Causes Célèbres.
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CAUSES CÉLÈBRES. XVIII. THE CASE OF WILLIAM HARRISON. [1660.] A/TR- WILLIAM HARRISON in the year 1660 was steward to the Lady Viscountess Campden, at Campden, in Glou cestershire. He was then an old man, being about seventy years of age. On Thursday, the 16th of August, he set out from Camp den, where he resided, to walk to Charringford, a distance of about two miles. The purpose of his journey was to receive rents for property belonging to Lady Campden. That night, as he did not return at his usual hour, his wife became uneasy; and after wait ing until nearly eight o'clock, sent a man servant named John Perry to Charringford in search of him. But although they waited up for them all that night, nothing was seen of either Mr. Harrison or the man-servant. Early the next morning, Edward, Mr. Harrison's son, went towards Charringford to try to gain tidings of his father. On his way there he met Perry returning from thence, who informed him that he had been to Charringford, but had been unable to find his master. They then went on together to Ebrington, a village between Charringford and Campden. There they were told by one Daniel, that Mr. Harrison had called at his house the preceding evening, on his way from Charringford, but that he did not stay there long with him. They then proceeded half a mile farther on, to Paxford; but there they heard nothing more of Mr. Harrison, and therefore determined to return. On their way back to Campden, they met a person who told them that a hat, band, and comb had been picked up in the highway by a poor woman. As the woman was then gleaning in the neighboring fields, they went to her. On the woman producing the articles she had discovered, the son at once identified them as having been worn by his father when 35
he left home to go to Charringford. On fur ther examination, it was found that the hat and comb had been cut and hacked about, and also that the articles were covered with dried blood. At their request the woman at once took them to the place where she had found the articles. It was on the high way, near a great furze-brake, between Eb rington and Campden. A careful search was then made of the spot, for the body of the missing man, — it being concluded that he had been murdered for the sake of any money he might have had with him, — but after the most diligent search nothing more was found. When the news reached Campden, the place was so alarmed that men, women, and children in multitudes hastened to search the surrounding neighborhood for Mr. Harrison's dead body. But the search was made in vain. His wife's fears for her husband's safety, which were very great before, were now much increased; and as she had sent the servant, John Perry, the evening before to meet his master, and he had not returned all that night, she suspected that he had robbed and then murdered him. In consequence of these suspicions, on the following day Perry was examined before a justice of the peace concerning the cause of his staying out all night on the evening he went to meet his master. The account he gave of his behavior was that when his mis tress sent him in the evening, he went down Campden Field towards Charringford. On his way there he met a man living at Camp den, named William Reed, and spoke to him, and told him his errand. He also told him that as it was getting late, he was afraid to go farther, and would therefore go back and return with him.
