In a state of insanity till his death

There was lately buried at the parish-church of St. Giles in the fields a publican near Bloomsbury-square, whose death was occasioned by the following deep-laid fraud practised upon his wife.

About a fortnight ago four men, genteelly dressed (having, as supposed, watched the husband out) went to the wife, and enquired whether they could have dinner dressed, and have a room to themselves; being told they might, they ordered a handsome dinner, and were shewn to a room up one pair of stairs. After they had dined, they drank pretty plentifully, and seemed to be passing their time in a very merry and friendly manner.

About the usual time for tea, one of them came down, and begged the landlady to favour him with a dish, saying his friends above stairs were men for whom he had the sincerest regard, but that they were very hard drinkers, and were continually jeering him, because he could not keep up with them. The landlady and he then sat down together, and, when it was over, the test came down; and, after ridiculing the other as a milk-fop, paid the reckoning (which amounted to near thirty shillings), and all went off together in a coach.

But the landlady, having occasion soon after to go up stairs, discovered that, while one of the pretended gentleman was amusing her at tea, the others had broke open the bed-chamber and a bureau in it, from whence they had stolen near 200l. When the husband returned, and was informed of what had happened, it had such an effect upon him, that it bereaved him of his fenses, and he remained in a state of insanity till his death.