A Sad and True RELATION of a Person found Dead in GUN-FIELDS, On the Back-side of Ratcliff-Highway On Sunday Morning, the 12th. of this Instant September, 1686. Where he was found lying against a bank side in a Ditch, to the great Terror and Amazement of all that beholded it, &c.  
HOw many Dreadful Relations have we daily amongst us of this kind; notwithstanding which, many People are as forward as ever, in pursuit of their wicked Designs, as if they were never to give any particular Account to the most high God, of all their Evil Doings; who will one Day, make inquisition for all the Blood that hath been spilled in this Nature: And however, they may escape the Punishment of this present World; yet they must give an impartial and strict Account in the World to come, of all the sins and iniquities they have Committed in this Life, &c. But now to proceed to the Matter as follows.  
The Person found Dead, was by Name, Henry Howard, a Person who was very gentle and in good Habit, who was observed on Thursday and Friday before, to have walked up and down thereabouts, in the Company of another Gentleman, and on Friday Night it was his unhappy Fortune to be taken in a Coffee-house by the Fields side, by a Headborrow belonging to the same Parish, who presently carried the said Howard to the Watch-house( it being his Watch Night) but he being ashamed to see himself in such a Condition, desired the said Headborrow to excuse him so far, as to give him leave to go to some Victualling house thereabouts; upon which, the Headborrow keeping a public house,  told him he should go to his, if he would give him half a Piece for his Civility, which he did; and being there, after having spent. Money pretty freely in the house, he sent for one Mr. Henry Staples, who kept the house out of which he was haled,( as will hereafter follow,) to be Suretys for him, to keep him from going to Prison, which the said Staples, with some others thereabouts did perform; after giving the Headborrow Ten Shillings more Howard was discharged, but happening to leave the Hilt of his Sword behind him( it being broken by his setting down in a Chair) he went on the Morrow in the Evening for it, to the said Headborrows house in Ratcliff High-way, and stayed there drinking, till about Nine of the Clock at Night, and then went to Mr. Staples house near the Fields side, about Forty Yards off where he was found Dead, but being observed to be extraordinary in Drink by a Neighbour near the said Headborrows, and fearing that the said Headborrow had some Evil Design against him; asked the Deceased whether he would go, and understanding by him, he would go to the said Staples, to give him thanks ( as the Deceased said) for his before-mentioned Kindness; and the said Headborrow's Servant being observed to dog the Deceased towards the said Staples, to see where he would go: immediately the afore-said Neighbour ran to Mr. Staples, and desired him to take Care of him, and get him to some Bed, being so greatly disguised, which the said Staples did, with all the Care he could.  
But the Deceased being set in a Chair by the Bed-side, where Staples himself lay, would not yield to go into the Bed, till he saw the Woman of the Coffee House, out of which he was conveyed on the Friday Night; upon which she was immediately sent for, and being come, the said Staples asked the Deceased what he had to say to her, who answered nothing at all but to see her; after which being between Nine and Ten of the Clock, the Woman being just going away, and the Deceased being almost ready to go into Bed, to Mr. Staples's, the aforesaid Headborrow immediately knocked at the Door, who being let in came up Stairs, and commanded the Deceased to go along with him, but he being in Drink, and refusing to go with him, and Staples desiring him to show his Warrant, the said Headborrow having two other Assistants, one of which being his Apprentice, immediately took the Deceased by the Wrist, and haled him by force down two pair of Stairs out into the Yard, and there used the Deceased in a most Barbarous Manner, and crying out murder, the said Staples came down in his Shirt, and asked the said Headborrow why he cried murder, having but one Drunken-man to deal with, telling him withall, that for ought he knew, he had murdered the Gentleman; The Headborrow replied, he would serve him so, and coming towards him, broke his Head with his Long-staff, and flung him to the Ground in a Rude manner; And another Person coming accidentally by, came into the said Staples Assistance, and  told him he had Killed the Gentleman already, would he Kill Mr. Staples too; upon which, Staples and the other Retiring, heard the Headborrow command those that were with him, to Drag the Deceased into the Grass: On the Morrow-morning being Sunday, the Dead Corpse was found lying in a Ditch near the House as aforesaid, where after lying some little Time, it was removed to one Mr. Isaac Dehews the next Constables, and the Corronors Inquest being impanelled, to fit upon the Dead Corpse, they after a full Hearing of all the Witnesses, brought in their Verdict wilful murder. The said Headborrow on the Sunday, took up Staples for suspicion of murdering the aforesaid Howard, and being carried before one of his Majesties Justices, the Evidence of Staples and others being too strong for the Headborrow, he himself was immediately Committed to Newgate, and the rest who Assisted him, were taken into Custody, his Apprentice being since also sent to Newgate, where they Remain till the next General Sessions of the Peace, to Receive the Just Reward of their Evil Doings, &c.  
There was nothing found in the Deceased's Pockets when he was Discovered, but onely one Hood, one Belt, one Hilt of a Sword, a Silver Snuff Box, and a Steel Tobacco Box, one Gold Ring, and a piece of Outlandish Silver, and some small Keys, and a Knife, and Four pence in Money, &c.  
The Truth of this Relation is Attested by the Persons whose Names are underwritten, who were some of them Eye Witnesses of this sad Accident, viz. 

Henry Staples.  
Isaac Dehew Constable.  


All Sufficient People.  
Henry Johnson  
Cha. Denning  
Rich. pool    
Sarah Hodges the Coffee-Woman.    
 
This may be Printed,  
R. P. September the 18th, 1686.   

LONDON; Printed by D. Mallet, next Door to Mr. Shipton's Coffee-house near Fleet-bridge, 1686.