Knox, daughter of Richard Knox, efq; of Prohen, in the county of Derry, a gentleman poffeffed of an eftate of about fifteen hundred pounds per annum; and as by the marriage-fettlement five thousand pounds had been fettled on the younger children, mifs Knox, having only one brother and no fifter, fhe was entitled to the whole five thousand pounds, even though fhe difobliged her parents by marriage.. We must add to this bait, the beaury, sweetness of temper, and other accomplishments of the young lady, which were remarkable. She was then (four years ago) about fifteen.

of the affair for a year or two, till fome material bufinefs was decided, which he would acquaint him with. Thus he deceived the young lady, who now more freely gave way to his paffion, and again promised she would marry him as foon as that confent was obtained. Thus he remained fome time, constantly watching his opportunity to compleat his defign. One day being with mifs Knox and a young gentleman (a very boy) in a retired room in the house, he preffed her to marry him, protefting he never could be happy till he was fure of her; and with an air of sprightly raillery, pulling out a prayer-book, he began to read the marriage-fervice, and infifted on the young lady's making the refponfes, which fhe did, but to every one the always added, Provided her father confented. Some fhort time after. this, mifs Knox going to a friend's house on a week's vifit, Mr. M Naughton being alfo an intimate there, foon followed her. Here he fixed his fcene for action; here he claimed her and called her his wife, and infisted on confummation, which the young lady abfolutely refufed, and leaving the house, went directly and informed her uncle of the whole affair. On this Mr. Knox wrote a letter to M' Naughton, telling him what a base dishonourable villain he was, and bid him avoid his fight for ever. Upon the receipt of this letter, M Naughton advertifed his marriage in the publick news-papers, cautioning every other man not to marry his lawful wife. This was anfwered by a very fpirited and proper advertisement from the father, with an affidavit of the whole affair from the daughter annexed.

Mr. M'Naughton, who was an intimate friend of her father's, and a conftant visitor, foon obtained a promise from the young lady to marry him, if he could get her father's confent. He was foon after encouraged to talk with Mr. Knox on that fubject, who not only ab. folutely refused his confent, and gave his reafons for it, but thewed his refentment by forbidding him his house. Mr. M'Naughton then begged Mr. Knox would permit him to vifit as formerly (as he faid, it would look ftrange to the world to be forbid vifiting a family all the neighbours knew he had been fo intimate in) and folemnly promifed upon his honour, never more to think of, or mention this affair; and added, that as he had not fpoke of it to the young lady, Mr. Knox need never do it, and fo the affair would drop of itfelf. Thus were the father's eyes and ears once more fealed up by this artful man, who continued his addreffes to the daughter, and told her Mr. Knox had promifed him his confent; but defiring, however, that no farther mention might be made

Mr.

Mr. Knox then brought an action against him in the prerogative court, to fet afide this pretended marriage, which was found only to be a contract; for the breach of which, the party can only be fued at common law, and condemned to pay cofts and damages; befides, it is probable that the young lady's being under age, rendered this contract void in itself. At this time Mr. M' Naughton was abfconding from his debts, and therefore could only appeal to the court of delegates, where the former decree was confirmed. In confequence of this decree, judge Scott iffued his warrant to apprehend him. When M'Naughton heard this, he wrote a moft impudent threatening letter to the judge, and, it is faid, lay in wait to have him murdered, when he was laft at the affizes there, but mifs'd him, by the judge's taking another road. Upon this the judge applied to the lord chief justice, who iffued out another writ against him, that drove him to England.

Mr. M'Naughton returned to the country of Ireland in the fummer of 1761, and by conftantly hovering round Mr. Knox's houfe, obliged the family to be upon their guard, and the young lady to live like a reclufe. However about the middle of the fummer fhe ventured to a place called Swaddling-bar, to drink the mineral waters there for her health; thither this unhappy man followed her, and was feen in a beggar's habit, fometimes, in a failor's; thus difguised he was detect ed, and then fwore in the prefence of feveral that he would murder the whole family, if he did not get poffeffion of his wife! and yet fo infatuated were they, as to fuffer him to get away once more to Eng

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land, where he was fuppofed to be by Mr. Knox at the time this fatal event happened.

