NOt to insist on the horridness of the Sin of MURDER, which defaces Gods Image, and beyond most other species of wickedness, cryes loud to Heaven for ven­geance; I shall immediately address to the Relation of the present Fact, which in all its Circumstances, is one of the most im­pious, pre-meditated, and abominable, that our times have been guilty of.

The Good-Woman killed, named Jew­ers, was a Widow, whose Husband, by Trade a Weaver, dyed about a year or two since, and left her possest of a small House in Angel-Alley, before mentioned, with convenient Goods and Furniture, and as some report, a small parcel of Plate: [Page 4]she was near Fourscore years of Age, and lived as it were alone, only letting out half of her House to a person that sold a Cup of Ale; the rest reserving in her own hands, she willing to improve, as well as she could, did sometimes entertain Lodgers, and most unhapily about a week ago, took in a Man and a Woman, who pretended to be Man and Wife, but wholly strangers to her and all the Neighbours.

'Tis supposed she had been so indiscreet, as to shew or declare to these ill people, what Plate or Money she had; who there­upon form'd a Hellish design to deprive her thereof, and of her Life to boot, if they could not otherwise effect their black purpose; in order to this, masking their bloody intentions with a shew of kind­ness, on Friday last in the Evening, they invited their Land Lady up into their Room, to eat a piece of Pork with them; who nothing suspecting their villanous plot, went up; but immediately, as 'tis strongly presumed, they cruelly, without [Page 5]any Compassion to her Age or Innocence, fell upon her, and having first stopt her Mouth with a durty Towel or Cloth, they twisting a Napkin about her Neck, Throtled or Strangled her, and then, (as 'tis believed) Rifled her Room of the most considerable and portable things she had, as Plate, Money, &c. which they might easily accomplish, without being ob­served by any, the other people being busie and not in the least mistrusting any harm. Having thus effected the Inhumane and Bloody Exploit, they left the Dead Bo­dy in their own Chamber, and then, how or when the Man went out, is uncertain, no notice being taken thereof; but the Woman came down to the other part of the House where Drink was sold, and de­fired three Pints of Ale, as for their Supper, saying, she would step out whilst it was drawing, and fetch some Cheese: this was about Nine or Ten at night; but she not returning, and the Tenant wondring as well thereat, as that her Land-Lady came [Page 6]not down to shut up her door, several times loudly call'd on the stairs, but received no answer; whereupon, with a Neighbour she went up, where she found the poor old Woman lying on the floor Murdered, as aforesaid; the Napkin remaining still violently drawn together about her Neck, and the foul Towel so furiously ramm'd into her Mouth, that her Face was very much disfigured, and the very skin torn therewith. There was then no body in the Room, only the Table spread with a Cloth, and a Salt-seller set thereupon; but no Meat, nor any appearance of any that had been.

What Goods in particular they took away, is yet not known, because the Woman living privately, few people (if any) could exactly tell what she had; only one Neighbour testifies, that in or since the time of Bartholemew Fair, the Deceased shew'd her a piece of Plate, of about Four or Five pound value, which she said she had bought at the said last Fair; and now [Page 7]there is no such, nor any other Plate or Money to be found.

These Lodgers not having been since heard of, have (as it were in a Legal sense) confes­sed thereby their concernment in the Guilt, by their flight, and accordingly all Endeavors are used to Apprehend them, whom 'tis not doubted, but Divine Vengeance will dis­cover, and bring to condign punishment, whilst in the mean time, they wander up and down, under the Terrors of Conscience, and the fright­ful Apprehensions of Blood-guiltiness, not to be exceeded by any Tortures, but the [Page 8]actual and endless Torments of Hell.

This sad Example ought to awake the Discretion, and a­larm the Caution of all honest House-keepers, to be more wary in entertaining Lodgers, without sufficient Testimoni­als of their Integrity; it be­ing become a common Pra­ctice for those Runnagate In­mates to rob and spoil those that admit them into their Houses: Nor do they there­by onely hazard their Goods, but their Lives also; as in this lamentable Case is too appa­rent.