e barbarity was
committed at the brickfields, in the house of one Jones, a soldier. His
brains were beaten out at the back of his head, with an axe, and his
throat so cut as nearly to sever the head from the body, which was then
dragged to a sawpit, at that time full of water, and, being thrown in,
was covered over with bushes. Here it remained only until the following
morning, when it was discovered by a labouring man, who went to get his
hoe; which, to prevent its being stolen, he had been in the habit of
concealing in the sawpit. Such are the directions of Providence!

Suspicion falling upon four persons, they were taken up; and, the
criminal court being immediately convened, three of the number, Thomas
Jones (a soldier), a woman (his wife), and John Albury (a free man),
were, on the clearest evidence, convicted of the murder, and adjudged to
suffer death.

It appeared upon the trial, that the trifling sum of ten pounds, which
Jones had been indebted to Mr. Clode, prompted him to his destruction. To
effect this, he signified to that truly unfortunate gentleman, that if he
would call at his hut in the evening he would pay him. Not suspecting any
evil design in this request, he called at the appointed time, and, while
leaning over a table to draw up a receipt, received the first blow with
the axe, from the hand of Jones (Albury's resolution, for it was agreed
that he should give it, failing at the moment), who, from the pecuniary
transaction between them, must have been under an obligation, which he
took this dreadful method of discharging.

Being convicted on the 4th, they were executed on the 6th, upon the spot
where the murder had been committed. The house was pulled down and burnt,
and the bodies of the two men were hung in chains near the place. That of
the woman was delivered to the surgeons for dissection.

The abandoned state in which the settlement was at this time cannot be
better understood than by a perusal of the following orders, which were
issued.

"From the late increased number of nocturnal robberies, there is much
reason to suspect that the petty constables and divisional watchmen are
either extremely negligent in the performance of their duty, or that they
suffer themselves to be prevailed on by the house-breakers to be less
vigilant than that duty requires, and to connive at their depredations on
the inhabitants. A continuance of this unpardonable remissness upon their
part must dispose the mor