UPon the request of a Friend, but chiefly to prevent false Pamphlets which may a [...]ise of our Deaths, as it did at our Taking; We have given this Truth under our Hands, the Day before Execution, That on Monday the 16th of March, Walter Parkhurst, James Slader, and John Williams: committed a Robbery upon Wind­sor-Coach near Hounslow-Heath, being in sight of a­bout a dozen Gentlemen, well Armed and mount­ed, who pursued us for five or six miles before we could lose sight of them.

That on the 18th of the same Moneth, we the forementioned Parties took John White, and Fran­cis Jaekson along with us, and beyond Hounslow in Bedfond-Lane near Stains, Robb'd two Coaches. We struck off from thence into Acton Road supposing our selves discovered by a Gentle mans Man in a Green-Livery, who was a hunting; Who upon the sight of us, made haste the nearest way over t [...]e F [...]elds to Acton; we thought it o [...]r best course to make Harrow on the Hill, and did suppose our selves pur­sued all the Way, though we never saw any cer­tain Evidence of it until we came there, where in the Town we found about Fo [...]ty or Fifty Men ready to receive us with Guns, P [...]chforks and all sorts of [Page 4] Weapons, so that we rode down the Hill by the side of the Town, at the bottom of which we found a great number of Horse and Foot ready to receive us; Which we soon made run in [...]o the Houses for shelter, and so rode on towards Paddington, and from thence towards Kilburn and Hendon, and from thence to Hampstead-Heath; but was so hotly engag'd all the way by our Pursuers, that it was about ten or eleven a Clock, when we were at Harrow on the the Hill, and it was six of the clock when we recove­red Hampstead-Heath, our Powder and Shot being all gone, and some of our Swords, and most of us sorely Wounded & Bruised about two of the clock.

There was a Life-Guard Man that fought with a great deal of Courage most part of that day. There was about two hundred Men upon Hampstead-Heath, which was near about an hour before they could take us; having nothing but our Swords, and some of us not them: from thence to Newgate; from thence to the Sessions House, where Parkhurst and Williams pleaded guilty to their Indictments; the others the contrary; but all Cast.

We write not this as if we glorified in the Action, the Cause being so Criminal and Bad; and yet if the Cause had been good there could not have been a Nobler Defence. And we Wish that all People may take Warning by our Miserable End, which shall be the substance of our Discourse at the Place of Exe­cution: Concluding with a Prayer.

A Middlesex Jury being called, the aforesaid Pri­soners were set to the Bar, and were severally arraigned upon no less than 14. Indictments that were brought against them by several persons whom they had robbed at Hounslow, Hendon and several other pla­ces upon the Road the 16th. and 18th. days of March last; and taken from them their Horses, Gold, Silver, Watches, Lace, Rings, Linnen and several other things in the said Indictments particularly recited; Ten of these Indictments were for Felony and Rob­bery, the four last were for Murther of two of those honest Country Men that assisted to take them; their Names were Henry Miller and Edward Kemp; The two first Indictments were taken upon the Coroners Inquest for the killing of Henry Miller, against Fran­cis Jackson one of the Prisoners at the Bar, who run him through with his Rapier, and against the other three as aiding and assisting him in the Murther.

The other two Indictments were upon the Inquest of the Grand Jury of Middlesex for the Murther of the said Edward Kemp, by James Slader deceased, and against the other four Prisoners for aiding and assisting him, as in the former Indictment.

It was held convenient to lay these Indictments several ways, although the Facts were the same in both.

[Page 6] The first Indictment upon which they were Ar­raigned was for a Robbery at Hounslow upon the 16th. of March last, where they Robbed one James Hepper and several others in a Stage-Coach, and took from them a Watch, Rings, Monies and other things of a considerable value; to which Parker and Williams pleaded not Guilty, but the other two viz. Jackson and White refused to plead.

White insisted that his Wife was taken Prisoner (upon her going upon his occasions) upon suspicion of Felony, whereas there was no just cause against her, therefore desired that the Court would call her to a Trial before he pleaded; that he might vindicate her in that particular.

The Court replied; there was no Inditement as then ready against her, and therefore could not pro­ceed upon her Trial, but that at her Trial she should have justice done her, and willed him to plead.

Jackson likewise refused to plead, alledging, That the Country had Robbed him, instead of his robbing of them, and had taken away 40s, of his own Mony from him, which he desired might be restored before he pleaded.

The Court answered, He should have all Justice done him, but he must plead first; and that if he should be Convicted, the Moneys ought not to be restored to him, for it was then forfeited. Notwith­standing neither the said Jackson nor White would plead to the Inditement.

Hereupon a second Indictment was read against them and the other Two, for the Robbing of several Per­sons upon the 18 of March last, to which they all [...]leaded not Guilty.

[Page 7] A Third indictment was read against them for the robing of one Mr. Periant about the same time. To which again the said Jackson and White refused to plead, insisting as before.

They were told, They had already pleaded Not Guilty to one Inditement; and if they refused to plead now, they would be accessary to their own Deaths, and be convicted as Mutes; and there­upon caused the words of the Statute to be read to them.

Wherein were set forth the Dreadful Punishments that were to be inflicted upon such Convicts, by pres­sing. Notwithstanding which, the many Arguments that were tryed by the Court against such a destru­ctive obstinacy, they wilfully stood it out till all the Indictments were read over; to which the other Two, viz. Parker and Williams severally pleaded Not Guilty.

At last, after being urged with the danger of their Refusals, and advised to consult together for their own safety, they pleaded severally Not Guilty, to all the Indictments.

Then the Jury being sworn, and the Witnesses called; the First Robbery was apparently proved by a Watch and other things that were taken from them by the Countrymen at Hampstead; which were own­ed by their Owners upon Oath. And so the Second, Third, Fourth, and the rest of the Robberies were so manifestly clear, that to most of them they could say nothing; and what they could say, was over­ruled by undeniable proofs that were brought against them;

As to the Murther, it was proved by several of the [Page 8] Country-men that took them, That Jackson run Henry Miller in at the Left-Side, upon which he immediately dyed: And that the other, Edward Kemp, was shot by Slader deceased.

It being then urged, That they were all guilty of the Murther, in that they were all together assisting one another against a Power that was lawfully raised to take them upo [...] the Hue-and-Cry sent after them. Parker insisted, That he was altogether Innocent of the Murther, being before his Company as far as Islington, when the Murther was done at Hampstead; But that was disproved by Several Witnesses that swore they were all together, or within a little one of another when the Murthers were Committed. Here­upon the Tryal having lasted above Six hours in all, the Jury were sent out to consider of their Verdict; which after a Quarter of an hours stay, they brought in thus, That they were all Guilty of the Several Facts laid in their Indictments of Felony and Robbe­ry; Except in the Two first, which could not be so apparently proved against two of them.

Upon the Two first Indictments for the Murther of Miller, Jackson, Parker and Williams were found Guilty; but White was Acquitted, for that he was taken before that Murther was committed; But upon the Two last Indictments for the Murther of Kemp▪ they were all Four found Guilty. And the next day they had Sentence of Death pass'd upon them.