A Strange and wonderful ACCOUNT Of a most Barbarous and Bloody MURDER, Committed by five notorious Villains, on Tuesday the 11th of this instant May about ten at night, in a widdow-womans' house at Grays in Essex, where entering, they Robbed the house and Murdered all the family except the woman herself, who escaped their Cruelty by getting out at the backdore, with the manner of their being pursued cross the water, to the Halfway-Tree, near Earif.  
SO frequent are the bloody Murders, Villainies, Attempts and Cruelties perpetrated, that few weeks expire without some barbarous exploit or dismal Trajedy Fate hovers round this Earthly Ball, and on securer Mortals lays his dreadful hand, crushing them untimely deaths and most prodigious slaughters, Hell's envious power still thirsts for Blood, and prompts on desperate Wretches to engage in all the direst Cruelties his Malice can be capable of, forming Horrors and destruction sits upon his Brows, which he infuses into desperate Villains, thereby to make them sierce; and much delight in Slaughter, so that when he has prompted them on to pass the bounds of all humanity, nought but Death can glut their furious Rage, and when they have committed any vile Design, as Robberies or such notorious outrages, to stifle which, or keep it close from being known abroad, Fear so begets a thought of making all secure, that many times one Villainy is augmented with a greater Crime; endeavouring to lay that silent thereby, when most commonly their blind Revenge and barbarous Deeds mistake their purposed End and only make Heavens dreadful Justice fall more dreadful on their Guilty Head, for blood of Innocent's cries loud to that great God who sees what e'er is done. But among all the barbarities and inhuman Cruelties that have of late been Acted, this of which we now shall give the Reader an Account of, may be Characterised in Rubric and bear the Crimson stains unto posterity, for sure it is, no Villains hands these many Months have been died so deep in blood, the Relation of which take as followeth, on Tuesday the 11th of this instant, five fellows in Seamens habit were observed to lie lurking about a Village called Grays near Rumpford in Essex, and curiously to eye as they passed and repassed the house to wh●ch this Trajeck Fate be●e●, but there being many Ships lying in the River, near adjoining to the place aforesaid, they were thought Seamen indeed, that belonged to some of those Vessels; so that they were not much scrupled nor at all questioned; but as the Scripture well denotes, they having marked out the house they intended in the day time, that when night came they might break through and steal, etc. about ten of the Clock in the Evening aforesaid, they beset the house wherein they committed this Murder and Robbery it being a house distant from Neighbours and near adjoining to the water side, about the hour aforementioned, they being assured that all the Family were within, began on the backside of it, to force an entry with such Iron impliments as they had brought for that pernicious Use, whereupon the Maid of the house hearing a noise started up to see what the matter was, not dreaming that her Life was so near to an end; but before she could well look about her they had forced a wide passage through the Wall, and with Swords and other weapons three of them had entered; so that unlocking the door for the rest, they altogether rushed forwards and one of them seized the Maid, whilst the others went to secure the rest of the Family, which according to Report consisted of only the Mistress of the house, her Daughter about sixteen or seventeen years of Age, and the Servant-Maid; so that after breaking open several Doors in the house, they at last came where the Daughter was in Bed, who at their Approach, being as it is supposed much surprised, shreamed out, which her Mother hearing, and understanding there were Thiefs in the house got as it is reported, out at a back door or window undiscovered, and went to raise the Town, but they having made a privy search and missing her, supposed she had escaped their hands, being sure she was in the house when they first entered; so that fearing to stay long l●st they should be surprised, they broke open the Trunks and Chests, and so getting what moneys and Goods they could conveniently carry, yet not contented with the Plunder, but as thirsty of Blood as Wealth, Hell screwed them up to greater Villainies and not willing to departed before they left a lasting stain of their Diabolick Cruelties they went as it is supposed where they had left the two females bound, and with impious hands bereft them of their Lives by giving them several mortal wounds, whether they acted this Barbarity to secure themselves from a discovery by Reason the Maids might know them or whether their guilty Consciences suggested any such thing is not certain, because they left none alive that could resolve the Cause, but sure it is, they stayed not long in the house after the exploit, but taking a Boat, which as it is supposed, they had brought with them, they with all speed crossed the River of Thames, and landed near a place called the halfway Tree near Earif in Kent; but made not so much haste but that they were pursued, yet the pursuers nor being strong enough to encounter with them, they durst not venture to take them, lest their ' bloody hands should have dispatched them too, rather than to have been taken and committed into the hands of justice to be punished for their deserved Crimes, whereupon they made their escape into the next Wood, but great search has been since made for them throughout the Country, but as yet none of them can be heard of. 'Tis thought they made for London with all speed, for they did not carry away any thing that was weighty or cumbersome thereby to hinder their Flight; when the Mother returned rejoicing that she had by the Assistance of her Neighbours put the Villains to flight, not dreaming of the barbarous exploits of Murder they had done; but entering to her great Amazement and unspeakable Grief found her Daughter and Maidservant weltering in their Blood; expanded in Death's cold Convulsions on the floor; at which falling in a swoon hardly to be recovered, but when recovered she bathed in Tears; wished she had been there to have died with them, and so continued comfortless.  
And well may the horrors of an afflicted Parent be conceived in such an extreme cause, for who can reflect upon maternal sorrow and not be sensible of the prevailing Anguish that in the like case afflicts a wounded Soul, and not condole such great distress to have a tender offspring murdered by the hands of bloody Villains, and pay back Nature's Debt without a summons of deliberation hurried unto Eternity, by such untimely Fate; as likewise a faithful Servants loss might in some measure bear a part, but Murders though cloaked with darkness, and in secret laid, will not lie buried in Oblivion, for various ways does the Almighty find to make discovery, and bring to light the horror of such deeds; nay the trembling Murdered grows pale with fear, and oft betrays himself, when unaccused by Men. This Tragecal Scene Acted by the Cruelties of Villains, may be a warning to all to be well Guarded and prepared against such dangerous attempts; for if ever wickedness abounded to the suparlative degree, it may be said it is now completed; that Monsters in humane shapes should dare thus to contemn and violate the Laws of God and Man, to pull down Vengeance on their heads by causelessly shedding innocent Blood, for certain it is, that Divine Justice will not ever sleep, but early or late bring them to suffer the deserved punishment for such notorious Crimes.  
FINIS.