t
first, but she in the end maintained him to be one of the ruffians who
had attacked her in Moorfields. Her followers were now eminently
satisfied. All the persons in the house were seized, and immediately
committed for examination. The strange, wild aspect of the gipsy seems
to have added an element to the horrors of the affair; and in the
afternoon, when two of Elizabeth's friends were discussing the whole
matter over a steak in the Three Crowns at Newington, one of them said
to the other: 'Mr Lyon, I hope God Almighty will destroy the model
that he made that face by, and never make another like it.' It was
found that Mrs Wells, who kept the lodging-house, belonged to a
disreputable family, and she admitted that her husband had been
hanged. If Elizabeth had given a false tale to hide the questionable
causes of her absenting herself, she had probably found that it took a
much more serious turn than she intended, and she must now make up her
mind to recant her tale or go through with it. She resolved on the
latter course, to which she was probably tempted by having all London
to back her. She could not well have carried on the charge alone, but
the popularity of her cause brought her unexpected aid. A woman named
Virtue Hall, who lived in Mrs Wells's lodging-house, thought it would
be a good speculation to be partner with Elizabeth Canning, and she
gave testimony which corroborated the whole story.

On the 21st of February, Mary Squires and Susannah Wells were brought
to trial for a capital offence. The evidence adduced against them was
the story just told. When Mrs Squires was called on for her defence,
she gave a succinct account of how she had from day to day gone from
one distant place to another during the time when Elizabeth said she
was in confinement. Two or three witnesses came forward somewhat
timidly to corroborate her statement; and it is a melancholy fact,
that others would have appeared and offered convincing testimony of
the innocence of the accused, but were intimidated by the ferocious
aspect of the London populace from venturing to give their evidence.
That it was not very safe to contradict the popular idol, Elizabeth
Canning, was indeed experienced in a very unpleasant way by the
witnesses John Gibbons, William Clarke, and Thomas Greville, who came
forward in favour of Squires. Money was collected to prosecute them
for perjury. Dreading the strength of the popular current against
them, they had to