Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-12-22
A Horrible Recital.

Sawney Beane was Dorn about eight or
nine miles eastward of the city of Edin-
burgh, of parents who went hedging and
ditching for their daily bread, and who
brought up this their bloody-mInded child
to the same occupation; but as he grew up,
his disposition to idleness not permitting
him to followan honorable employment, he
left his father and mother, and ran into the
country, where, following most wicked
life, and taking up woman as vicious as
himself, instead of living, In any city,
town or village, they took up their lodging
on rock by the seaside, on the shore of
Spire Galway, where they lived for up
ward of twenty-five years, having both
children and grandchildren in that time,
whom they brought up so wickedly that
they never separated, kept no other COM
paBy but themselves and supported them
selves entirely by robbing, and, what was
worse they never committed robbery with
out murder.
They never frequented any market for
provisions, but as soon as they Murdered
any man, woman or child, they did not
leave the carcass behind, but carried it 10
their den, where, cutting it into quarters,
they would pickle them, and live upon human
flesh till they got another prey OF the same
kind. But they had generally superfuity,
insomuch that they oftentimes in the night
time, but at a great distance from their
sanguinary mansion, threw legs and arms
OF some they had killed into the sea, which
the tide cast up at several parts of the
country, to the great astonishment OF the
beholders Persons who went about their
lawful occupations fell often into the
hands of these merciless cannibals and
never returned home again. This raised
general cry among their friends and rela-
tions, insomuch that the whole country
was alarmed, and private spies were sent
out in all parts to find out if possible how
these melancholy events happened For
a length of time their strict searches and
inquiries were TO no purpose. However,
several honest travellers were taken up
upon suspicion, and wrongfully hanged
upon bare circumstances, besides several
innocent inn keepers, who were also exc
cuted for no other reason than that persons
who had been thus lost were known TO have
lam in their houses, and were supposed to
have been robbed and murdered by them
and their bodies privately buried IN OBJ
scure places to prevent discovery. After
several had been executed, and no one
made any confession at the gallows, but
declared they were innocent OF the crime
for which they died, this rigorous way OF
proceeding was given up, and the md
ing out of the murderers left wholly to
God.
Sawney Beane, with his wife, children,
and grandchildren still pursued their bar
barous actions with impunity, and, being
somewhat numerous, they would attack
four. five or six men together, if they were
on foot. As for horsemen, two were the
most they would ever set on, and then
with such caution that an aAbuscade was
laid to secure them, ride which way they
would, provided one or both made their
escape from the first assailants. Thus, those
whose misfortune soever it was to fall into
their barbarous hands, he or she never came
off with their lives. The place was solitary
where they inhabitated; and, when the
tide came up, the water went Tor near Two
hundred yards into their subteiranean had
itatIon, which reached almost mile un-
derground, so that if they were seen there
about by any person, 1t was not IN the least
suspected that anything human resided In
such dismal place of perpetual horror
and darkness. The number of people they
had killed was not exactly known; but 1t
was reckoned that in the twenty-five years
they had reveled in these inhuman slaugh-
ters they had washed their hands In the
blood of above one thousand men, women,
and children.
The discovery of the canniba's was thus
made. A man and his wife, who was be-
hind him on the same horse, coming one
evening from fair and telling into an
ambuscade of these merclless wretches,
they fell upon them in most furious man.
ner: the man, to save himself as well as he
could, fought bravely with his sword and
n,stol riding some of them down by main
force of his horse, from which his wife, In
the conflict fell off, and was presently
murdered before the husbands face; Tor
the female cannibals forthwith cut her
throat. sucking the blood with as great
qnsto as if it had been wine. which unpar-
allied barlarity made the poor man make
the more obstinate resistance, Is expecting
the same fate. 1t pleased Providence that
twenty or thirty passengers were riding
that way from the same fair that he had
been at, and Sawney Beane and his blood
thirsty clan withdrew, making the best OF
their way through solitary wood, and SO
retired to their den.
The man, who was the first that ever
came of alive after falling into their hands,