He remained in London till the month of October; and several of his acquaintance here with whom he spent his evenings have fince obferved, that he was never easy when alone with them, but when mifs Knox was the fubject; and he has often concluded by saying, he feared that affair would end in blood.

During his refidence in London at this laft vifit, it is faid, he gamed, cheated, borrowed money from all his acquaintance, and imposed on many by forged letters and falfe tokens from their friends.

It founds fomething fevere to fpeak thus harfhly of a gentleman, particularly one under misfortunes. But this truth must be observed. A man of worth and honour brought to diftrefs by unforeseen accidents, may, and often does, maintain his integrity and good name, under a feries of misfortunes; whereas the man, reduced to poverty and diftrefs by gaming, or any other extravagant vice, too often defcends to mean actions; and he who commits a mean action is in great danger of committing a base one.

About the firft of November laft, this unhappy wanderer was seen fculking in the country of Ireland, and two nights prior to the murder was known to fleep with three of his accomplices at the house of one Mr. a hearth-money collector. The morning of the 10th, the day the fact was committed, they all came with a fackful of fire-arms to a little cabbin on the road fide, where Mr. Knox was to pass in his coach and fix. From this cabbin M'Naughton detached one of them to go to an old woman that lived at

fome

fome distance on the road fide, under pretence of buying fome yarn of her, but really to wait the coming up of Mr. Knox's coach, and enquire whofe it was. When it appeared in fight, he asked that que ftion, and was anfwered, that it was Mr. Knox, who, with his family, was going to Dublin. He then made her point to fhew him how they fat, which fhe did; Mr. Knox, his wife, his daughter, and maid-servant. As foon as he had got this information, he ran off to inform M'Naughton that the coach was coming, and to make ready; that he had looked into the coach, and that Mr. Knox was only attended by one fervant, and a faithful fellow a fmith, who lived near him, and was fofter-father to mifs Knox, one whom M'Naughton could never bribe; for moft of the other fervants had fuffered themselves to be tampered with, and when difcovered, had been difcharged. As foon as the coach came near the cabbin, two of the accomplices, armed with guns, prefented them at the poftilion and coachman, which stopped the coach, while M'Naughton himself fired at the fmith with a blunderbufs; upon this, the faithful fmith, who luckily escaped the fhot, prefented his piece, which unfortunately miffed fire, and gave McNaughton and one of his comrades an opportunity to fire at the poor fellow; and both wounded him. Immediately upon this, two fhots were fired at the coach, one by M Naughton himself, and another by one of his affiftants; and finding

that the paffengers drew up the windows, he ran round, and fired into the coach obliquely, with a gun loaded with five balls, which all took place in the body of the unhappy mifs Knox. The maid now let down the window, and fcream'd out, her mistress was murdered. On hearing this, the only livery fervant that attended the coach, properly armed, came from behind a turf-ftack, where he had hid himself, and firing at M'Naughton, wounded him in the back; and about the fame time M. Knox from the coach fired one piftol, which was the laft of eight fhot fired on this ftrange and dreadful occafion!

Mifs Knox was carried into the cabbin, where the expired in about three hours. The murderer and his accomplices fled, but the coun try was foon raised in pursuit of them, and amongst others fome of Sir James Caldwell's light horfe, who were directed to fearch the house and offices of one Wenflow, a farmer, not far diftant from the horrid fcene of action. But though fome of the family knew he was concealed there, they pretended ignorance; fo that M'Naughton might have efcaped, had not the corporal, after they had fearched every place, as they imagined, without fuccefs, and were going away, bethought himself of the following ftratagem. Seeing a labourer dig ging potatoes in a piece of ground behind the ftables, he said to his comrades in the fellow's hearing, "It is a great pity we cannot find "this murderer, it would be a good

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thing for the discoverer, he would certainly get three hundred "pounds." Upon which the fellow pointed to a hay-loft. The corporal immediately ran up the ladder and forced open the door; upon which M'Naughton fired at him and miffed him. By the flash of the piftol, the corporal was directed where to fire his piece, which happily wounding him, he ran in, and feizing him, dragged him out, when they inftantly tied him on a car, and conducted him to Lifford goal. Here he remained in the clofeft confinement, entirely deserted by all his friends and acquaintance, as appeared on the day of his trial, which commenced the 8th of December 1761, when he was arraigned, with an accomplice, called Dunlap §, before baron Mountney, Mr. juftice Scot, and counsellor Smith, who went down upon a fpecial commiffion to try them.

