I I - American Memory

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difcfiarge. After a tedious Indifpofuion his Wife died,
and it having been given out, that he was fo weary of
her, that to get rid of her he poifon'd her ; I afxed
him if it was true, that lie poifon'd her ? He anfwer'd,
that the World was very injurious in calling fuch an Af-
perfion upon him,and that he was moft careful of hisWifo
during all the Time of her lUnefs, let her want for no-
thing, but got a Nurfe for her when Ihe wanted one,
and three Phyficians of the City, who vifited and pre-
fcribed every Thing which they judg'd moft proper for
her ; and that at laft, when nothing availed for her
Recovery, flie died. It was iikewile alledg'd, that
cnce when he was drunk, he forc'd a near Relation of
his own to lie with him againil her Will; this, he faid,
was a fcandalous Lie, and that fuch a villainous Inten-
tion never enter'd into his Mind. A third Crime talk'd
cf was, that he had ravifti'd a young Girl of fix or fe-
ven Years old, and afterwards thrown her into a Bog-
Houfe, but this he faid was as falfe as the reft, and he
added, that it was an uncharitable Way to aggravate
the Misfortunes of a Man, and becaufe he's guilty of
one Crime, to fuppofe him guilty of twenty others ;
he faid, he never was exceffively wicked, that he fel-
dom drank much, neither did he fwear, but fometimes
when he was in a Paffion, (tc^ which he was too lia-
ble) or provok'd, and that he never committed a capi-
tal Crime, but this for which he died, having liv'd ho-
neftly, and endearour'd to do Juftice to every Body.
As for the cruel and barbarous Murder of Sarah Mar-
tin, he confeffed the fame before the Juftice, when he
was firft taken up for it, and afterwards he own'd
it to every Body, and told it with the following aggra-
vating Circumftances.
When he was a Widower, and had but little Bufi-
nefs, being fomewhat ftraiten'd in his Circumftances, he
was taken in to be a Porter at the Work-Houfe in Bi-
popfgate-freet, where he behav'd himfelf to the Satis-
faction of his Superiors, attended his Bufmefs, and was
refpefted by the other Officers and Servants of the faid
H 4 Work-