Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-10-16
A HORRIBLE RECITAL,
fChambors' Miscellany.

Inc following stoiJ 10 '"ho' AVN
law book which is considered good au-
thorty, and was compiled from criminal
records of the courts at Edinburg, Scot
land:
History contains no parallel to the hor-
lible crueltics and robbcries that were
committed by one Sawney Beane, q
Scotchman, in the reign of King James |,
before he came to the crown OF England
by the demise of Queen Elizabeth.
Sawney Beanc was born about eight or
nine miles eastward of the city OF Edln-
burg, in the county of East Lothian, of
parents who went a hedging and ditch
ing for their daily bread, and who
brought up this, their bioody-mindcd
child, to the same occupation: but as he
grew up his disposition to idlcncss not
permitting him to follow an honorable
employment, he left his father and
mother, and ran into the country, where,
following u most wicked life, and taking
M with ID 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 Shire
Galway, where they lived for upward 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 company
but themselves, and supported them
selves entirely by robbins, and, what
was worse, they never committed u rob-
berry without a murder.
They never frequentcd any market for
provisions, but, as soon as they had muir
,lcrcd any man, woman orchid, 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 till they got an
other prey of the same kind. But they
had generally superlnity, insomucl
that they oftcntmcs in the night time,
but at a great distance from their SAN
culinary mansion, threw legs and arms
of some they had killed into the sea,
which the tide frequently cast mp atscv-
eral parts of the country, to the great
establishment of the behoders. Persons
who went about their lawful occupations
fell often into the hands of these merci-
less CannibalS and never returned home
..apain. This raised general cry among
their friends and relations, insomucl1
that the whole country was alarmed at
such % common loss of people, which fire.
uuently happened in travelling into the
West of Scotland, and private spies vert
sent ont into all parts to find out, If pos
sib|c, how these melancholy events hap
pcncd.
For q length Of time their str'ctes1
searches and enquiries were to no pur
pose. However, several honest travellers
were taken up upon suspicion, an'
wronsfully hangedupon bare circumstan
Ies. besides several innocent inn-kccpcrS
who were also executed for no other rca
son than that persons who had been thu
lost were known to have lain in thcl
houses, and were supposed to have
been robbed and murdered by them, AM
their bodies privately buried in obscnr
places to prevent q discovery TO sncI
m extent was this carried that scvcra
inn-kecpcrs on the western road OF Scot
land left oft their business, for fear q
being made the like examples, and fol
lowed other cmploymcnts. so that tray
elcrs again were put to many inconven
cnccs for want of accommodation.
however,, aIttI ScNClai ila'' h''ii 'N'
cutcd, and no one made any conicsslo
ut the gallows, but declared they wcl
innocent of the crime for which the
died, this rigorous way ofprocecdng wa
given up, and the fndingout of the mu
dcrcrs left wholly to God.
Sawncy Bcanc, with his wife, childrc
and grandchildren, still pursued the
barbarolls actions with impnnity; ant
being somewhat numerous, they woui
attack four, FIVE, or sin men t.
ucthcr if they were on foot. AS II
horscmcn, two were the most they woul
ever set on, and then with such caution
that an umbuscadc was laid to scclll
them, ride which way they would, pr
yi,lcl one or both made their escape trO
the first assailants. Thus, whose tortnr
soeyer it was to fall into their barDa
Ors hands, he or she never came OFT wit
their lives. The place was solitary whe
they inhabtcd; and, when Tie tide can
up,. the water went for near two hnndr'
va Us into their Subterrancous habit
zion, which reached almost mile und
ground so that if they were seen Their
IN 4.