16th century true crime part 4.

Eleven or twelve Danish gentlemen being in talks together one evening in a stove, fell to some hot words among themselves, which at length grew to such terms, that the candles suddenly were put out, and one of them was stabbed with a poignard and killed. Amongst those gentlemen was a Pursuant of the King’s. Now the murderer was unknown, by reason of the number, although the gentlemen accused the pursuant for it, but the King would not believe them, saying they had conspired against his servant. In this perplexity the King caused them to come altogether into the stove, and standing round about the dead corpse, he commanded that they should one after another lay there right hand on the slain gentleman’s naked breast, swearing they had not killed him. The Gentlemen did so, and no signs appeared to witness against them. The Pursuant only remained who condemned before in his own conscience, went first of all and kissed the dead Mans feet but as soon as he laid his hand on his breast the blood gushed forth in great abundance, both out of his wound and nostrils: so that urged by this evident accusation, he confessed the murder, and by the Kings own sentence was incontinently beheaded. HENRY RANSOVIVS Lieutenant for the King of Denmark in the duchy of Holstein makes this relation in a letter of his that is now in print: and farther adds, that the King his master reported this history to him, and to Ulric his son in law Duke of Mecklenburg with these words: Some of the gentlemen accused of this murder are still living, this first day of July 1591. And how that ever since the execution of the Pursuant, King Christian II Permitted that over al his Kingdom unknown murders should be sought out after that manner.

King Christian II of Denmark.

I will add another example (saith he) in the same letter written to David Chytreus which happened at Itzehoe in Denmark in my Father’s time. A traveller was murdered by the high way side and because the murderer could not be found out, the magistrates of Itzehoe made the body to be taken up, and an hand to be cut of, which was carried into the prison of the town, and hung up by a string in one of the chambers. About ten years after, the murderer coming upon some occasion into the prison, the hand which had bene a long time dry began to drop blood on the table that stood underneath it. The lawyer beholding so extraordinary a thing stayed the fellow, and adverty said the magistrates of it, who examining him in the presence of my Father, the murderer giving glory to God, confessed the murder which he had committed so many years before, and submitted himself to the rigour of the law which was inflicted on him as he well deserved.

Jerome Magius, a learned philosopher, discusses various accidents in Chapter 6 of his Complaints. After quoting both ancient and modern authors who have written about this subject and presenting all that he believes is necessary for this discussion, he finally concludes that the revelations of murders are miraculous. The authors he cites include Homer in Book 17 of the Iliad, where he speaks of the dead body of Euphorbas in the presence of Menelaus, who had killed him. He also mentions the poet Lucretius in Book 4 with the verse 'Nanque homines ploerun{que} cadunt in vulnus,' and Thaddeus the Florentine in his explanations on Joannitius Isagoge, Henry de Gand in his Quodlibets, Giles of Rome in Question 25 of the 5th Quodlibet, John Muiror on the 4th book of Sentences, Distinction 25, Question 14.
Furthermore, he refers to the author of the book titled 'Peregrinarum quaestionum' in the 3rd Decade, Question 6; Marsilius Ficinus in the 16th book of 'The Immortality of Souls,' Chapter 5; Gale of Martius in Chapter 22 of his book 'De doctrina promiscua'; John Langius, a physician, in his 40th Epistle; Levin Lemnius in Book 2 of 'The Miracles of Nature,' Chapter 7; Gaudence Mevula in the 4 books of 'Memorable Things,' Chapter 18; Paris de Puteo in the treatise of Judges, specifically on the word 'Tortura'; Hippolito Marsillo in his practice, in paragraph Diligenter, number 81; Mark Anthony Blanc in the Commentary on the Law, Final number 408, F. de questionibus; Ludovic Carera in the beginning of his practice, number 140, and Francis Jason in the treatise of Judgements and Tortures.

In the town of Tübingen, a certain traveller coming into an inn, and talking at table of the journey he had to go, asked the host of the house if he knew of any that went his way, because he was afraid he should not hit it whereupon another guest that sat at table with him, said, how he was going to the place he spoke of, and knew all the ways of the forrest through which they were to pass. Travelling together in the wood the latter thinking to make some great purchase fell upon the other and killed him. But finding little about him, he returned heavy and sighing to the same inn from whence they parted. Presently after, the bruit [rumour] went of a man that was found murdered in the forest. And because the murderer discovered himself sufficiently by his sighs, he was apprehended and being examined, confessed the fact, for the which he was put to death. PH. LONICER in his •…heater of Examples.

A murderer that had killed divers men and certain women with child, going on Easter-Eve to the Town of Winshein [Bad Windsheim] in Germany, bought three calves heads of a butcher in the shambles, which he put into a net made like a bag, and laying them on his shoulder went his way homeward. Whereupon it seemed to all that met him in the street that they were mens heads which he carried in the net, so that divers ran and advertised the Magistrates of it, who straight way sent some of their Sergeants, and commanded them to apprehend him and bring him before them. Being come and examined where he had those mens heads? he answered that he had bought them of a butcher in the open shambles. The Butcher was sent for, who affirmed that those which he sold him were calf heads and no other. The Magistrates amazed with this prodigy sent the buyer to prison: where going to be tortured, he confessed his murders: which was no sooner done but presently the three heads taken out of the net returned to their former shape, and the murderer was executed according to his demerits. The same.

