I I - American Memory

[35]
' had prov'd but an indifferent Hufband to her j that
' one isiglit he come Home drunk and ftruckher ; that
' upon her complaining to Billings and Wood thereof,
' they, or one of them faid, fuch a Fellow [meaning
' Mr. Hayes) ought not to live, and that they would
' murder him for one Half-penny ;' Ihe took that Op-
portunity to propofe her bloody Intentions to them, tel-
ling them they might if they would ; flie acknowledg'd
ihe knew of tfeeir Defign, and heard the Blow given by
Billir.es to Mr. Hayes ; that then (he and IVeod went in-
to the Room to th^>m ; that fhe held the Candle whilll
V/oodcM her Hulband's Throat,, and by Piece-meal ac-
knowledg'd moft of the Particulars before-mention'd,
in the fame manner they are related, faying, 'twas not
for the fake of Money they did it, but that the Devil
being get into all of them, had put them upon it.
When flie heard Billings' had made an ample Con-
feffion of the v/hole Affair, and being inform'd that the
Criiue on her Side was not Murder only, but Petty-
TieaPjn, the Puniibment whereof was to be burnt alive,
ihe flicw'd great Concern, and fent him Word, 'twai,
very hard he lliould, by acknowledging every Circum-
llancs; of the whole Affair, fubjeft her to an Indiil-
iTient for Fetty-Treafon, upon which if flie fliould he
convi'Sedj. flis mult be burn'd alive;. that flie could be
conce;it to be; bang'd with him, vainly believing, if ir
coulil not- b»- prflv'd that Ihe was the principal Perfon
Gonqern'ti, in- tjjs Murder, and that unlefs flie aftually
ajmroittedl ikp &r,ie with her own Hands, the Law
Qpuldn'3? nsichilicrf-yfe i that her advifing, aiding, and
abetting, therjj in-tha Comroiffion thereof, and tliat her
being.pr«fani:8K.t-iie fame, could not afteft her at all.
Being; told:- it' was: commonly reported that Billings
was.-lierfS.aiij.iKft v«j»ld not anfwer that direftly, bit
evad'siJa-pfitjvs-Beclaration, by faying, ' He was her
'•OMa,;_Eleifli;9Bd,BJo.edj;but how nearly he was related
^'Iw, hiJlifelflkaew, Hot j„ but before fhe died, flie feared
'it' would appear to the World:' At other Times
when ask'd the faras C^eftion, flis would anfwer ir.
B 6 , ro