Page:Life of Richard Turpin, a most notorious highwayman.pdf/19

19 to be desperate indeed, rode away as fast as possible. Some accounts say that King died a week after; but with more certainty it may be asserted, that he was the masked highwayman that was shot near Enfield, by the King's German messenger, in attempting to rob him in a post-chaise. This happened but a short time afterwards. King and Turpin never met after this; but King called him a coward, and one wanting resolution.

Bayes soon after this got intelligence that Turpin might be found at a noted house by Hackney Marsh, and that when he rode out, he always had three brace of pistols about him, and a carbine slung. Upon inquiry this was found to be true, which made Mr Bayes desist in the pursuit. Turpin for a while showed great signs of uneasiness, often using something like the following expressions to the landlord; "Why, Sam, what shall I do? D—n that fellow, Dick Bayes, I'll be the death of him, I will. Where shall I go? for I have lost the best companion I ever had in my life; I have shot poor King in endeavouring to rescue him from that shark's paws." He retained this resolution to the last; but he never had an opportunity to put his revenge in practice.

The public heard very little of Turpin for, near two years after this. The first notice of him was from the minister of Long Sutton, in Lincolnshire, who was magistrate of the plane. There he was taken into custody; but he escaped from the constable as he was conducting him back from examination, and hastened to Welton in Yorkshire, where he assumed his wife's maiden name, (Palmer,) and took upon himself to appear like a gentleman.

He took a large house at Brough, near Marke Cave, in Yorkshire, from whence to Welton he carried on an extensive trade in horses, selling and exchanging; and at the time of the races he is said