ON the 15th. and 16th. of this preſent Month at the Seſſions in the Old-Bayly for the City of London, and County of Middleſex, five perſons recieved Sentence of Death, the four above mentioned, and one Edward Hubbart, who recieved his Majeſties Gracious Reprieve.

John Gower, was formerly an Apprentice to a Coach-Maker in Long-Acre and Indicted for Murthering his Wife, who was the ſame perſon found dead at Green-Berry Hill in March laſt, which he effected by Shooting her into the back part of her Head with a Piſtol Bullet. This ſame John Gower being about 26 years of Age was married privately to his late murder'd Wife three years before his time was out, and the Marriage kept private; ſhe living all the time with her Relations in the Country: his time being now expired he married his Maſters Maid, who was his fellow Servant; his firſt Wife conſidering he was now free, and for himſelf, came up to London and lodged at Knightsbridge, and ſent to her Husband to deſire him to come to her, which accordingly he did, upon the Wedneſday, as ſoon as he ſaw her, he earneſtly preſt her for money, and ſhe denying ſhe had any, he ranſack'd her Box and Cloaths, and in all his Expreſſions and Behaviour, ſhew'd himſelf according to his Natural Temper very churliſh and dogged to her. On the Monday following they were in Holbourn together at a Farriers Houſe, and ſome ſhort time after ſhe was found murder'd as aforeſaid; nor does it appear that ſhe ever gave him any Provocation, and though poſſibly ſhe might know he had married a ſecond Wife which he loved better being a younger Woman, yet did ſhe never take any publick Notice of it, or ſhew her Diſcontent by any open Reflections upon him. At the Bar he denyed the Crime, tho he was not able by any conſiderable Circumſtance to clear himſelf; but the laſt Night before his Execution, he was earneſtly deſired to Confeſs, who anſwered that he was not Guilty of the Fact for which he was condemned. It is very obſervable that he was the firſt perſon after her Murder before the publick diſcovery of it, who talk'd of it and give out News that ſhe was dead, and a little before had ſent to Knightsbridge for her Cloaths and Box; but the Landlady refuſing to ſend them unleſs ſhe came her ſelf, he ſent word ſhe was very ill of ſore Eyes, and that he had taken a Lodging for her in Witch-Street at the ſign of the Coffin, which was all a 〈◊〉 and untruth. After Sentence, he was very penitent, and his ſurviving Wife come in often to ſee him in Priſon, he cleared her from any ways being Privy to it or having any knowledge of it. He was always taken notice of, to be of a very morroſs and revengeful humor; and 'tis ſaid, had formerly offer'd a young fellow 5 l. to lie with her, that he might have pre • ence for a Divorce, but that deſign not ſucceeding, reſolved upon this Inhumane and Barbarous Murder 〈◊〉 he deſervedly ſuffers for. His ſurviving Wife ſhewed a great deal of ſorrow, for her Husband & was often with him, and wears the Character of a modeſt ſober Woman.

Francis Robinſon was an old Offender, tho but a young man about 30 years of Age, he was Notoriouſly Eminent amongſt thoſe of his Gang for his daring Exploits of Roguery, which he had frequently Committed both in England and Ireland; I ſhall firſt ſpeak of one, which he committed at Windſor, which was ſo bold and confident a piece of Villany that it very well deſerves a remembrance here, & to proceed to the Crime he now ſuffers for His Majeſty being at Windſor, he and one Syms both dreſt in a good Habit, went as Gentlemen to ſee the Court, and paſſing the Sentinal to Mr. Mays Lodging, Privy Purſe to the King, which they broke open and took in mony and plate to the Value of 300 l. they repaſſed the Sentinal undiſcover'd, and went off with the Prize. Syms was afterwards taken, but abſolutely denyed the Fact and ſome time after Robinſon was apprehended in White-Fryers and tryed before the Green-Cloath and pardon'd. There was one Circumſtance very remarkable a • he ſince confeſs'd, that as they were buſie about their Pillage, a Bird which hung in a Cage in the Window, fell a ſinging, and ſung ſo curiouſly well, that either ſurprized with ſtrange thoughts from the ſweetneſs and harmony of the Notes, unfearing that ſome perſon near hand, hearing the Bird ſing might be drawn thither by the pleaſantneſs of the Muſick, they left the beſt part of their deſigned, ſpoil, and in a ſtrange confuſion made haſt away. The Fact for which he ſuffered was that he and one Mr. Fletcher were Indicted for ſtealing two Silver Tankards on the 10th. of March, to the value of 14. l. being the Goods of Henry Boon a Cook near the Royal Exchange: ſoon after his loſs two men came to deſire him to go into Salisbury-Court to one Mr. Fletcher, who could tell what was become of his Tankards, accordingly at the Swan he found Fletcher, who told him that Francis Robinſon had ſtole his Tankards, and that he ſtood at the door while Robinſon fetched them from the Bar, that the Tankards were ſold and melted down. The next day Mr. Boon having taken ſome Women into Cuſtody upon Suſpicion, Robinſon came to them and privately asked him what they were worth, and offered to make ſatisfaction for them, he denyed upon his Tryal what he had ſaid to Mr. Boon, but ſince his Sentence has been very open in his Confeſſions and penitential in his Behaviour.

