[...] For which fact he, his wife, and the other woman, were executed at Lanceston, last Lent Assizes, [...] in chaines neere vnto the place where the murder was done.

To the tune of the Ladies daughter.
[figure]
A Cruell Cornish Murder,
I briefely will declare,
[...]t your attention further
my Story wondrous rare,
And doe not thinke tis fayned,
because it séemeth strange,
What hath not Satan gained,
when men from God doe range?
At Crowen in that County,
an old blind man doth dwell,
Who by good peoples bounty,
did liue indifferent well,
By name he's ca'ld Ca [...]wall,
his house stood all alone
Where [...]pt this déed so cruell,
the like was scarce ere knowne.
He had a proper Damsell
that liu'd with him, his daughter
To whom some suiters came still,
and in true Wedlocke saught her,
Because the newes[?] was bruited[?],
how that the blind man would,
Though[?] he were poore reputed
giue forty pounds in gold.
Oh, thou bewitching money[?],
What mischiefe doth thou cause,
Thou mak'st men dote upon thée,
contrary to Gods Lawes.
What Murder is so hainous,
but thou canst find out those,
Who[?] willingly for gaine thus[?],
will[?] venter life to lose.
Nay often soule and body,
as in this Story rare,
By the sufferance of God, I
will punctually declare:
The fame of this mans riches,
a Uagrant chanc't to heare,
In haste his fingers itches,
away the same to beare.
This bloody murderous Uillaine,
whose fact[?] all manhood shames,
Did liue long time by stealing,
his name was Walter Iames,
Who with his wife, and one more
yong woman, and a boy,
Three Innocents in purple gore,
did cruelly distroy.
The twenty sixth of Iuly,
when it was almost night,
These wanderers vnruly,
on this lone house did light,
The old blind man was then abroad,
and none but his old wife,
And a little Girle, ith' house abode,
whom they depriu'd of life,
At first they ask'd for Uittle:
quoth she, with all my heart,
Although I haue but little,
of that you shall haue part;
He swore he must haue money.
alas, here's none she sed;
His heart then being stony,
he straight cut off her head.
And then he tooke her G [...]
about some seuen yéer [...]
Which he (oh monster b [...]
by both the héeles did [...]
And beate her braines o [...]
oh barbarous cruelty, [...]
The like of this I neuer [...]
in any history.
When they those two ha [...]
and tane what they de [...]
Like people fully filled[?], [...]
with ioy, they sate by t [...]
And tooke Tobacco mer [...]
without all feare or dr [...]
Knowing no house nor to [...]
and while these two [...]
In came the blind mans d [...]
who had beene workin [...]
And séeing such a slaught [...]
she wondrously was [...]
No maruell, when her B [...]
lay headlesse on the floor
Her zeale she could not s [...]
but[?] running out oth' doo [...]
His Sword which lay all [...]
with her she tooke, an [...]
As fast as she was able,
she ran to call some folk
To come and sée the murd [...]
but after her he stept[?],
And ere she went much fur [...]
he did her intercept.
[Page] [...](oh stony-hearted wretch)
And into th' house he brought her:
(what sighes alas I fetch,
To thinke vpon this Tragedy)
for he with mischiefe stor'd,
Cut off her head most bloodily,
with th' piece oth' broken Sword.
Thus did thrée harmlesse innocents
by one vile Caitiffes hand
With both the[?] counsell and consents
oth' woman of his hand:
Their heads and bodies laid they
all very close together,
And being gone a little way,
they did at last consider,
That if the house were burned,
the murder might be hid,
With that they backe returned,
and as they thought, they did,
Setting the house on fire,
which burned till next day,
Full many did admire,
as they went on the way.
These murtherers suspected
that people would haue thought,
Those thrée ith house enclosed,
vnto their deaths were brought,
By accident of fire,
but God did then declare
His power [...] let's admire
his wondrous workes most rare.
The murdered corps remained,
as if no fire had beene,
Their clothes with blood besmeared
not burnt, as might be séene:
The leg and arme oth' Maiden,
were only burnt in sunder,
Full many people said then,
ith' middest of their wonder.
That surely there were murdered,
by some that robd them had,
And presently twas ordered,
that for this déed so bad,
All Uagrants on suspicion,
should apprehended be,
And in this inquisition,
one happened to[?] sée,
Some clothes vpon the parties,
that from this house were tane
And soone before a Iustice,
the little boy told plaine,
All things before that passed:
also the boy did say,
Iames was ith mind to kill him,
lest he should all betray,
They taken were at Meriwicke,
forty fiue miles, or more,
From Crowen where the murther[?] was
about a moneth before,
[...]
Where in the Iayle they lay,
Untill the Lent Assize did come,
which tooke their liues away▪
The little Boy was quitted,
and sent vnto the Parish,
Where he was borne, well fitted,
with clothes and food, to cherish
Him, as he ought with honesty
and leaues his wandering trade▪
The other thrée were [...]'d to dye,
on that which he had said[?].
But Walter Iames denyed,
that ere he did that act,
Forswearing (till he dyed
and when he dy'd) that fact
His wife at her last ending[?],
confest the bloody guilt,
So monstrously offending
when so much blood was spilt.
The other woman after
confest more plainely all:
Iames tooke his death with laughter
and nere to God did call:
Thus as he liu'd a reprobate,
and did God great re [...]t,
His soule w c Christ bought at deare rate,
in death he did neglect.
He was hang'd dead at Lancestone,
among the rest that[?] [...] ,
Then carried where the déed was done[?] ▪
and by the high-way side,
He hangeth for example,
in chaines now at this time[?],
Thus haue I [...]
discourse of this foule crime.
Obiection may be framed[?],
where was the old blind man[?],
Whom I haue neuer named[?]
since when I first beganne[?].
He was abroad ith' interim,
when this mischance[?] befell,
Or else the like had hapt to him,
but he is liuing still,
And goes about the Country[?].
to begge, as he before
Did vse, among the Gentry[?],
and now his néed is more.
All you that are kind Christians[?],
thinke on this bloody déed[?] ▪
And craue the Lords assistance[?],
by it to take good héed[?].

The names of certaine [...] men of the Countrey, for confirmation of the verity of this tragicall Story.

  • Iohn Albon.
  • William Beauchamp.
  • William Lanyon[?].
  • William Randall.
  • Iohn C [...]s.
  • Ezekiel Trenton[?].
  • Iohn [...]e.
  • Iohn Tr [...].
Finis.
M. P.

[...]ondon Printed for F. Coules.

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