THE Case , or rather History of a Case , that happened in the County of Hertford , I thought good to report here , tho' it happened in the Fourth Year of King Charles the First , that the memory of it may not be lost , by Miscarriage of my Papers , or otherwise . I wrote the Evidence that was given , which I , and many others did hear , and I wrote it exactly according to what was deposed at the Tryal , at the Bar of the Kings-bench , viz.

Johan Norkott , Wife of Arthur Norkott being Murthered , the Question was , How she came by her Death ? The Coroner's Inquest on view of the Body and Depositions of Mary Norkott , John Okeman , and Agnes his Wife , inclin'd to find Johan Norkott Felon de se : for they informed the Coroner and Jury that she was found Dead in her Bed , the knife sticking in the floor , and her Throat Cut . That the Night before she went to Bed with her Child .

Plantiff . In this appeal , her Husband being absent , and that no other Person after such time as she was gone to Bed , came into the House , the Examinants lying in the outer Room , and they must needs have seen or known , if any Stranger had come in ; — Whereupon the Jury gave up to the Coroner their Verdict , that she was Felon de se ; but afterwards upon rumor among the Neighbourhood , and their Observation of divers Circumstances , which manifested , that she did not , nor according to those circumstances could possibly Murther her self ; thereupon the Jury , whose Verdict was not yet drawn into form by the Coroner , desired the Coroner that the Body which was Buried might be taken up out of the Grave , which the Coroner assented to , and 30 days after her Death , she was taken up in the presence of the Jury and a great Number of the People ; whereupon the Jury chang'd their Verdict ; the Persons being Tryed at Hertford Assizes were acquitted . But so much against the Evidence , that Judge Harvey let fall his opinion , that it were better an appeal were brought , than so foul a Murther escape unpunished ; and Pascha 4. Car . They were tryed on the appeal , which was brought by the Young Child against his Father , Grandmother and Aunt , and her Husband Okeman ; and because the Evidence was so strange , I took exact , and particular Notice , and it was as follows , viz.

After the matters above mentioned related , an Ancient and Grave Person , Minister to the Parish where the Fact was committed ( being Sworn to give Evidence according to Custom ) deposed , that the Body being taken up out of the Grave 30 days after the parties Death , and lying on the Grass , and the four Defendants pressed , they were required each of them to touch the dead Body ; Okeman's Wife fell upon her knees and prayed God to shew token of her Innocency , or to some such purpose : her very words I have forgot . The Appellees did touch the Dead Body , whereupon the Brow of the Dead , which was before a Livid and Carrion Colour , ( that was the Verbal expression in Terminis of the Witness , ) began to have a Dew , or gentle Sweat arise on it , which increas'd by degrees , till the Sweat ran down in drops on the Face , the Brow turn'd and chang'd to a lively and Fresh Colour , and the Dead opened one of her Eyes , and shut it again ; and this opening the Eye was done three several times ; she likewise thrust out the Ring or Marriage Finger 3 times , and pulled it in again , and the Finger dropped Blood from it on the Grass .

Sir Nich . Hide , Chief Justice , seeming to doubt the Evidence , ask'd the Witness , Who saw this besides you ?

Witness . I cannot Swear what others saw , but My Lord ( said he ) I do believe the whole Company saw it ; and if it had been thought a doubt , proof would have been made of it , and many would have attested with me . Then the Witness observing some Admiration in the Auditors , he spake farther ,

My Lord , I am Minister of the Parish , and have long known all the Parties , but never had any occasion of displeasure against any of them , nor had to do with them , or they with me but as I was Minister . The thing was wonderful to me , but I have no Interest in the matter , but as called upon to testifie the truth , and that I have done .

This Witness was a very Reverend Person , as I Guess'd was about 70 Years of Age : his Testimony was delivered Gravely , and Temperately , but to the great Admiration of the Auditory ; whereupon applying himself to the Chief Justice , he said ,

My Lord , my Brother here present , is Minister of the next Parish adjacent , and I am assur'd saw all done that I have affirmed ; therefore that Person was also Sworn to give Evidence , and did depose in every point , viz. The Sweating of the Brow , the change of its colour , opening of the Eve , and the thrice motion of the Finger , and drawing it in again ; only the first Witness added , that he himself dipped his Finger in the Blood which came from the dead Body to examine it , and he Sware he believed it was Blood : I conferred afterwards with Sir Edmund Powell , Barrister at Law , and others , who all concurr'd in the observation ; and for my self , if I were upon my Oath , can depose that these Depositions , especially the first Witness , are truly reported in Substance .

The other Evidence was given against the Prisoners , viz. The Grandmother of the Plantiff , and against Okeman and his Wife , that they confest they lay in the next Room to the dead Person that Night , and that none came into the House till they found her dead the next Morning .

Therefore if she did not Murther her self , they must be the Murtherers : To that end further Proof was made .

First , that she lay in a compos'd manner in her Bed , the Bed-Clothes nothing at all disturb'd , and her Child by her in Bed .

Secondly , Her Throat cut from Ear to Ear , and her Neck broken ; and if she first cut her Throat , she could not break her Neck in the Bed , nor Contra .

Thirdly , There was no Blood in the Bed , saving there was a Tincture of Blood on the Bolster , whereon her Head lay ; but no Substance of Blood at all .

Fourthly , From the Beds-head there was a stream of Blood on the Floor which run along till it Ponded in the bendings of the Floor to a very great quantity ; and there was also another stream of Blood on the Floor at the Beds feet , which Ponded also on the Floor to another great quantity , but no continuance or communication of Blood of either of these two places , from one to the other , neither upon the Bed ; so that she bled in two places severally ; and it was deposed , turning up the Matt of the Bed , there was Clotts of conjealed Blood in the straw of the Matt underneath .

Fifthly , The bloody knife was found in the morning , sticking in the Floor , a good distance from the Bed , but the Point of the knife as it stuck was towards the Bed , and the Haft from the Bed .

Lastly , There was a print of a Thumb and four Fingers of a left hand . Sir Nich . Hide Chief Justice said to the Witness , How can you know the print of a Left hand from the print of a Right hand in such a case ?

Witness , My Lord it is hard to describe ; but if it please that Honourable Judge to put his left-hand upon your left-hand you cannot possibly place your right-hand in the same posture ; which being done , and appearing so , the Defendants had time to make their defence , but gave no Evidence to any purpose . The Jury departed from the Bar , and returning acquitted Okeman , and found the other three Guilty , who being severally demanded what they could say , why Judgment should not be pronounced , said nothing , but each of them said , I did not do it , I did not do it .

Judgment was given , and the Grandmother , and the Husband Executed ; but the Aunt had the priviledge to be spared Execution , being with Child .

I inquired if they confest any thing at their Execution , but did not as I was told .

London , Printed in the Year , 1699.