Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-06-25

ard and some clean linen, and very angry
he was that we had let her 60. [ went
after her, and found her at the Temple
gate. I told her Mr.. Kerrel wanted to
speak with her, and that might get her
along the more easily, / said that he was not
as angry as he was before, and so brought
her with me. He showed her the tankard.
her how it came bloody. She said she had
pricked her finger"
Sarah was imprisoned in Newgate. AS
she entered she exclaimed, II am dead
womanE' She was conveyed to the old
Condemned Hole. 1t no longer exists in the
prison. One Of the keepers s-Johnson-Was
sent to search her, the delicate attention of
a lady's services for such an Office not being
considered necessary.
Rolled up in her hair, he found a bag OF
money, which she confessed was the muir
dered woman's, and offered to give it to
him if he would keep her secret.
With due regard to her personal appear
ance, johnson says, latter l had taken the
money away, she put a piece of mattress IN
her hair, that it might appear in the same
bulk as before.
Sarah charged the two Alexanders and
Mary Tracy with the murder, admitting
that she had connived at the robbery. A
prisoner being then allowed to defend him
self, and even to question and interrupt the
witnesses as they were giving their testi-
mony, she availed herself OF the privilege
and defended herself with great ingenuity,
and even eloquence. When she was con-
fronted with the people whose arrest she
had caused, she said firmly and with SEEM
ing innocence, 'These are the persons who
committed the murder. See Mary, what
you have brought me to. tits through you
and the two AleXanders that l am brought
TO this shame, and must die for it. You all
promised me you would do no murder, but
to my great surprise L find the contrary"
Ali that she could ever be induced to tell
about the transaction was as follows:
"The robbery was contrived by Mary
Tracy and myself, my own vicious inclina-
nations agreeing with hers. I told her
could not pretend to do it myself, for I
should be found out. No. said she, there
are the two Alexanders who will help u.s.
I met them all in Cheapside, and we agreed.
son Saturday, went between and in
the evening, to see Elizabeth Harrison.
She was very bad. I staid little while
with her, and went down stairs Mary
Tracy and the two AleXanders came about
ten. She would have gone about the rob-
berry then, but said it was too soon.
"Between ten and eleven she said, we
can do it now.' I went up stairs and they
followed me. -,
81 met the young maid on the stairs with
a blue mug she was going for some milk to
make a sack posset. She asked me who
were those that came after me. told her
some people going into the rooms below.
AS soon as she had gone, said to Mary
Tracy, Now do you and Tom Alexander 90
on. I know the door is left ajar because the
old maid is ill, and can't get up to let the
Young maid in when she comes back Up
W
went in and hid himself under the bed, and
as was going down, met the young maid
coming UP. She asked if had spoken to
Mrs. Betty; told her no, and then went to
Mr.. Kerrel's rooms and stirred up the fire.
I staid about quarter of an hour, and
when T came back, I saw Mary Tracy and
Tom Alexander sitting on Mrs. Duncomb's
stairs, and I sat down with them. 1t was
q very stormy night; there was hardly any
body stirring abroad, and the watchmen
kept close except when they cried the hour:
At 2 O'Clock a gentleman came and called
the watch to light his candle.
''Soon after this, heard Mrs. Duncomb's
door open. James Alexander came out and
said, sNow is the time.' Then Mary Tracy
and Tom Alexander went in, but | staid
upon the stairs to watch; had told them
where Mrs. Duncomb's box stood. They
came out between four and five, and one of
them called to me softly, and said, Hip!
how shall I shut the door?' Otis spring
lock- says I pull it to and it will be FAST
and so one of them did. They would have
shared the money and the goods upon the
stairs, but I told them we had better 90
down; so we went under the arch in Fig
Tree Court, where there was a lamp. 1
asked them how much they had got. They
said they had found fifty guineas, and some
silver in the maids purse, about tlOO in the
chest of drawers, besides the silver tankard,
and the money in the box, and several 9TH
er things, so that in all they had the value
of about f30O in money and goods: They
told me that they had been forced to gag
the people. They gave me the tankard
and what was in it, and some linen for my
share, and they had a silver spoon and
ring and the rest of the money among
themselves. They advised me to be cum
ming, and plant the money and goods under
ground, and not to be seen f1ush
Notwithstanding the circumstantiality OF
this confession, the two AleXanderS and
Mary Tracy were acquitted, and Sarah NAL
colin was found guilty of the murder of Mrs.
Duncomb, having been indicted severally
for the murder of the three women and for
robbery. She was condemned to death.
Human nature does not change, though
the seasons do, and the centuries are rolled
up in the wrinkled scroll Of Time. Then,
as now, it was the fashion to slobber over
the most hardened wretches.
As soon as her guilt was fully established,
ministers came to offer her religious con-
ISOLATION, and to wrest or coax the truth from
her, while fashionable ladies tiocked to see
her, to load her with flowers, fruits and
other gifts. They sympathized with her,
instead of being Mortified at her crimes.
The criminal classes, and the members of the
prize ring, gazed with admiration at the
young girl who, unaided, slew three wo--
men, strangling two and cutting the throat
of the strong one, who had battled bravely
for her life. 1t was no small feat of strength
to break open the box of plate and money,
and all so quietly, and swiftly that not
sound was heard in the house.
So Sarah became the heroine of the hour,
but would make no further confession,
though urged by crowds of high-born dam
sells to do so.
On Sunday, as some people were in her
cell, she fell into grievous agony, which
lasted for sometime, with all Imaginable
signs of terror and fright. One of the keep
ers coming in said, "What has happened,
Sarah, to put you into this disorder?" She
pretented that it was occasioned by her be-
ing told at chapel that she was to be hanged
in Fleet Street among all her acquantances,
which gave her ineXpressible pain. The
keeper replied, "That is not the truth when
the death-warrant came down, l acquainted
YOU that you were to die there, so it is not
probable that that should surprise you so
much nOW."
The chronicle concludes with a picture of
strange customs in the beginning of the
eighteenth century.
when the bellman came into Newgate to