The horror of this ensuing Relation, is too great to need any amplicati­on, or the needless imbelishment of a starch'd Exordium; I shall therefore without putting either my self or the Reader to farther trouble, give him a candid [Page 5]and true account of a dismal accident, which happened in Angel Allie, in Bishops Gate Street. Towards the upper end of which Al­lie, over against the Rose Alehouse, there has liv'd for some time an antient industrious widow, Dorothy Jewers who by her good huswifry had obtained so much as made her esteemed very wealthy, considering the meanness of her quality; her common way of livelyhood being to deal in old Goods which were expos'd to sale, and having rea­dy mony many times bought them to great advantage; by this and the like means, the report of her Estate, in Plate and mony, be­came generally talkt of, that it is to be fear'd, at length the fame of it reacht the Ears of two young persons of different Sexes, who on the one and twentieth of this instant September, came to enquire for a Lodging at her house, which she having ready to dispose of, with­out much scruple, set it them at so much per week; but the sad event of her so doing, will not let me omit giving the Reader a kind warning, to take care not to follow her ex­ample, [Page 5]but to be cautious and circumspect whom either he or she admits under the dan­gerous shelter of their own Roof, for by this means many Masters and Mistresses of Fami­lies themselves have lost their Reputati­on, and their Goods, nay and their lives to boot, which have been brought to a shame­ful Catastrophe, meerly for want of that Care and industry which is absolutely requisite in such Cases.

This unfortunate VVoman in Angel-All [...]y, little considered what she had done, when she let these unknown Persons have a free Egress and Regress out and into her House, as well as her self; and by so doing ran indeed too great a hazard for that incon­siderable benefit she was to receive of them, had they prov'd really honest. But alas, two or three days experience of their cautious and timerous Conver­sations, offer'd her so much reason to think they were either ingag'd in the VVorld, or else had in a base manner abus'd it, that she grew in that small time weary of their Companies, and therefore warn'd them to provide a new Habitation against that VVeek expir'd; for that since they did not give her that Testimony of their honesty which at their en­trance they promised, she was resolved to be trou­bled with them no longer. Her Lodgers seem'd ve­ry [Page 6]little concern'd at the News, only desiring of her that during that time they might injoy their Lodging in friendship and content; and at the VVeeks-end they would honestly pay her, according to their Covenant, and leave her. VVhereupon she said little to them afterwards, but much won­dred to see them take such extraordinary care to skulk in and out of Doors at such unseasonable hours, as none, no not their very next Neighbours, could ever set sight of them; nor can now give a­ny account of them, or tell what manner of Persons they were.

But since, it is easily imagin'd this unusual desire of concealment was not by reason of Debt, or any worldly Ingagements; but with full and premedi­tated design that they might the better commit their intended Murder, and after more securely make their escape.

For on Fryday the 27th Instant, (and the day be­fore the expiration of the fore-mentioned VVeek they were to stay with her) about eight of the Clock in the Evening, they both came, very seem­ingly kind, down to their Land-Lady, and telling her they had bought a piece of Pork for Supper, de­sir'd, that since it was the last Night they were to be in her House, she would do them the favour to go up-stairs into their Room and take share of it, and a Glass of Ale, and be merry with them before their departure; (this she declared to several Neighbours before she went up) the good VVoman little sus­pecting they durst be so impudently wicked, as to at­tempt [Page 7]any thing on her Life, especially at saith a seasonable hour as all her Neighbours were stirring, accepted the invitation, and went up with them, vvhere, in order to the expected Supper, she savv the Board fairly laid vvith Napkins, Trenchers, and all things requisite in those cases.

The particular of every Action which passed among them, is impossible as yet to be related; the tvvo chief Actors of them being her two Lodgers, who are since fled: But this is certain, that the good Woman, who had left her Door o­pen, staid above Stairs so long, that some of her Neighbours, who had never before seen her negli­gent in that kind, went to her House to advertise her of it; but finding her not below Stairs, at first knockt, but receiving no answer, went up stairs, and found the poor VVoman stark dead, but in a strugling posture, with a Cambrick Handkerchief, thrust, as 'tis immagin'd with a Bed-staff, which lay by her, asfar down her Throat as possibly they could ram it, in so much that they had rent her Mouth, and a Napkin, with which 'tis thought they first strangled her, ty'd so extremely hard a­bout her Neck, that it was impossible for her to take her breath, much less make any noise that her Neighbours might have come in to her [...]s­sistance, 'Twas about the hour of nine when she was first found in this lamentable condition; and it is credibly reported that about a quarter of an hour before, the she Lodger came to the Door, and per­ceiving a VVoman, who kept the opposite Ale-house, [Page 8]to stand at the Door, she ran boldly to her, and told her she wanted three pints of Drink, which whilst the Hostess was fetching, she and her pretended Hus­band made their escape, taking along with them many things, whereof, as yet, we have no par­ticular.