MARY ANDERSON , Wife to Thomas Anderson Ship Carpenter who is at Portsmouth , having Lived some time with her Mother Mrs. Farrel in St. Catherins-lane near Tower-hill , who got her Livehood by nurss Keeping , the old Woman being a Widdow , Endeavoured to prefer her said Daughter to the same Bussiness of taking Children to Nurse , and the raither because she had a young Child of her own , so that being qualified for this undertaking her Mother made application to Mrs. Jones , an eminent Joyners Wife at the Globe and Cain-Chare in Hounds-dich , in order for the said Daughter to Nurss a young Female Child , which she had to put out ; so having agreed to let her keep it at 4 s . per Week the Child was sent to her when it was about three Weeks old , where it continued : for about a Month , to the satisfaction of the Parents , who often went to see it ; But before she had kept it full five Weeks , word was brought to Mrs. jones that her Child was Dead , and that it Dyed suddainly in a violent Fit ; and tho Mrs. jones seem'd to doubt of some neglect that the said Nurss might be guilty of , by accidentaly Overlaying it , or the like : Yet in regard no appearance of Violence could be Discovered on its Tender Body , she at last concluded it Dyed a Natural ( tho sundain ) Death , and from that time ( which was in October , 1696. ) till the time of the Discovery of the Murther , no more questions were made Concerning it .

But alass Murther is too heavy a Sin to be conceal'd always , tho' the thoughts of such Loathsome Barbarity may be smothered for a time , yet the continual Stings of Conscience will be like so many Gastly Ghosts to stare the Murtherer in the Face , till it causes flames of Terror and Dispare to break out with uncontroulable Violence ; for Blood will never cease Crying for Vengeance , till such horrid deeds of Darkness are brought to light .

But before I insist on the manner of this Strange Discovery I will instance the Circumstance of the Murther it self , which is as followeth , viz. having as you have heard , taken the said Child to Nurse ( whose name was Hannah jones ) and kept it near 5 Weeks , ●he the said Mary Anderson one Morning ( as she herself declared ) about 4 of the Clock Lighted a Candle , and taken the said Child out of its Bed by reason of its violent Crying , which she says it was very subject two , and having at the same time a Young one of her own in the Bed with her , then a Sleep , she was so wickedly incensed against th●… poor Harmless and Innocent Infant , and for no other reason but thinking it would d●…sturb her's ; and the Devil having taken Possession of her Heart : She fills a Pa●● full 〈…〉 Water and taking the Crying Infant in its Swadling-Clouts , and in a wr●●●hed mann●… Plung'd it over Head and Ears into the Water , where with her Devilish and Unmer●…ful Hands , she held the Body under Water , till its Innocent Life was Expired .

Having perform'd this hateful and unparralelled Barbarity , the awak●… her Sister ( Elizabeth Farrel ) who was in a Bed in the same Room by tellin●… her what she had done , who being much amaz'd and aff●ighted leap'd out●… Bed and took the Child out of the Water , and withall speed took it to th●… Fire in order ( if possible ) to bring it to Life , but all in vain , whereupo●… the old Mother was inform'd of this unhappy Action , who in order to sa●… her Daughters Life advised them how to Conceal it which was by dryi●… the Childs Body , and after to send Mrs. Jones word that it Dy'd in a F●… which was accordingly done as aforesaid , so that the said Barbarous Murth●… was kept Secret in the brest of the Mother and her two Daughters for nea●… three Years successivily . But their Mother Dying last Week , it t is reporte●… that her Ghost , ( or rather her won Conscience ) so Tormented her that 〈…〉 could not rest till she made a discovery thereof , and accordingly on Mond●… last she sent for one Mrs. Shephard and others of her next Neighbours , an●… Declared the sad Circumstances relating thereto as before , whereupon s●… and her Maiden Sister Elizabeth Farrel were Apprehended and Carried b●…fore the Worshipful Justice Webber in Goodmans Fields , where she confirm'● what she had before Declared to her Neighbours ; after which the Justi●… demanded of her Sister why she conceal'd such a Cruel and Barbarous Act●… on , to which she reply'd that her Mother and Sister did threaten her wit●… Death if she did discover it and added that she was in great torter of Min●… ever since the Murther was Committed , and that she knew nothing of 〈…〉 till the Infant was Dead , besides she was loath to take her Sisters Life awa●… thinking thereby that it would as much burthen her Conscience as Co●…cealing the Murther ; whereupon after the Justice had weighted and co●…fidered all circumstances he took Bail for her Appearance at the next Sessio●… but Committed Mary Anderson her Sister who Murthered the Child to Newgate , and accordingly she was carried thither in a Coach about one of th●… Clock on Tuesday last .

Since her Commitment we are Credibly inform'd that she has once 〈…〉 twice attempted to Drown her own Child after the same barbarous ma●…ner had she not been prevented by her Sister .

't was also observed that the aforesaid Mary Anderson was at some certai●… times very Malencholy and Dejected , ever finee she Committed this Fat●… and Tragical Action and her Mother ( when alive ) being asked by th●… Neighbours what was the occasion thereof , she would usually fetch a grea●… Sigh and tell them that she had done a very ill thing , but none did in th●… least immagin she was guilty of such a wretched Barbarity as is now mad●… publick .