250 THE SHROPSHIRE RAVENS. 
upon fine poultry ; for the privileges of the 
city depend, or depended, by charter, upon 
the fulfilment of that condition. In the 
Manuscripts of the Rev. Mr. Gough, of 
Shrewsbury, it is related, that one Thomas 
Elkes, of Middle, in Shropshire, being guar- 
dian to his eldest brother’s child, who was 
young, and stood in his way to a considerable 
estate, hired a poor boy to entice him into a 
corn-field to gather flowers, and meeting 
them, sent the poor boy home, and took his 
nephew in his arms, and carried him to a 
pond at the other end of the field, into which 
he threw the child, and there left it to die. 
The child being missed, and inquiry made, 
Elkes fled, and took the London road. The 
neighbours sent two horsemen in pursuit, 
who passing along the road near South 
Mims, in Hertfordshire, saw two Ravens 
sitting on a cock of hay, making an unusual 
noise, and pulling the hay about with their 
beaks ; on which they went to the place, and 
found Elkes asleep under the hay, who said 
that those two Ravens had never left him 
from the time he committed the murder. 
He was carried back to Shrewsbury, tried, 