He went for the reputed huſband of Jane Voſs a notorious criminal, one who is infamouſly known in Town for her ſeverall Cheats and Thefts, and at preſent a priſoner in Newgate; but however this poor Wretch ſeemed before hardned in his Sins and feared in his Conſcience ſince his condemnation he has been more ſeriouſly thoughtful of his latter end; remembring his former vitious courſes with anger and deteſtation, conſtantly praying to God to give him a true ſence of his unhappy condition, and his grace ſincerely, and from the bottom of his heart to repent of all his Tranſgreſſions.

More particularly on Tueſday laſt he deſired to have his Coffin brought to him in the condemned hole which was granted, upon ſight of it; this ſays he is my Memento, and I hope I ſhall ſo prepare my ſelf to lye down in duſt, that through the mercies of God I may riſe in glory. That worthy perſon and Reverend Divine Dr. Hornneck, was pleaſed out of his abundant charity, to viſit the poor Priſoners, & with powerful Arguments both exhort and encourage them to a true and hearty ſorrow and contrition: To whom Robinſon confeſt his manifold offences, and ſaid that his Crimes were great and numerous, he would endeavour in ſome meaſure to anſwer them in a profound penitence and abſolute reſignation to the will and pleaſure of his great Creator.

This Morning about half an hour after Nine of the Clock, the two aforeſaid Malefactors were put into a Cart at Newgate, and conveyed to the place of Execution Francis Robinſon ſeemed undaunted; but the other, John Gower, ſhewed himſelf very penitent and exceeding ſorrowful for ſo great a Crime; yet, when arrived at the place of Execution, was aſſiſted by two moſt worthy Divines; who asked him what he had now to ſay it being the laſt moment he had to ſtay in this World, but that he muſt now think of another, and deſireing him to confeſs what he had ſo long and obdurately ſtood in, though to no effect, and that there was no hopes of Redemption but only of Redeeming his Soul by his Bleſſed Saviour Jeſus Chriſt; he ſtill affirming he was Innocent, and knew nothing of the Crime for which he was now to ſuffer; but tho he was moſt earneſtly importuned by the ſaid Divines who alſo prayed with him, and admoniſhed him not to go out of this World with a lye in his Mouth, he being but a Young Man. Firſt they drew from him, that he only had been ſo far concerned as to contrive the way how ſhe might be Murthered; then being asked who were the Actors in this 〈◊〉 he was the Contriver, which he ſtill refuſed to confeſs; then being prayed with again he ſeemed ſomething more ſoftned and eaſier to be worked on (which eſpecially one of the ſaid Divines obſerved and and ſtrove to draw from him): He then confeſſed to them ſhe was murthred by himſelf, they ſtill fearing he might not yet have cleared his Conſcience, urged him on ſtill to draw a full and true Confuſion from him, prayed with him again, and ſang à Pſalm, and after ſome ſhort time went out of the Cart, he then being deſired by the Sheriffs Officers and of thoſe of his Friends neareſt, to diſpatch; and make a True and Faithful End. He then ſpoke after theſe words I have been a great Sinner, and kept ill Company, of which I deſire all to beware: I indeed Married two Wives, the firſt of which I married, ſuffer'd by my own hands, and I ſhot the Piſtol my ſelf, which gave that moſt fatal blow: but he then being asked if his other Wife knew any thing, he declared ſhe knew her not, and therefere was innocent, and deſired that ſhe might not be queſtioned about it, and being asked by the ſaid Divine if he was not Guilty of Sabbath-breaking, he declared he was, and it was his Original ſin, and gave advice to all Maſters not to be negligent of their Servants, for that was great part of his Ruin, and this untimely end, the other being asked what he had to ſay, anſwered he had nothing more to ſay, than that he was a great Offender, but that he hoped he had made a ſufficient Confeſſion already for his ſins paſt, and that he had nothing more to ſay at the place of Execution; ſo that after the Prayers of all good Chriſtians: they were turned off, and accordingly ſuffered, their Bodys being put into two Coffins, and diſpoſed of by their Friends.