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CRUEL AND INHUMAN MURDER Committed upon the body of Captain Lawson.
[Illustration]
It is with surprise we have learned that this neighbourhood for a
length of time, was amazingly alarmed this day, by a crowd of people
carrying the body of Mr James Lawson to a doctor, while streams
of blood besmeared the way in such a manner, that cries of murder
re-echoed the sound of numerous voices. It appears that the cause of
alarm, originated through a courtship attended with a solemn promise
of marriage, between him and Miss Lucy Gurd, a handsome young lady
of refined feelings, with the intercourse of a superior enlightened
mind, who lived with her aunt, who spared neither pain, nor cost,
to improve the talents of Miss G. these seven years past, since the
death of her mother in Ludgate Hill, London, and bore a most excellent
character, until she got entangled by the deluding allurements of Mr
L., who after they mutually agreed and appointed the nuptial day, not
only violated his promise, (on account of her fortune being small,)
but boasted thro’ the neighbourhood of the unbecoming manner he had
triumphed over her virtue (which left her in a languishing situation
those six months past) while he chanted his eloquence to another young
lady, of a stamp more adequate to a covetous mind, (namely of a great
fortune) who took such a deep impression in his heart, that he advanced
the most energetic gallantry, and obtained her consent, got the banns
published in London, and on the point of getting married to her, with
a rapturous prospect of holding a rural wedding, yet we find that the
intended bride had learned that Miss Gurd held certain promissory
letters of his, and that she determined to enter an action against
him for a breach of promise, which moved, clouded and eclipsed over
the variable Mr Lawson, who knew that Miss Gurd had letters of his,
sufficient to substantiate her claim in a Court of Law. However, he was
determined to remove that obstacle, at all events, which was not likely
to diminish the only idol which the twofold miscreant so faithfully
worshipped--namely, gold and that nothing should prevent his intended
wedding, but it appears, when he comes to traverse his imagination,
that two unexpected obstacles greatly embarrassed his proceedings. He
demanded from her his letters at the peril of her life, which Miss G.
like a distinguished young lady, refused, and prepared herself with
unequal fortitude, and after stating to him the consequences of his
unmanly conduct she cautiously ordered him to quit the premises, where
to confirm his ambition (which crowned his reward) he readily attempted
to get near her trunk, through which a sturdy scuffle ensued, and while
she screamed for assistance, he attempted to commit an outrageous
violation on her person, when to protect her virtue, she drew a large
carving knife, and stabbed him under the left breast (which quickly
brought him to subjection), his vehement cries alarmed the neighbours,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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