An Account of them while under Sentence.

WILLIAM DUCE< no role > , being a Protestant, and in the Communion of the Church of England, (with whom I have had Publick and private Conferences, as to his manner of Life, and notorious Facts, he had been lately engag'd in with others) was born in the Parish of Woolverhampton , and in the 25th Year of his Age: He had but a small share of Education in the Principles of his Religion, but now extremely desirous of Instructions for the Salvation of his Soul; expressing an utter abhorrence and detetestation of the Crimes he had committed, which now were the Occasion of his terminating and leaving the World in the most ignominious and scandalous Manner. It was his Misfortune (he said) to be committed to the Prison of Newgate for a Debt, by one-Allum, which he was not in a Condition to pay; and lay in that lamentable Place for about fifteen Months and eleven Days, and was at last releas'd; tho' reduced to the utmost Extremity, yet there it was that he contracted a vicious Conversation, and was no sooner at Liberty, than with his Associates, seeking for a Prey. The Robberies he committed (with others) he very frankly declared, upon my extraordinary Sollicitations and Demonstrations, the necessity of such his Confession; and what I shall relate I never committed to my Memory, but penn'd down from his own Mouth, together with the days of the Month (as far as he could remember) and in the Order I shall now present the Readers with, viz.

The First was in December, 1722. in Chelsea Fields , upon a Gentleman; from whom He (with another) took three or four Guineas; whose Name, as I shall tell you hereafter, he desir'd to conceal.

The Second was committed in St. James's Park , with two more; whose Names, Persons, and Places of Abode, he again desir'd might not be published.

The Third was upon Tower-Hill , and managed solely by Dyer, the Evidence, who was the great Occasion of the Prisoner's Ruin and untimely Death.

The Fourth was in Tottenhall Court Road , where they accosted a Gentleman, he believ'd intoxicated with the Fumes of Wine (his Horse throwing him); and from him Dyer and Rice took a Gold Watch only.

The Fifth was upon Mr. Holmes at Chelsea , (for which he and Butler Die) from whom they had a Guinea and two-pence; but Dyer kept all the Money, cheated them of it, as he term'd it, and afterwards took away their Lives.

Sixthly, He with two others, Robb'd in the Road to Chelsea, Three Persons in Company, but he neither knew any of them, nor remembered the Sum.

Seventhly, In the same Road, April 29. He with Dyer, Robbed a Coach with two Men and a Woman in it, and he (with some Warmth and Indignation) said, that his Fellow Robber abus'd one Man extremely, and took from the Woman her Head-clothes.

The Eighth, and last, He, as a dying Man declar'd, was in Hampstead Road , with Butler and Dyer, upon a Coachman: He also said, that neither Butler nor he did consent to rob the Man; yet notwithstanding Dyer demanded and receiv'd half a Crown from him, and told him he