i66 RECORDS OF OLD TIMES 



repeatedly dragged through a pond, till the old 

 woman died in the hands of her inhuman tor- 

 mentors. A hulking rascal, who had acted as 

 ringleader during the fatal outrage, actually went 

 round amongst the spectators and collected money 

 for the ' sport ' he had shown them ! The life of the 

 old man was with much difficulty saved. Such a 

 terrible outrage could not be overlooked, and this 

 occurred so late as the middle of the last century, 

 when our lawgivers were beginning to lift up their 

 voices against this grossly superstitious and ob- 

 noxious statute. Three men were apprehended and 

 tried for this frightful outrage. Two were acquitted, 

 and the other, named Colley, was condemned. On 

 July 30, this William Colley was convicted at 

 Hertford assizes of wilful murder, and was sentenced 

 to be hung at the place where the murder took 

 place, and on August 22 he was executed. He was 

 brought from Hertford the first day to St. Albans, 

 and then to Tring, and on to the place of execution. 

 He was guarded by 108 men of the Horse Guards 

 Blue. Crowds travelled for miles round, and there 

 was a large concourse of spectators. I have heard 

 a description of this miserable spectacle from old 

 people who were present. 



Some stories, well authenticated, have their 

 ludicrous side. On February 28, 1759, Susanna 

 Hannocks, an elderly woman of Wingrove, which 

 was only about three miles from Gubblecote, was 

 accused by a neighbour of bewitching her spinning- 

 wheel, so that it would not go round, and offered to 



