Page:History of John Gregg, and his family, of robbers and murderers.pdf/3

(3) years without going into any city, town or village.

In this time they had a great number of children and grand-children whom they brought up after their own manner, without the leaſt notion of humanity or civil ſociety. They never kept any company but among themſelves, and ſupported themſelves by robbing, being moreover ſo very cruel, that they never robbed any one but what they murdered.

By this bloody method and their living ſo retired from the world, they continued a long time undiſcovered, there being nobody able to gueſs how the people were loſt who went by the place where they lived. As ſoon as they had robbed and murdered any man, woman or child they uſed to carry off their carcaſes to their den, where cutting them into quarters, they would pickle their mangled limbs, and afterwards eat them, it being their ſubſtance.

All the people in the adjacent parts were alarmed at ſo uncommon a loſs of their neighbours; for there was no travelling near the den of theſe wretches. This occaſioned ſpies to be ſent into theſe parts, many of whom never returned again, and thoſe who did, after