The Trial, Confession and Execution of W Hardiment..

1822. The Mills of God Grind Slowly" - No Copies Located on OCLC or Library Hub [Broadside]. [Execution]. Hardiment, William [d.1822]. The Trial, Confession and Execution of W. Hardiment, Who was Executed on Monday, The First Day of April, 1822, On the Castle Hill, Norwich, For the Wilful Murder of Mr. Baker, Of Wells, Norfolk. Norwich: Wakker [i.e. Walker], Printer, Near the Dukes Palace, [1822]. 14-1/2" x 9-1/4" broadside, text in two columns below headline, two columns of verses below text. Moderate toning, right margin reinforced, several small holes and tears, text of imprint affected without loss, printing flaws to right column. $1,250. * In 1817, Robert Baker was murdered on his way home from work after a robbery went wrong. Shortly after the murder, a man named James Johnson was apprehended and hanged for the crime, but Hardiment, his accomplice, went on the run. He evaded capture for nearly five years, but was caught, tried and hanged despite his protestations of innocence. This is a rare item. No copies of this imprint located on OCLC or Library Hub or in the catalogues of any institution, though an article on the printer Robert Walker references a broadside with this title and imprint. Brown, "Glimpses into the 19th Century Broadside Ballad Trade No. 27: Norfolk printings of murder and execution (2) Robert Walker," Musical Traditions Internet Magazine (https://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/bbals_27.htm). (Inventory #: 81886)