[?]
For which fact, he, his wife, and the other woman, were executed at Lanceston , last Lent [Assizes.][?]
in chaines neere unto the place where the murder was done. To the tune of the Ladies daughter.
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A Cruell Cornish Murder,
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I briefely will declare,
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at your attention further,
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my Story wondrous rare,
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[A]nd doe not thinke tis fayned,
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because it seemeth strange,
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What hath not Satan gained,
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when men from God doe range?
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[?]t Crowen in that County,
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an old blind man doth dwell,
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Who by good peoples bounty,
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did live indifferent well,
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By name he's ca'ld Carnehewall ,
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his house stood all alone,
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Where [ke]pt this d[ee]d so cruell,
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the like was scarce ere knowne.
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He had a proper Damsell
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that liv'd with him, his daughter,
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To whom some suiters came still,
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and in true wedlocke sought her,
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Because the newes was bruited,
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how that the blind man would,
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Though he were poore reputed)
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give forty pounds in gold.
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Oh, then bewitching money,
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what mischiefe dost thou cause,
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Thou mak'st men dote upon thee,
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contrary to Gods Lawes.
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What Murder is so hainous,
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but thou canst find out those,
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Tha[t] willingly for gaine thus,
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will venter life to lose.
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Nay often soule and body,
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as in this Story rare,
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By the sufferance of God, I
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will punctually declare:
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The fame of this mans riches,
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a Vagrant chanc't to heare,
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In haste his fingers itches,
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away the same to beare.
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This bloody murderous Villaine,
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whose fact all manhood shames,
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Did live long time by stealing,
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his name was Walter James ,
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Who with his wife, and one more
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yong woman, and a boy,
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Three Innocents in purple gore,
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did cruelly distroy.
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The twenty sixth of July ,
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when it was almost night,
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These wanderers unruly,
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on this lone house did light,
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The old blind man was then abroad,
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and none but his old wife,
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And a little Girle, ith' house abode,
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whom they depriv'd of life,
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At first they ask'd for Vittle:
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quoth she, with all my heart,
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Although I have but little,
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of that you shall have part;
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He swore he must have money,
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alas, here's none she sed;
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His heart then being stony,
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he straight cut off her head.
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And then he tooke her G[?]
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about some seven yeer[?]
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Which he (oh monster [v?)]
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by both the heeles did [?]
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And beate her braines o[ut?]
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oh barbarous cruelty,
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The like of this I never [?]
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in any history.
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When they those two ha[d] [?]
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and tane what they de[filed]
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Like people fully [riled],
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with joy, they sate by t[?]
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And tooke Tobacco mer[?]
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without all feare or dr[?]
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Knowing no house nor to[?]
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and while these two l[a?]
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In came the blind mans d[?]
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who had beene workin[g]
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And seeing such a slaught[er]
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she wondrously was s[?]
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No marvell, when her M[other?]
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lay headlesse on the floor
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Her zeale she could not [smother?]
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but running out oth' doo[r]
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His Sword which lay ot[?]
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with her she tooke, an[?]
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As fast as she was able,
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she ran to call some folk[?]
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To come and see the murd[er?]
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but after her he stept,
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And ere she went much fur[ther]
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he did her intercept.
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[?]
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[?] (oh stony-hearted wretch)
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And into th' house he brought her:
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(what sighes alas I fetch,
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To thinke upon this Tragedy)
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for he with mischeife stor'd,
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Cut off her head most bloodily,
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with th' piece oth' broken Sword.
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Thus did three harmlesse innocents
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by one vile Caitiffes hand
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With both the counsell and consents,
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oth' woman of his band:
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Their heads and bodies laid they
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all very close together;
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And being gone a little way,
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they did at last consider,
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That if the house were burned,
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the murder might be hid,
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With that they backe returned,
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and as they thought, they did,
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Setting the house on fire,
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which burned till next day,
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Full many did admire,
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as they went on the way.
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These murtherers suspected
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that people would have thought,
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Those three ith house enclosed,
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unto their deaths were brought,
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By accident of fire,
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but God did then declare
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His power [?] let's admire
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his wondrous workes most rare.
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The murdered corps remained,
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as if no fire had beene,
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Their clothes with blood besmeared,
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not burnt, as might be seene:
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The leg and arme oth' Maiden,
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were only burnt in sunder,
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Full many people said then,
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ith' middest of their wonder.
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That surely there were murdered,
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by some that robd them had,
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And presently twas ordered,
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that for this deed so bad,
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All Vagrants on suspicion,
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should apprehended be,
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And in this inquisition,
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one happened to see,
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Some clothes upon the parties,
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that from this house we[re] tane
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And some before a Justice,
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the little boy told plaine,
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All things before that passed:
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also the boy did say,
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James was ith mind to kill him,
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lest he should all betray,
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They taken were at Meriwicke ,
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forty five miles, or more,
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From Crowen where the murth[er]er was
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about a moneth before,
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Where in the Jayle they lay,
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Untill the Lend Assize did come,
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which tooke their lives away[.]
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The little Boy was quitted,
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and sent unto the Parish,
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Where he was borne, well fitted,
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with clothes and food, to cherish
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Him, as he ought with honesty
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and leaves his wandering trade:
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The other three were doom'd to dye,
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on that which he had said.
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But Walter James denyed,
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that ere he did that act,
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For swearing (till he dyed,
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and when he dy'd) that fact
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His wife at her last ending,
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confest the bloody guilt,
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So monstrously offending,
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when so much blood was spilt.
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The other woman after
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confest more plainely all:
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James tooke his death with laughter
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and nere to God did call:
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Thus as he liv'd a reprobate,
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and did God great reject,
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His soule with Christ bought at deare rate,
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in death he did neglect.
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He was hang'd dead at Lancestone ,
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among the rest that di'd,
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Then carried where the deed was done,
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and by the high-way side,
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He hangeth, for example,
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in chaines now at this time,
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Thus have I shew'd the ample
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discourse of this foule crime.
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Objection may be framed,
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where was the old blind man:
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Whom I have never named
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since when I first beganne.
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He was abroad ith' interim,
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when this mischance befell,
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Or else the like had hapt to him,
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but he is living still.
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And goes about the Country,
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to begge, as he before
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Did use, among the Gentry,
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and now his need is more.
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All you that are kind Christians,
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thinke on this bloody deed.
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And crave the Lords assistance,
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by it to take good heed.
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