Broadside entitled 'Horrid Murder'

Transcription

HORRID

MURDER.

An Account of the Barbarous and Inhu-
man Murder of Mrs Franks and her
Daughter, with the Wonderful Manner
the Murders were discovered.

MRS FRANKS and her daughter resided in a remote
place at the village of the Abbey, near Haddington.
Upon the night of Wednesday the 28th of October,
1829, the above murder was committed in a most cruel
and diabolical manner, her throat was cut from ear to ear
with that of her daughter, a young girl only 14 years of
age; the body of the old woman was dragged into the pig
house. Mrs Franks was a widow, and had been at one
time in good circumstances of life, and at that period
was supposed to have money beside her, which it is
thought might have been the cause of this horrid murder,
which we can form no other idea of, in order to rob the
house, to which the mother and her daughter both fell
victims to-the hands of cruel monsters. Upon the fol-
lowing morning her son-in-law was apprehended, in con-
sequence of a strong suspicion excited against him, and
when he was examined he denied the charge with the
greatest firmness in the most solemn manner ; but he was
accordingly committed to the gaol of Haddington upon
the above charge, and from that recommitted to .Edin-
burgh. A few days ago a travelling merchant with a
variety of goods was passing through the town, when a
young girl began to barter with him for a silk shawl, &
presented him with a gold seal, on which were engraved
two letters of a man's name. The merchant recognized
the seal which belonged to a brother of his, who was a
travelling merchant like himself, who was barbarously
murdered about six years ago; this struck the other
brother with astonishment, and being fully convinced
that the seal belonged to his brother, he soon concluded
the bargain with the greatest coolness and propriety, &.
immediately went his way and apprised Bailie Hay of
the circumstance, when a search warrant was granted, &
the house searched, when a number of goods was found
which he identified to be his murdered brother's proper-
ty, and amongst the rest a gold watch, which was proved
to be the property of the above Mrs Franks. The young
girl was instantly taken into custody, her father, John
Smith, and wife, was from home, but in the course of a.
few hours were apprehended and examined separately
upon both the murder of Mrs Franks and her daughter,
with that of the merchant, but denied the whole of the
charges preferred against them, and refused answering
any farther questions to forward the examination. The
body of the above pedlar was found between Hadding-
ton and Linton, in a wood about six years ago, stripped
of every thing he possessed. A diligent enquiry was
made at the time as to this horrid murder, which proved
fruitless, but we trust now that both these atrocious deeds
are disclosed, so that the hand of Providence has various
ways of disclosing the deeds of the wicked to bring them
to a punishment they so justly merit.

Both Smith and his wife have long maintained bad
characters in this place, and it is but a short time ago
since they used a quantity of laudanum mixed in liquor,
and induced a traveller selling stocking yarn, to drink
of it in order to robe her. This has been their common
practice we understand for a number of years. We do
not pretend to say that Mrs Franks' son-in-law is not
guilty, but from the strongest of proofs that they are
both deeply connected. We are happy to state, not
doubting those to be the persons, that it will be satisfac-
tory to the public, and that the ruffians may meet that
pusishment they so justly merit.

Printed by T. Robertson, Haddington..

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