State Trials, Political and Social Volume II Part 23

J. GURREY--I was in at night when they came; there came three of them at eleven at night, whereof Mr. Marson was the third person and he said he was dest.i.tute of a lodging and he asked for a spare bed; my wife told him she had one, but had let it; whereupon Mr. Stevens and Mr. Rogers said he should lodge with them; so they went up altogether, and they called for a fire to be kindled, and asked for the landlord, which was I, and they asked me to fetch a bottle of wine, and I told them I would fetch a quart, which I did, and then they asked me to sit down and drink with them, which I did; and then they asked me if one Mrs. Sarah Stout did not live in the town, and whether she was a fortune? I said Yes. Then they said they did not know how to come to the sight of her; and I said I would shew them her to-morrow morning, not questioning but I might see her sometime as she was coming down the street; so they said they would go to see her. Mr. Rogers and Mr. Stephens charged Mr. Marson with being her old sweet-heart; saith Mr. Marson, she hath thrown me off, but a friend of mine will be even with her by this time.

HATSELL, BARON--What o'clock was it then?

J. GURREY--I reckon eleven of the clock when they came in.

HATSELL, BARON--Did you observe in what condition Mr. Marson was in?

J. GURREY--I did not observe, only that he was hot, and put by his wig; I see his head was wet, and he said he was just come from London, and that made him in such a heat.

JONES--Had he shoes or boots on?

J. GURREY--I did not observe that.

JONES--What did they do the next day?

J. GURREY--The next morning I heard this party was in the water; I sat up all night, and was fain to wait till my daughter came down to look after the shop; and then I went to see her, and she removed into the barn, and they were wiping her face, closing her eyes, and putting up her jaws; and as I came back these persons were walking, and I met Mr. Marson and Mr. Stephens, and told them the news; said I, this person has come to a sad accident: say they, so we hear; but nevertheless we will be as good as our word, and go and see her. I went with them and overtook Mr. Rogers; and Marson said we are going to see Mrs. Stout. 'O landlord!' said Rogers, 'you may take up that rogue' (pointing at Mr. Marson) 'for what he said last night'; but I did not think, they speaking so jocularly, that there was any suspicion of their being concerned in the murder.

A second time I went, the barn-door was locked; I knocked, and they opened it, and let us in, and they uncovered her face to let me see her, and I touched her; and looking about for them they were gone, and I cannot say they see her or touched her: Then Mr. Marson and they were consulting how to send a great-coat to London, and I directed them to a coachman at the Bell-inn; but I did not hear he went to enquire after the coachman; then they went to your lords.h.i.+p's chamber, and I went home; and about eleven o'clock I saw Mr. Marson and Mr.

Stephens coming down with Mr. Spencer Cowper.

MARSON--I did not go out that night after I came in.

JONES--No; we agree that. Did you see Mr. Cowper and these gentlemen together?

J. GURREY--Only at eleven o'clock on Tuesday noon, Mr. Cowper, Mr. Marson, and Mr. Stephens were coming down to the market place.

JONES--Did not they take their leave of you when they went away from you that forenoon?

J. GURREY--No; only in the morning they told me they would send me word at noon if they intended to lodge there.

MARSON--I desire to know of Mr. Gurrey, if his sister was not in the room when we came in?

J. GURREY--She was in our house that day; but whether when they came in I cannot tell.

COWPER--Pray, have you not had some discourse with your sister, the widow Davis, concerning some suspicion that you had of Sarah Walker, that hath been produced as a witness?

J. GURREY--I do not remember any such.

COWPER--Then did not you say these words, We must not concern ourselves with Sarah Walker, for she is the only witness against the Cowpers?

J. GURREY--I cannot remember any such thing.

HATSELL, BARON--You may answer according to the best of what you remember; if you say you have forgot when you have not, you are forsworn.

COWPER--If your lords.h.i.+p pleases to give leave to Mr. Gurrey to recollect himself, I ask him, Whether he did not talk with his sister Davis about some suspicion his wife and he had about Sarah Walker, the maid-servant of the deceased?

J. GURREY--I believe there might be some talk of a person that was seen to go into the churchyard at some distance with Sarah Walker.

COWPER--Did your wife say that she did suspect that person?

J. GURREY--Yes.

COWPER--Did your wife say they behaved themselves strangely, and that she would have persuaded the widow Blewit to have watched her?

J. GURREY--There was something of that.

COWPER--Was there not some such words, that they must not meddle with Sarah Walker, for she is the witness against the Cowpers?

J. GURREY--I said, Do not concern yourself with Sarah Walker, for fear of taking off her evidence.

COWPER--Pray did not the widow Davis warm the sheets for these gentlemen?

J. GURREY--She was with my wife, but I cannot say whether she warmed the sheets.

COWPER--When they came home, had you any lodgers that wanted to come home? Had not you one Gape?

J. GURREY--I cannot say whether he was in before or after them.

COWPER--Did not you say to your sister Davis, Now these gentlemen are in bed, if Mr. Gape would come home, our family would be quiet?

J. GURREY--I do not remember that.

COWPER--Pray, did not you go to look for Mr. Gape?

J. GURREY--Yes, I went to Hockley's.

COWPER--Who did you employ to speak to Mr. Gape?

J. GURREY--Mrs. Hockley.

COWPER--When you came home to your own house, and after you had been at Hockley's to speak with Mr. Gape, what account did you give of the time of night, and other particulars?

J. GURREY--I gave no account of the time.

COWPER--Not to Mrs. Davis?

J. GURREY--I cannot tell whether I did or no.

COWPER--Did not you say, Mr. Gape asked Mrs. Hockley what a-clock it was?

J. GURREY--No, I do not remember that; but Mrs. Hockley went in, and told him what time of night it was; it was eleven or twelve of the clock, which I cannot say.

JONES--Call Martha Gurrey. (Who was sworn.) Which of these gentlemen do you know?

MRS. GURREY--Mr. Marson, Mr. Rogers, and Mr. Stephens.

JONES--What time of the night was it when they came to your house? give an account of it, and what you heard them say.

MRS. GURREY--It was a little after five, or thereabouts that they came.