A Full and True ACCOUNT Of a Bloody And Barbarous Murther, Found to be Committed upon the Perſon of a WOMAN, In Kent-ſtreet, near St. George's Church, South­wark; with the Circumſtances that attended the Diſcovery, and other things accompanying ſo Amazing and Cruel proceedings.

IT cannot but reflect ſtrange and amazing Horror, upon the Minds of thoſe that ſhed Humane Blood; Yet neither the Terror of Guilt, nor the fearful puniſhments are capable of deterring Cruel and Revengeful Minds from ſo great a Wickedneſs, as frequent Examples have made evident, and Recorded in Sanguin Characters, Mankind in this, is more Barbarous than the Ravenous Beaſts, who prey not upon their proper Kind, but by a natural Inſtinct ſpare to ſhed the Blood of their Compeers; but amongſt others of a Crimſon-dye, we here undertake to give one of a freſh date, wherein no ſmall Barbarity will appear.

It ſo hapned, that the beginning of the laſt week, a Coffin being diſcovered by ſome of the Neighbours, to be carryed into one Stevens his Houſe, at the Sign of the Trumpet, at the hither end of Kent-Street; and not having heard that any perſon had been Sick, made them begin to ſuſpect more than ordi­nary: Eſpecially, conſidering a Houſe that had none of the Beſt Reputation, and for ſome time, a whiſpering of ſuſpition was ſpread abroad, and enquiry made to what end it was deſigned, but no Satisfactory Anſwer could be got­ten; but in the end, Suſpition growing greater, it was given out, that a ſtrange perſon Lodging there, dyed: Whereupon the Searchers came, as is uſu­al, to make their Inſpection of the Corps: But before their coming, it was Coffined up, and decently dreſſed as to its Burial or Interment, and by that means, whether they diſcovered not the Wounds, or were partial in concealing them, we do not undertake to Determine, but contrary to the true cauſe of the Death of this party, they gave it out, that ſhe dyed of a Feavour, or ſome ſuch Violent Diſtemper; but the people of the Houſe thought it not however convenient to make a publick Burial, rather conſidering it moſt to their Ad­vantage, to bury the Body privately, and made overturns of that kind to the Sexton, or thoſe concerned in Burials: Which giving a greater Suſpition, no­thing could prevail to bring it to paſs, before a further Search was made, and thereupon the Burial being ſuſpended, the Coffin with the Body in it, was left at the Church Door in the Dark, and the next day the Corroner or Magiſtrate having notice of theſe paſſages, the Body was taken out, and upon further In­ſpection, a mortal Wound appeared on the right ſide the Arm, being likewiſe ſtobed, ſuppoſed to be given with a Sword, Bagonet, or broad Knife; and the Body was carryed int•the Church Porch, and expoſed to the view of the peo­ple; who crouded f•om all parts, to ſee the Sad and Deplorable Spectacle, making various Conjectures and Cenſures, and much inquiry was made, who the party ſho•ld be, and who were the Murtherers, but as to the Name and Qua­lity of the perſon thus Murthered, we are yet to learn.

Whilſt things were at this paſs, and peoples Judgments were various, the Corroners Jury was Summoned and Met, to make an Inquiry how the party came by her Death, and ſuch Witneſſes as could be got were Examined, be­ing moſtly the people of the Houſe from whence ſhe was brought Dead, whoſe Teſt•monies appeared very obſcure, in the apprehenſion of moſt People; as Alledging, that ſhe received thoſe Wounds that were found upon the Body of the Deceaſed, in ſome Fray or accidental Rencounter, at or near Tower-Hill, and that after ſhe was Wounded, ſhe came only as a Lodger to their Houſe, and that they Entertained her out of hopes ſhe might Recover; and that Dying there, they had undertaken to procure her Burial, and were no ways concerned, or further knowing in Relation to her, or her Death: As to this purpoſe, however upon View of the Wounds, they appeared not to have been Dreſſed, and by many it was imagined, after receiving them, ſhe was not capable of coming ſo far, but muſt of neceſſity have fainted by the way, for Anguiſh or loſs of Blood, and thereupon the Jury conſidering the Cir­cumſtances, could find no other but that ſhe dyed of thoſe Wounds, and con­ſequently was Murthered, and thoſe moſt ſuſpected, as the Maſter, &c. Bound over to anſwer the Death of this Party; that a further and more ſatisfacto­ry Account may be had how it happened, and after ſeveral days being expo­ſed to View, Orders were given for the Interment of the Corps, which was accordingly performed, in the Church-yard of St. Georges. This is all the Account we can at preſent give of this Deplorable Murther, till a further Light be had of the Matter, and Crimes of this Nature ſeldom eſcaping un­puniſhed.