| Citation |
AWM.737.031
11-18 Aug 1737:22, 31 (920)
Exon [England], May 20. About eleven o'clock at night, of
the 16th of this inst. May, was committed to the high goal
of the county of Devon, John Collings, of the parish of Ken,
Thatcher, upon his own voluntary confession, as well as the
depositions of divers witnesses, for a murder (supposing him
to be compos mentis) attended with such horrible and
shocking circumstances, as are rarely parallel'd in history
. . . [1 1/2 columns with gory details]
The prisoner at this time looks and talks very wildly,
sings, raves of the devil, pretends not to know his own
father, but that he is Gaffer-[ ]-a-one. Sometimes he
discourses more sedately, more to the like purpose. Whether
he be really mad, in hopes to save himself, or only acts the
madman, [ ] be left to time, and due observation and
examination to discover.
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