A learned Divine of our time recites such another History as that of Ibicus. For he saith that a German travelling a journey fell among thieves, who going to cut his throat, the poor man spied a flight of crows and said,
O Crowes I take you for witnesses and revengers of my death. He had no sooner said so but he was murdered by the thieves; who drinking two or three days after in an inn, a company of crows came and lighted on the top of the house. Whereupon the thieves began to laugh and say one to an other, look yonder are they that must revenge his death whom we dispatched the other day. The Tapster overhearing them told his Master, who reported it to the Magistrate. He presently commanded them to be apprehended, and upon their disagreeing in speeches and contrary answers urged them so far that the confessed the truth, whereupon ensued their execution. In the collection of the memorable speeches of this divine.

A Gentleman of Chalence in Fossigry being in h[… ]Duke of Savoy’s army in September the […]  158[…] and g[…] seeing to behold the cruelties which war the poor inhabitants of the Bailiwick of Ge[…] resolved to depart from the said army. Now because there was no safer nor nearer way for him then to crosse the lake to Bonne [probably Bonn in Switzerland], which might very well be performed in three hours at the most (whereas he should have been a day and a half going by the bridge of Chancy and that with danger) he went to one of his acquaintance named John Villain of the village of Thaney [Tannay] in the Bailiwick of Nyon [part of the Swiss canton of Vaud], hard by the town of Coppet, and desired him to help him to some that would carry him over the lake. Villain went along with him to Coppet, where one of the best of the towne had the Gentleman to a tavern, and there it was agreed that two watermen of the place, which were present, should carry him over. Wherupon he went back to Thaney for his horse, apparel and other things. Being returned and in the boat crossing the lake, the said watermen, whereof the chiefest was called Martin Bourry, fell upon him and cut his throat. Villain understanding it and complaining of so cruel a treachery, was answered, that it was an enemy who they had dispatched. The murderer fearing to be called in question about it, to prevent the matter made a present of the gentleman’s horse which was of great value to a certain master and kept the rest to himself. insomuch that the murder was never spoken afterward, neither dared Villain use many words about it, for fear of himself. But God would not leave it so unpunished. For about the 15 of July 1591. this Bourry going with divers others of Coppet to shoot for a wager, as he was charging the arquebus which he had robbed the Gentleman of when he murdered him, it suddenly discharged of itself and shot the murderer through the heart, so that he fell down stark dead, and never stirred nor spoke a word. This relation I received from Villains own mouth.

In the first troubles a Gentleman of the troops which besieged Moulins in Burbonnois was taken sick in such sort that he could not follow his company when they dislodged: and lying at a baker’s house called John Mon which professed much friendship and kindness to him, he put such confidence in him, that he stayed behind the rest, having showed his host the money that he had, who promised to defend him from all men, together with a little brother of his some 13 or 14 years old. But so far was this wretch from keeping his promise, that contrarily as soon as it was night, he trained them forth of doors, and most wickedly murdered them. Now mark how God revenged it it happened not long after that the murderer being in sentinel, one of his fellows not thinking of it, short him through the arm with an arquebus whereof he languished the space of 3. months, and then died stark mad.
Historie of France vnder CHARLES the 9.

The town of Bourges being yielded by Mons. d'Tuoy during the first troubles, those that held it before were inhibited from talking together either within or without the town, or from being about two together at a time. Amongst them that took pleasure (under colour of this ordinance) to murder such as they met talking together, there was one named Garget captain of the Bourbon quarter, which made a common practise of it, who shortly after taken with a burning fever ran up and down the streets, blaspheming the name of God, calling upon the devil, and crying out, if any one would go along with him to hell, he would pay his charges, and so died in desperate and frantic manner. In the same History.

Peter Martin, one of the queries of the King’s stable, and Postmaster at a place called Liege in the way towards Poitou, upon a slight accusation, without either from or manner of process was condemned by a Lord to be drowned. This Lord commanded one of his falconers to go and execute this sentence upon pain to be drowned himself. Whereupon he performed it: but God deferred not the revenge thereof long, for within three days after, this falconer and a lackey falling out about the good mans apparel went into the field and slew one another. Which being reported to the Lord (a most unrighteous judge) it compelled him to have some remorse, and to say openly, that he would it had cost him five hundred crowns, the poor Query had not been drowned. But it was too little, for to value the life of an innocent man at. In the same historie, book. 7.

Certaine troupes of Peasants of Coulours, Ceresiers, and other places in Champagne, having committed many murders and spoyles in sundrye places, were heer and there defeated and came very near al of them to violent ends during the first troubles. I will note two notable particularities here touching two of those troops One going to set fire on a house, fell down stark dead, being killed with the shot of an arquebus unadvisedly discharged by one of his fellows. Another dragging a poor man and his wife to a post for to have them shot to death, received also a shot from an arquebus which took away his life and so his prisoners escaped. In the same book. It hath been observed in the history of France since the year of our Lord God 1560. Till the last peace, that of a thousand murderers which remained unpunished in regard of men, not ten of them escaped the hands of God, but made most wretched ends: as shall be seen in the books following.