I I - American Memory

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his Three Halfpence for a Pint of Beer, and went ofF,
The Deceafed, Mr. Ormes, his Wife, and the reft of
the Company went out aftc-r him, and fome of them
fwore, and cryed out to dafli out the Iri/hmatii Brains.
Upon which they beat him unmercifully with their
Canes and Sticks ; he to fave himfelf retir'd a good
Way, till he came to a Garden Hedge, then he drew
his Sword to defend himfelf, and called out to them to
hold off and beware of him, being upon his own De-
fence. At this Time Mr. Ormes (as he fuppofed)
rufh'd upon his Sword and was killed, which was the
eafier done, bccaufe his Breall: was naked, and to exte-
nuate the Affair, he faid, he was very fhort-fighted,
and never faw Ormes, nor none of the Company.
This is an Account which contradifts the Evidence of
the Pi-ofecutors, who fwore pofitively, that he ftabb'd
Mr. Ormes without any Provocation, and that they did
not fee him receive any Blow with a Cane ; but after
all the Reafons which could be ufed for an ingenious
Confeffion, he never alter'd his Narrative to me, nor
K) all thofe who vifited him in the Prifon under Sen-
tence, to whom he always repeated the fame Thing,
with abundance of Tears trickling down his Cheeks.
The Reafon he gave for dreffing like a Gentleman
was, becaufe lie had once been an Officer in the Army,
and he alfo expedled to get into the Service of fome
great Man, to whom his fine Drefs would be one Re-
commendation. He made no Refleftions, but only
faid he heard Mr. Ormes was quarrelfome.
As to his I'emper, he was Pufillanimous, and of a
mean Spirit; he wept and cried like a Child when he
told his Cafe to any Body, and the Tears gufhed out
in a very flrange rrianner. I comforted, him againft the
Fears of Death, but he remain'd inconfolable, and
there could not be a Man more unwilling, and more
afraid of Death than he was.
He appeared penitent, and declared that he hoped
for Salvation thro' Chrifl, that he fincerely repented of
all his Sins, and forgave all Injuries, as he expefted
Fbrglvenefs from God.