Page:Life of Richard Turpin, a most notorious highwayman.pdf/13

13 you for an old b—h. I’ll stop your mouth presently;” and immediately broke her head with the handle of his whip; and then tied her down in a chair, bleeding as she was. The maid and daughter were bound in the kitchen, and Gregory was set to watch them, who stood over them with a pistol in his hand, to prevent their crying out for assistance or endeavouring to get their liberty, whilst the other four were rifling the house. In it they found, thirty seven guineas, and ten pounds in silver, which they took away with them; as also several articles of jewellery, plate, linen, &c. When they came to divide the plunder, Turpin prevented them from cheating one another, which some seemed inclined to do; and he gave to each of them, £9 2s. 6d. The guineas were secreted by him that had laid hands on them, from the rest of his companions, which, when Turpin afterwards found out, he made him pay severely for; for he informed against him to the officers of justice, which occasioned his being taken up, and he was soon afterwards hanged at Tyburn.

They formed a design to rob Justice Asher, near Leigh, in Essex, but were interrupted by some neighbouring farmers; their attempt became known and their daring conduct alarmed the whole country, nobody thinking themselves safe; upon which Mr Thompson one of the King’s forest-keepers, went to the Duke of Newcastle’s office, and obtained his Majesty’s promise of a reward of £100, for whoever should apprehend any of them. This made them rather more shy than they were before; but, however, they could not conceal themselves entirely; they still frequented their old haunts; when some of the justice's men hearing that a number of them usually met at an alehouse in an alley in Westminster, they went thither, where finding Turpin, Fielder, Rose, and Wheeler, after a short conflict with cutlasses, the three last were secured;