Page:Life of Richard Turpin, a most notorious highwayman.pdf/22

22 committed to prison. Informations poured in from various parts, implicating his conduct, and in less than two months, persons from Lincolnshire claimed a mare and foal, and likewise a horse, which he had stolen in that county. Captain Dawson, of Ferrarby, was one among the claimants. His horse was that on which Turpin, alias Palmer, rode when he came to Beverly, and which he had stolen from off Hickington Fen, in Lincolnshire.

After he had been in prison near five months, he wrote the following letter to his brother.

His brother refused to take the letter; and it was returned unopened to the Post Office in Essex, because the brother would not pay for it. This letter being accidently seen by a Mr Smith, a school-master of the town, he recognised the hand-writing to be Turpin's for he had taught him to write at his father's. This coming to the knowledge of the magistrates, they subpaened Mr Smith, by whom it was discovered that this John Palmer was the real Richard Turpin.

On a rumour that the noted Turpin was a prisoner in York Castle, persons flocked from all parts of the country to take a view of him, and debates ran very high whether he was the real person or not. Among others who visited him, was a young fellow who pretended to be well acquainted with the famous Turpin, having rode several miles with him a hunting. After having regarded him for a considerable time with looks of great attention, he told the keeper he would bet him half a guinea he was not Turpin, the horse-stealer; on which the prisoner, whispering to the turnkey, said. "Lay him, Jack; and I'll go your halves."