MR. S. the person that is thus unhap­pily come to an untimely end, has for about five or six years last past kept the Ship-Inne in Southwark neer Deadmans-place, and in all things demeaned himself so justly and civilly, that he was generally beloved and esteemed of amongst his Neighbours as a very honest fair-con­ditioned man. He had been married many years to his wife, and by her had several Children; but there is now onely one (a Daughter) surviving, of seven or eight years of Age. His Wife was always counted a civil woman, as far as I can hear by the Neighbours; and they seem'd to live very [Page 4] lovingly together; without any reflections on her Reputations, before this unfortunate Accident.

Besides the Inne, they kept a Strongwater-shop in the Borough or High-street in Southwark; and this Tuesday (the last day of his life in this world) he had been a considerable part of the day there drinking with his Wife and a woman (who is now her Fellow prisoner upon suspition, said to be her Kinswoman, whose Dwelling was in Fet­ter-lane, London) and 'tis reported and alleadg­ed by them, that he was somewhat in drink, and that thereupon his Wife sent this other woman home with him to get him to lie down and sleep.

For about two or three of the clock, Mr. S. and this Mrs. L. came home together; the Servants, that is to say, a Maid, the Tapster, and the Hostler being then at Dinner, they past through the Room where they were, and went into a low Room where he usually lay, and one of them shut the door after them. And this woman staid with him a considerable time, about an hour, as neer as they can remember. And the Maid says, that having some occasion into a Buttery joyning to her Masters Lodging-room, she opened that door, but they were not there, but gone out of that Room into another darkish Room beyond it, where there was a bed; but he never used to [...]ie down there, but was afterwards found dead upon that further bed.

[Page 5] After this Mrs. L. came forth of their Masters Room, and bolted the door after her on the out­side, telling the Maid, that she had laid her Master to sleep, and covered him up warm, and laid two Pillows upon his feet, and bid her not to go in for fear of disturbing him; and if any body came to speak with him, not to call him, but say he was gone abroad. And the very same or­der she left the Tapster at the door as she went forth, and so went her way. And the Servants according to her directions did not go neer him; and though they were but the breadth of one Room distant from him most part of the time af­terwards, they heard no noise or disturbance at all, but concluded him fast asleep.

About seven a Clock, or somewhat before, this woman came to the house again, and said to the Servants, she would go in and see if their Master were awake yet or not; and so open'd the outward door and, went through his Lodg­ing-room into the other Room where he lay, and immediately came out again, and calling to the Maid, told her, she thought her Master was dead or kill'd; whereupon the Maid and Tapster went in again with her, and found him lying dead upon the bed, the greatest part of his body covered o­ver with the bed clothes, and two Pillows on his feet, as she had said she left him, but very strange­ly wounded about the Neck and Head; one very large wound or slash behind his Ear down to­wards his Throat, another before his Ear upon [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6] the Cheek, and a third behind upon his Neck. A great quantity of blood lay in the floor of the Room at some distance from the bed, and not very much upon the bed-clothes. The blood had run a great deal upon his right Arm, which lay hanging down over the bed, and his left hand placed upon his breast was very much bruised, so that it lookt black.

This unexpected ghastly sight much affrighted the Maid and Tapster, nor did the other woman seem less concerned: but seeing a Pistol lie upon a kind of a Cupboard or Chest of Drawers in the same Room, though at some distance from the bed, they concluded that he had therewith mur­thered himself, and presently sent to the shop to his wife to have her come home; who upon the sad news exprest some trouble, but (as many peo­ple thought) not so much as might be expected upon such a dismal occasion.

However, concluding with her Kinswoman that he had murthered himself, and consequently that his Goods would be seized upon as forfeited, they resolved to keep it as private as they could, till they had got away the most considerable of them; and accordingly fell to work: But the matter could not be carried so closely, but no­tice of it was given to the Bayliff of the Borough, to whom it seems such forfeitures belong, who forthwith came to the house, and open'd a Vein of the body, and considering all Circumstances, [Page 7] declared his opinion (though it seem'd contrary to his interest so to do) that he feared there was something more in it than self Murther, and that he doubted some other person or persons had a hand in it; whereupon a Constable was sent for, and Mrs. S. and her Kinswoman, together, with the Maid, Tapster, and Hostler, were all carried be­fore one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace dwelling hard by, where the Maid and Tapster related the truth of their knowledge in manner aforesaid.

The woman relates, that her Husband for some time had been melancholy and discontented, and particularly that on Munday-night last he lay and could not sleep, but sighed most part of the night; which made her inquire of him the cause of his trouble; who answered her, that he was to pay seve­ral sums of money, and could get none in; and that he should be undone, and wisht himself out of the world: and that on Friday last he bought some Bullets for this Pistol now found with him in the Room; and being ask'd where, she answered Hounsditch, but some time afterwards she said it was in the Minories.

There was found in the other womans Poc­ckets a Knife, which she said was her own, and also the dead mans Keys, silver Tobacco-box, and some Money of his; which she alleadged she took out of his Pocket after he was found dead, by his Wives consent, and to secure them for her [Page 8] use; and being examined where she was from the time she put him to sleep till night, she an­swered, amongst other places, at her Washerwo­mands in St. Tooly-street, but that she did not stay there at all; but the Washerwoman being sent for, affirmed that she was there about half an hour, but denied that she brought her any Linnen or other things.

In fine, after a long Examination, it appearing not probable that such Wounds could be made by a Pistol, as they pretended, or that he should shoot himself, and the Servants not hear the Re­port; and several other Circumstances seeming very doubtful and suspitious, it was thought fit by the Magistrate to secure the two women; and accordingly they were the same night both sent to the Marshalsey (where the County-Goal is now kept) and the Servants bound over to give Evi­dence.

The matter yet seems dark and doubtful; but if any persons are guilty of his death, 'tis not to be doubted but God in time will bring their wickedness to Light, at present his Wife and her Kinswoman are in Custody upon suspition.