MR. Talbot having been sometime Mi­nister of Lansdon in Essex, upon some misunderstanding between him and some of his Parishioners, came to London, and took a Lod­ging in Bishops-gate street, where he for some time continued in quiet­ness, going about such business as he had to do in London; till on Friday, July the 3d. passing from his Lodging and going down Cornhill, he perceived himself to have been dog'd from his Lodging; ha­ving this suspicion, he goes out of his way, and ram­bles up and down the Ruines, still perceiving him­self to be follow'd; coming to Shoo-lane he there goes into a house to drink, where he had not long been, ere one of the persons whom he perceived to [Page 2] dog him, came in also, which confirmed his suspi­cion; having sate there some time, the party that dog'd him went away, and in a little time after he goes for Grays-Inn: but he had not gone far ere he perceiv'd himself to be again dog'd by him that came into the house to drink; coming to a Coun­sellors Chamber in Grays-Inn, he relates the story to him, with the occasion of his suspicion; which was; that he had heard some Bayliffs were employ­ed to arrest him, and had forty shillings given them to do it, and that he believed these were Bayliffs followers that had dogg'd him. He tarried there from three of the clock till ten at night, and then (being advised by his friend) he took his way o­ver the fields to go to his Lodging: He had not been long on his way, ere he had the same occasion of suspicion as he had before, being followed again; upon which he goes out of his way, but is still beset, some behind, some before, and on each side some. He altered his course several times, but could not get rid of his companions; yet still continued his way to his Lodging. At the end of Old-street near the fields, he perceives them to draw nearer to him, upon which he quickens his pace, and makes what speed he can to get cleer of them By this time he perceives them to make directly after him, and call to one another to fall on, and is at last set upon by three or four, from whom, after much strugling he at last makes his escape to a Garden hear Annis-a-Cleer, where he hoped to find some assistance, but was deceived in his expectation, it being not near any house; and being closely pursued by those that had before as­saulted him, he is again set upon, and being able to [Page 3] make little resistance, (having spent himself in strug­ling with them before, and running from them to make his escape) is easily overcome, whom when they had gotten down they stripped, and one of them taking his own knife out of his pocket, most inhumanely cut his throat and stabbed him, and then turned him on his face and left him for dead, after which they hide themselves in the Garden, it being then about eleven of the clock when the fact was done.

A little after, happened a very great shower of Rain, which caused the Brick-makers to come to their works to cover their Bricks, to preserve them from the injury of the weather; which having done they again return, (and now the great providence of God in this Rain and the discovery of the Murde­rers is very wonderful) for one of the Brick makers going along by the side of the Garden, and looking over, discovers Mr. Talbot lying naked, upon which he leaps into the Garden, takes him by the hand, and lifts it up, and finding no strength in it; conclu­ded the man to be dead; calls to the rest of his com­pany, who came to him, to whom he relates the accident, and immediately they went down to Shore­ditch, where they got two Constables, and other assistance, and return again to the place where Mr. Talbet lay, whom they immediately took up, and began to question him about his condition, but he being deprived of his speech, answered as well as he could by signes; Having taken up him that was thus mortally wounded, and provided to carry him away to Shoreditch in a Wheel-barrow, they lookt about the Garden to see if they could discover any [Page 4] thing elfe; one of them by chance espies Mr. Talbots doublet, and going to take it up, discovers another man (which was Stephen Eaten) the doublet lying on one side of him, and the bloudy shirt on the other, and then called, to his Company, telling them there was another man dead; upon which Eaton rises, and proves himself alive; the Brick-maker demanded of him what he did there? he replyed, He was locked out of his Lodging, and that he came there to sleep; en­deavouring to make his escape, but the Brick-ma­ker taking hold of him, told him he must tarry with them a while, the other made resistance, till being knock'd down by the Brick maker, and finding it in vain to make any further attempt to get off, he submitted.

The Constable carried him away, and secured him in the Stocks, till he had taken such further care of Mr [...] Talbot as was necessary; when he was a little revived, they bring Eaton to him, who presently took pen and wrote, That that was the man that cut his throat.

