Page:Celebrated Trials - Volume 1.djvu/491

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of the scrape immediately, and so saying hoisted the body on his shoulders, and went out at a back-door which led directly to Hamilton's house, which easily opening, and the darkness of the night favouring him, he carried. the lawyer to the vault, and placed him upright on the seat, to the end that the first who found him there might conclude he had died in that place and posture.

It seemed Mr. Hamilton had the day before acquainted a particular friend who lived in his house, with his success, and how he was to have a meeting with Mrs. Cunningham that night. This friend having a very violent looseness, rose about midnight in his night-gown, and stept down to the vault, where opening the door, he spied Mr. Hamilton sitting; and imagining that he was come there on the very same errand as himself, he stayed without a considerable time, to his own uneasiness, till finding his friend did not stir, he opened the door again, and taking him by the sleeve of his coat, was surprised to find him fall down. He stooped to take him up, but found him dead; upon which, being in a great perplexity, he called to mind his acquainting him with the assignation between him and Mrs. Cunningham; he concluded his friend had found no fair play there, knowing the husband to be none of the easiest of men. Fearing that he himself should be thought the murderer, he took up the body upon his shoulders, and carried it to Sawney's house-door, where he set it down. Madam, a little after midnight, having occasion to go down, got out of bed, and opening the door, let the body of her late lover tumble into the house, which putting her into a fright, she ran up-stairs into the chamber, and told Sawney that the lawyer was come back. "Ay, ay," says he, just waking out of his sleep, "I'll warrant he shall come back no more, I'll secure him presently;" and so saying, sprung immediately out of bed, put on his cloaths, and hoisted the dead lawyer once more on his shoulders, with a design to carry him to the river and throw him in, but seeing some persons, at some distance, coming towards him, he stepped to the side of the street till they were got by, fearing his design might be discovered. These persons were half-a-dozen thieves, who were returning from a plunder they had made of