CHRONICLE. 



53 



perpetrated bj' some villains, who 

 iiad eiitereri his house for plunder ; 

 and his wife affected complete ig- 

 norance of the awful transaction. 

 Traces of blood from the bed of 

 the deceased were found. On ex- 

 amining the servant-mLin, blood 

 was found on his shirt. An officer 

 was sent for, and the man taken 

 into custodj^ When the constable 

 was taking him to a magistrate, 

 he said " Well, I suppose I must 

 be hanged ;'' and on being pressed 

 for his meaning, confessed, that 

 the murder of his master was de- 

 termined upon between his mis- 

 tress and himself; and stated, 

 that lie had been urged to the hor- 

 rid deed by his mistress, who want- 

 ed him to marry her. The con- 

 stable unlocked the hand-cuffs 

 with which he had locked himself 

 to the prisoner, fastened the latter 

 by the same instruments to an as- 

 sistant, and ran back to take the 

 wife. When he entered the house, 

 he told her the confession of the 

 servant, and bid her prepare to ac- 

 company him. She covered her 

 face with her apron, drew a razor 

 from her breast, and ran it across 

 her throat, making a deep incision. 

 A surgeon sewed up the wound, 

 whicli is not considered dangerous. 

 The young man is about 19 years 

 of age, the woman ID. 



The following confession dis- 

 closes a scene of almost unpar- 

 ralleled horror: — 



Volantarij Conjession of J. Lo- 

 ntas, taken before Faitlifid Thomas, 

 one of his Majesty's Coroners for 

 the Count)/ of Chester, April W-, 

 1812. — Statcth— That his mis- 

 tress, Ediih Morrey, set him on to 

 murder his master, and he was 

 to have all he had. She told him 

 to go to a public house, in Hankc- 



low, on Saturday afternoon, the 

 11th of April, lo get some drink, 

 and she would get things ready tc 

 kill him. His master was gone 

 to Audlem, and she told him (J. 

 Lomus) that he must not go to 

 bed. He came home about 12 

 o'clock ; and as soon as his master 

 was gone to bed and asleep, his 

 mistress came up to his room. 

 He was asleep; she awoke him, 

 and told him his master was fast 

 asleep, and he must come and kill 

 him. He refused ; she went down 

 stairs, and afterwards came up 

 again, and went down again, and 

 he followed her. She had got the 

 axe ready, and gave it into his 

 hand- He said it would be found 

 out, and they should be sure to be 

 hanged. She said she would see 

 him safe, and swear he was fast 

 asleep in bed, and would send the 

 servant-girl to call him up. He 

 (Lomas) said his master would 

 awake before he reached the bed, 

 and she said she would go in first, 

 and put up her hand if he was fast 

 asleep, for him to come in and 

 kill him. She put her hand up 

 two or three times, and then said 

 he must come in. He (Lomas) 

 then went in, and his mistress held 

 the candle, while he struck his 

 master three times with the axe 

 on his head. He struck him the 

 first time over his temple. After 

 he had struck him three times, he 

 heard the servant-wench, who slept 

 in the next room, get upon the 

 floor, and he said the servant- 

 woman was coming ; on which his 

 mistress wetted her finger and 

 thumb, and put the candle out. 

 He (Lomas) ran away towards the 

 door, and his master was shouting, 

 " Oh Lord !" His mistress turned 

 him back again, and said he must 



