A SCOTCH PRECEDENT FOR THE WHITECHAPEL RORROKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1998, 27 November 1888, Page 3

A SCOTCH PRECEDENT FOR THE WHITECHAPEL RORROKS.

In tbe reign of James I. of Scotland, there was bom m East Lothian, a village a few miles from Edinburgh, Sawney Beane, the son of poor, bnt hard-working people. Evincing from boyhood a hatred of all labour, and displaying every kind of violoos quality, he at an early age abandoned his home and fljd to Galloway. He was accompanied by a fit companion for bis crimes In the person of a young woman, a natlvo of the same village. The home of this pair was m a oave of a mile In length, and of considerable breadth, the moutb of whioh was washed by the sea, the tide sometimes penetrating the cave a distance of 200 yards. The victims wero waylaid under cover of night on their way from conntry fairs, or In the esse of Isolated travellers across the oountry were openly attacked In daylight. The same aonl-aiokening mutilation was inflicted m eaoh case ; the abdomen was cut open, and the entrails dragged ont, and tbe body oarrled to tbe cave. To prevent detection tbey murdered every traveller they robbed, and for years they oontinued tbeir horrible oalllng. In tbis manner the chronicler tells us, they lived until tbey had eight sons and tix daughters, eighteen grandsonr, and fourteen granddaughters-— all the effrprtng of Incest. After a long oareer of murder the gang were captured by King James, who, rooted to action by tbe long Immunity of the criminals from deteotion, beaded a body of toops, and succeeded witb bloodbounds m unearthing from the cave the whole vile tribe, to whom was meted out a death agreeable with the life they had led Tbe men, says tbe historian, had their entrails thrown m tho fire, their hands and legs were severed from their bodies, and they were permitted to bleed to death. The mother of the whole crew, the daughters and grandchildren, after being spectators of the death of the mun, were east Into three separate fires and aonsumed to ashes. i — •