40 



Murder in the Seventeenth Century. 



wages that evening* — for it was with this ohject that he was going. 

 When he arrived he was doomed to disappointment, for he only 

 received £23. This he put in his pocket, and left the village at the 

 close of the evening, on his way homewards. He had been detained 

 somewhat longer than usual, and he moved off with a vigorous step, 

 quickening his pace, apparently on that account. He reached 

 Ebrington, and there stopped for a few minutes at the house of a 

 man named Daniel, and then hurried on towards Campden. 



From this time nothing more was seen of him by the witnesses 

 called at the examinations before the magistrate and subsequent trial. 



Mrs. Harrison was anxious about him ; it was full late for a man 

 of seventy to be out, and the times were unsettled, notwithstanding 

 the active measures of the late Lord Protector — cut-throats, and 

 ruffians were about — and there was the thicket of furze above Battle 

 Bridge to be passed, the very place for such villains to ply their 

 trade. Accordingly, as he did not arrive, between eight and 

 nine o'clock, she sent their servant, John Perry, towards Charring- 

 worth to try and meet his master. Then she, following good Lord 

 Campden's example, placed up in her husband's bedroom a lamp to 

 guide him, a beacon he well knew. Neither master nor man returned 

 that night. Early the next morning she sent her son, Edward, to 

 Charring worth. On the way he met Perry coming homewards, 

 who told him that his father was not there. The two then 

 went to Ebrington, where they found that Daniel had seen him; 

 and gaining no further information they went to Paxford, the 

 hamlet already mentioned, and there discovered that an old 

 woman who had been leasing, had picked up a hat, bands, and comb, 

 which they recognized as belonging to Mr. Harrison ; the bands 

 blood-stained, the hat and comb hacked about. She shewed them 

 the spot where she had found them, the furze break between Ebring- 

 ton and Battle Bridge. They searched thoroughly the place 

 and neighbourhood. Nothing further could be discovered. But it 

 was clear that Mr. Harrison had met with violence, and probably 

 murder. Hue and cry was now raised in Campden, the country was 

 scoured, but no further traces of poor Mr. Harrison were found. 

 He must have been murdered, but by whom? As the day wore on it 