McNaughton was brought into court on a bier, rolled in a blanket, with a greafy woollen night-cap, the fhirt in which he was taken (being all bloody and dirty) and a long beard, which made a dreadful appearance! In that horrid condition he fpoke a long fpeech, pointedly, and fenfibly! and complained in the most pathetic manner of the hard ufage he had met with fince his confinement. He faid, "they had treated him "like a man under fentence, and "not like one that was to be tried. "He declared he never intended to "kill his dear wife (at faying which "he wept) that he only defigned to "take her away. That he would "make fuch things appear upon "his trial, as should furprize them

"all." But, alas! when his trial came on, all this great expectation which he had raised in the mind of every one, came to nothing.

The trial lafted five days. The first day, the 8th, was spent in pleadings to put off the trial, and the reply of the counfel for the crown. During thefe debates, M'Naughton often spoke with moft amazing fpirit and judgment, and much more like an eminent lawyer than any of his counfel; and the refult of that day was, that he fhould prepare his affidavit, which the court would take into confideration. Accordingly on the 9th, he was brought into court again, and his affidavit read, in which he fwore that some material witneffes for him were not to be had, particularly one Owens, who, he faid, was prefent all the time; but the judges, after long debates were of opinion, that nothing fufficient was offered to put off the trial: however, to fhew their indulgence, they would give him that day, and part of the next, to fee if he would ftrengthen his affidavit by that of others. But when the new affidavit was produced on the 10th, it was unanimoufly and peremptorily refolved by the court, that he had not fhewn fufficient caufe to poftpone his trial, and accordingly they gave him notice to prepare for it on the 11th, at eight o'clock in the morning.

The judges came on the bench at nine o'clock, and fat there till eleven at night, without ftirring out of court. During the whole time of the trial, M'Naughton took his notes as regularly as any of the lawyers, and cross-examined all the

wit

witneffes with the greatest accuracy. He was obferved to behave with uncommon refolution. His chief defence was founded on a letter he produced, as wrote to him by mifs Knox, in which the defired him to intercept her on the road to Dublin, and take her away; but this letter was proved a forgery of his own, which after condemnation he confeffed.

He took great pains to exculpate himself from the leaft defign to murder any one, much lefs his dear wife (as he always called her); he declared folemnly, that his intent was only to take her out of the coach, and carry her off; but as he received the first wound, from the first shot that was fired, the anguish of that wound, and the profpect of his ill fuccefs in his defign, fo diftracted him, that being wholly involved in confufion and despair, he fired he knew not at what, or whom, and had the misfortune to kill the only perfon in the world that was dear to him; that he gave the court that trouble, and laboured thus, not to fave his own life, (for death was now his choice) but to clear his character from fuch horrid guilt, as defignedly to murder his better half, for whom alone he wished to live.

These were his folemn declarations, but the direct contrary was proved in court by feveral witneffes, whom he cross-examined with great fpirit; and feemed to infinuate, were brought there to deftroy him. And as the jury could only form their opinion on the teftimony of the witneffes before them, who were examined on their oaths with the utmost care and folemnity, they brought him in guilty.

He heard their verdict without the least concern, telling them

tenant; that he poffeffed a very "profitable leafe, which was near "expiring; that he had promifed "him a renewal, if he would "affift him in recovering his wife; "that he had forced 'his' confent to

accompany him in that action. "He therefore begged of the court "to reprefent Dunlap as a proper "object of mercy. For his own life, "he faid, it was not worth asking “for; and, were he to chufe, death "fhould be his choice, fince mifs "Knox, his better half, was dead.”

But when the unhappy man's plan for feizing the young lady and carrying her off, is properly confidered, what a scheme of madness does it appear! and how furprising is it that he fhould get any wretches fo blindly infatuated as to aid and affift him in fo wild and dangerous an undertaking! Was not the fackfull of fire-arms that were carried to the cabbin (and perhaps all loaded there!) enough to alarm them that murder might enfue? Do not moft families, who travel with an equipage and fervants, go armed? and might not this be particularly expected of a family, that had particular fears?

When the two armed parties met in open day, on fuch a defperate business, what but murder could be

the