The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-10-21
WORSE THAN THE BENDERS.
The Shocking Deeds of Sawney Deane and
the Members of His Numerous Family.

committed by one Sawney Beane, q
Scotchman, in the reign of King James
l., before he came to the crown of Eng.
land by the demise of Queen Elizabeth.
Sawney Beane was born about eight or
nine miles eatward of the city Of Edin-
burg, in the county of East Lothian, of
parents who went a hedging and ditching
for their daily bread, and who brought VI
this, their bloody-minded child, to the
same occupation but as he grew up, his
disposition to ideness not permitting
him to follow an honorable employment,
lie left his father and mother, and ran in
to the country, where, following most
wicked life, and taking up with woman
as vicious as himself, instead of living in
any city, town or village, they tool: up
their lodging on rock by the seaside, on
the shore Of Shire Galway, where they
lived for upward of twenty-five years,
having both children and grandchildren
in that time, whom they Bought up so
wickedsy that they never separated, kept
no other company but themselves, and
supported themselves entirely by robbing,
and, what was worse, they never commit
ted robbery without murder.
LIVED UPON THEIR PEEY.
They never frequented any market for
provisions, but as soon as they had mur.
dered any man, woman or child they did
not leave the carcass behind, but carried
it to their den, where, cutting it into
quarters, they would pickle them and live
upon human flesh until they got another
prey OF the same kind. But they had
generally a superauity, insomuch that
they oftentimes in the night time, but at
great distance from their sanguinary
mansion, threw legs and arms of some
they had killed into the sea, which the
tide frequently cast up atseveral parts of
the country, to the great as
tonishmsnt of the beholders. Persons
who went about their lawful occupations
fell often into the hands of these merci-
less caDaibals and never returned home
again. This raised general cry among
their friends and relations, insomuch that
the whole country was alarmed at such
common loss of the people, which hap
pened in travelling into the west of Scot
land, ard private spies were sent out
into all parts to find out, if possible, how
these melancholy events happened. For
a length of time their strictest searches
an inquiries were to no purpose. However,
several honest travellers were taken up on
suspicion, and wrongfully hanged upon
bare circumstances, besides several limo.
cent inn-keepers, who were also executed
for no other reason than that persons who
had been thus lost were known to have
lain in their houses, and were supposed
to have been robbed and murdered by
them and their bodies privately buried in
obscure places to prevent discovery.
To such an extent was this carried that
several inn.keepers on the western road
of Scotland left off their business for fear
of being made the like examples, and
followed other employments, 80 that trav-
elers again were put to many inconven-
fences for want of accommodation.
However, after several had been exc
cuted, 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 CIV
en- up, aad the finding out Of the murder
ers left wholly to God.
A SAVAGE FAMILY.
Sawney Beaue, with his wife, children
and grandchildren, still pursued their
barbarors actions with impunity; and,
being somewhat numerous, they would
attack .0ur, 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 am
buscade was laid to secure them, ride
which way they would, provided one or
both made their escape from the first as
sailants. Thus, whose fortune soever it
was to fall into their barbarous hands,
he or she never came off with their lives.
The place was solitary where they inhabi-
ted; and, when the tide came up, the
water went fer nearly 200 yards into their
Observation-Disclosures, which reached
almost q mile underground; so that if
they were seen thereabouts by any person,
it was not in the least suspected that any
thing human resided in such dismal
place of perpetual horror and darkness.
The number of people they had killed
Ias not exactly known; but it was reck.
oned that in the twenty-five years they
had reigned in these inhuman slaughters
they had washed their hands in the blood
of about 1000 men, women and chirdren!
At last the discovery of the cannibals was
thus made:
A man and his wife, who was behind
him on the same horse, coming one eve
ming from fair, and falling into ambus-
cade Of these merciless wretches. they fell
upon them in the most furious manner;
the man to save himself, as we'll as he
could, fought it bravely against them with
sword and pistol, riding some of them
down by main force of his horse, from
whichhis wife in the conflict fell of, and
was presently murdered before the hus-
bands face; for the female cannibals
| forth with cut her throat, sucking her
blood witha as great gusto as ifit had been
wine, ripped up her belly, and pulled out
all her entrails, which unparalleled bar
BARRY made the poor man make the
more obstinate resistance. as expecting
the same fate if he fell into their impi-
Gus hands. 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, made the best Of
their way through solitary wood, and so
retired to their den.
ONE MANS STORY.
The man, who was the first that ever
came off alive after falling into their
hands, told the passengers what had hap
pened, and showed them the bloody spec
tacle of his wife, whom the murderers
had dragged some distance off, which
struck them all with stupefaction and
amazement. They carried him with them
to Glasgow, and, relating the matter to
the Provost OF that city, he Immediately
sent to the King about it, who, in three
or four days, came in person thlther, be-
ing desirous of seeing the apprehending
of this villain, who for so many years,
had been the pest of the western part of
the kingdom.