AN ACCOUNT Of a Horrid and Barbarous Murder, COMMITTED On the Body of a Young Person supposed to be of a good Quality in the Fields beyond Whitechappel-Church, in the Parish of Stepny commonly known by the Name of Tom-turds Field where she was found, on Munday the 16th. of March, her Throat Cut, and several wounds upon her Body, which was there left stark Naked in one of the Pits belonging to the Field.
DId we not by the too often repeated Instances of this kind behold the Barbarity of Man's Temper, when left of God Almighty, we should be more Astonish'd at the Bloudy and Savage Cruelty in the following Relation, which is enough to draw Tears from the Eyes of the most Unconcerned, and raise Pity in the Breast of the worst of Men: But not to detain the Reader with too long Exordiums, I shall proceed to the Story it self:
In the Fields beyond White-Chappel Church, commonly called Tom-turds Fields, some Children were on Munday the 16th of this Instant playing near the Pits, and one of them casually striking his Ball thereinto, the Lad endeavouring to reach the same with a Stick lit upon a Foot as he concieved it, and so it proved true, of a Person that had been there Murdered; whereat calling his Companions they came about it, and the Croud increasing, they quickly pull'd the Carkass to the side of the Pit, and by that means perceived it was the Body of a Young Woman strip'd stark Naked, except the Lyning of an old-Gown to Cover her, and on her Right Leg a Mans Stocking and Shoe; she was Bruised all over her Body, and had several Wounds which were seen thereupon; to wit, one in her Right Breast, another upon the side or her Right Eye, and another in her Throat, which was cut half through, with several other Barbarous Gashes in several parts of the Body, The Person is as yet unknown, but by the Conjectures of most Persons that have viewed her, she is supposed to be of some Quality, and the rather for that she hath a very Clear Skin and soft Hand; she seems to have several good Features, and is as supposed not above the Age of 16 or 17 at most: on her little Finger of the Right Hand she had a Cornelion Ring, but how long she hath lain in that Place is not yet known, tho it cannot be very long, for that her Wounds are fresh.
And upon the removing her from the Pit where she was first found, to Mile-end-Green at the sign of the George, where her Body now lies, she Bled a fresh: The Field where she was, hath been always looked upon as very Dangerous for Passingers, after Night is shut in, and several Persons have been there Robb'd, but the Barbarity of this is hardly to be Parralleled, not only in Relation to her Sex, but also her Youth; And how Malice: it self should be so Trancendently wicked in the perpetration of so Horrid and Abominable a Murder, it can scarce enter into the Breast of Humanity to Imagine: Murder in any degree hath been always lookt upon as the most Crying of all Sins, and seldome is it that the same scapes Unpunnished, the Vengeance of the Almighty pursuing the Criminal generally to hss Punnishment even in this World, much more may we hope that in so Horrid an Instance as this is, where neither Beauty nor Youth could work Compassion on the obdurate and Cruel Hearts of Accursed Perpetrators thereof, that in God's good time the same will come to a Discovery, and the Criminals to their deserved End: Which that the same may come to pass, is the Prayers of all good People, who cannot but upon sight thereof compassionate the poor Innocent, and look upon the Authors of this Tragedy with more than common Detestation.
LONDON Printed by George Croom, at the Sign of the Blue-Ball in Thames-street, over against Baynard's Castle. 1684
(from Early English Books Online; actual text held at the Bodleian)
Okay, so I found this the other day while perusing the EEBO database for cool things. Not that murder is cool of course....no matter how old.
I did find some things rather interesting, striking even, definately telling, about the account.
Such as:
-She had to have been killed shortly before being found if she bled again upon transporting.
-No mention is made of a search for perpetrators, calling for constables, or anything legal at all.
-Why on earth did she have on a man's stocking and shoe? How were they different from women's shoes?
-The carnelian ring keeps it from being a robbery (unless the ring was added later to 'show' that the girl was of gentle birth).
-What was she doing back there?
-You mean to tell me that Whitechapel was a bad neighborhood for over 200 years??! (Also scene of Jack the Ripper murders fyi).
