be fore the astonished Messenger could get down, was out of sight, and succeeded in making his escape. He was no more heard of till he committed the robbery on the Paisley road, in May last, and for which he was apprehended at Glasgow , in June, and tried and condem[ned] the last Circuit. Shortly after his condemnation he [was] very penitent, and seemed sincerely resig[ned] to his fate. He was a Catholic and carefully attended by the Re\ill\ Mr. S (?) one of the Clergymen of that persuas[ion] but he made no objection, to converse other pious Gentlemen, of a different session, who waited on him. Sherry was married when about ninete[en] years of age, and seemed always to have affectionate regard for his wife,who visited him frequtently during his confinement. A few days before his execution, he sent for his wife's Bible in order to mark several portions of Scripture, which had struck himself forcibly. The last interview he had with his wife was a very affecting one, and such as to excite the liveliest emotions of sympathy. He was very grateful for the humane attention paid him by every person under whose immediate care he was during his confinement, often expressed himself to that effect, and took an affecting farewel of them previous to leaving the Jail. It is hoped that the fate of this unfortunare young man will be a warning to the profligate , and open their eyes to a sense of the dreadful situation they place themselves in when they forsake the paths of honourable industry to procure a wretched and ignoble subsistence by robbing others on the public highways. Whenever a man feels himself inclined to abandon the course by which he can alone come honestly through life, let him look to the fate of Sherry, ignominiously cut off in the very days of his youth; and let him remember , that the same awful fate awaits him, when overtaken by the arm of justice, which, sooner or later, never fails to reach the guilty, and convince them that they cannot possibly long exist by crime. Printed by T. Duncan, 159, Saltmarket, Glasgow.