READING, Sept. 30. On Sunday last a very shocking and barbarous Murder was committed by three abandoned Villains: The unfortunate Person who fell Sacrifice to these ruffians, accidentally met them at a Public-house at Monshill, near Godalming, Surrey, and as they were all seafaring Men, he joined their Company, and treated them plentifully; when he paid the Reckoning he changed a Guinea, and told them (as they said their Money run short) he would assist them on the Road to Portsmouth as long as it lasted. They all went away together, and travelled as far as the Red-Lion at Road-Lane, about two Miles, where he treated them again; they then proceeded on their Journey, but had not got above two Miles farther, a Place called Hind-Head, before one of these Monsters knocked their Benefactor down, and they all immediately assisted in stripping him quite naked, the poor Man all the Time imploring them to spare his Life, but they were deaf to his Intreaties, and with their Knives mangled his Body in several Parts much too shocking to relate, and then nearly severed his Head from the Body. One of them still not satisfied, said to his Companion, “Lend me your Knife, I’ll have another Cut at him,” which being given, they dragged him about two hundred Yards out of the Road, and then proceeded towards Portsmouth.
Luckily two Men seeing these Villains dragging something along, their Curiosity led them to the Spot, where they found the mangled Corpse in the shocking Situation described. They not thinking it prudent to pursue the Murderers without Assistance, went back to Road-lane, where they got eight or nine Men to join them; and at Rake, near Petersfield, they came up with them, and after a stout Resistance secured them all.— They were had before Justice Fielding, of Haslemere, Surrey, and, after separate Examinations, committed to Guildford Gaol. They were all three Irishmen, and one of them had been Shipmate with the Deceased.
They were conducted under a strong Guard, and on coming to the House where the mangled Corpse of the poor Man lay, the Guard insisted on their getting out of the Coach, to see and touch the Body; one of them was much affected and shed Tears; but the other two seemed totally unconcerned, and with an unpardonable Audacity declared, “they would do so again had they an Opportunity.”
It is horrid to relate, that one of them declared, that was he again at Liberty he would murder the first Person he met; and they all acknowledged, they had agreed to murder a Man they met on the Road between the Place where they committed the shocking Deed, and where they were taken, but were prevented by some Persons coming in Sight.
