Broadsides; Chapbooks; Street literature -- Great Britain
“I acknowledge being guilty of the death of poor Maria
Marten, by shooting her with a pistol. The particulars are
as follows:--When we left her father’s house, we began
quarrelling about the burial of the child: she apprehended
the place wherein it was deposited would be found out. The
quarrel continued about three quarters of an hour upon this
sad and about other subjects. A scuffle ensued, and during the
scuffle, and at the time I think that she had hold of me, I
took the pistol from the side pocket of my velveteen jacket and
fired. She fell, and died in an instant. I never saw her even
struggle. I was overwhelmed with agitation and dismay:--the
body fell near the front doors on the floor of the barn. A
vast quantity of blood issued from the wound, and ran on to
the floor and through the crevices. Having determined to bury
the body in the barn (about two hours after she was dead. I
went and borrowed a spade of Mrs Stow, but before I went there
I dragged the body from the barn into the chaff-house, and
locked the barn. I returned again to the barn, and began to
dig a hole, but the spade being a bad one, and the earth firm
and hard, I was obliged to go home for a pickaxe and a better
spade, with which I dug the hole, and then buried the body.
I think I dragged the body by the handkerchief that was tied
round her neck. It was dark when I finished covering up the
body. I went the next day, and washed the blood from off the
barn-floor. I declare to Almighty God I had no sharp instrument
about me, and no other wound but the one made by the pistol was
inflicted by me. I have been guilty of great idleness, and at
times led a dissolute life, but I hope through the mercy of God
to be forgiven. WILLIAM CORDER.”
Witness to the signing by the said William Corder, JOHN ORRIDGE.
Condemned cell, Eleven o’clock, Monday morning, August 11th,
1828.
The above confession was read over carefully to the prisoner in our
presence, who stated most solemnly it was true, and that he had nothing
to add to or retract from it.--W. STOCKING, chaplain; TIMOTHY R.
HOLMES, Under-Shertff.
THE EXECUTION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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