Some other persons being to view the place where this fact was committed, observed a person to peep out of a Ditch and to lye down again, a Constable coming to him, and asking what he did there? he answered, No harm; The Constable told him, he must go along with them; to which he seemed at the first unwilling, but feeing no other remedy, a­long with them he goes to Mr. Talbot, who present­ly wrote, That that was one of them that set upon him; this was Henry Pritchard, by Trade a Taylor.

Near the place where Eaton was taken, Sarah Swift lay asleep in an Out-house, who was appre­hended, [Page 5] and impeached by Mr. Talbot b [...]as was assistant in this Robbery, and cryed out Kill the Rogue. She is noted for a notorious Thief, and hath already been burnt in the hand▪ [...]o These being all car­ried, before a Justice were sent to Newgate.

On Monday July the 15th George Rhodes an Ap­prentice to a Broker in Long-lane, came to see his acquaintance Sarah Swift at Newgate, where by his discourse he was judged to be an assistant with the rest in the Robbery, and notice being given to the Constable to apprehend him, he repairs to his Ma­sters house to enquire for him, but not finding of him there at that time, he leaves word with his Ma­ster to give him notice of him so soon as heisaw him, which he accordingly did, and had him apprehended and carried before a Justice, by whom after his Exa­mination, (not being able to give any account where he was that night, and venting some suspicious words, besides Mr. Talbot's testimony, that he was one of the persons that dog'd him, though he could not say he was there when he was rob'd) was sent to Newgate to the rest of his Complices.

Mr. Talbot being carefully looked to by his Physi­cians, was judged to be in a hopeful way of recove­ry, and was ready to satisfie all questions that were put to him, by writing his answer; He did constant­ly affirm, that he never saw Sarah Swift before in his life, to his knowledge, (though reports have been otherwise) and that he had not any acquaintance with any of the rest of them, nor drank with any of them in his life. He could not devise what should make them to dog him so long and so far as they did, and to deal so inhumanely with him; he was rob'd [Page 6] of two and twenty shillings, and two gold Rings.

On Sunday he had his speech, and talked much, none doubting of his recovery; but it lasted not long, for by reason of his straining to answer all que­stions propounded to him, though enjoyned the contrary, he so weakned himself, that the use of means was rendred ineffectual, and on Monday Ju­ly the 12th gave up the ghost. Thus you have the Relation of a Murder and Robbery committed by 6 men and a woman, who had all of them time and op­portunity enough to escape; but the just hand of God would not suffer them to go unpunished, for so barbarous an Act committed against the Law of God, the Laws of the Land, and the light of Na­ture, but i [...]a [...]u [...]u [...]ted them that they might be brought to condigne punishment.

Eaton being brought to the Sessions, pleaded Not Guilty, but the proof was so clear against him, the circumstances of his being taken, the bloudy knife on one side of him and the doublet on the other, some bloudy. Tape sound in his Breeches, and Mr. Talbots affirmation under his hand, that he cut his throat, and rob'd him, the case was so clear that he was soon found guilty of the Endictment. Sa­rah Swift and Henry Prichard were both found guil­ty of the same Robbery. George Rhodes pleaded Not Guilty, but having nothing to justifie himself, and able to give no account where he was that night, and saying, If he died five more should die with him, besides Mr. Talbot's testimony under his hand, That he was one of the persons that dog'd him was found Guilty, and all of them received sentence to be exe­cuted.

• [Page 7]Thomas Reeves, was condemned for stealing a Horse, and Executed.
• John Goodwin, was condemned for stealing 15. l. in mony, and Executed.
• Grace Hawkins, condemned for felony, and Exe­cuted.
• Anne Hall, condemned for murthering of her Infant, and Executed.
• Elizabeth Garret, condemned for murthering of her Child, and Executed.
• Edward Oram, and Robert Hack, Clippers; both condemned, but Reprieved.
• Edward Maddox, High-way man, condemned but Reprieved.
• John Philips, High-way man, condemned and Executed.
• Cuthbert Allen, condemned for breaking the house of one George Page, Executed.
• Francis Baker, for stealing a Farendine Gown and other things, condemned and Executed.
• Toby Wright, condemned for stealing a Barbers In­struments, Reprieved.
• Edward Mace, upon a former Judgement, again Reprieved.