Page:Life of Richard Turpin, a most notorious highwayman.pdf/9

9 guineas; two of which Turpin returned him, begging pardon for what they had done, and wished him a good night.

These robberies had hitherto been carried on entirely on foot, with only the occasional assistance of a hackney coach; but now they aspired to appear on horseback, for which purpose they hired horses at the Old Leaping Bar in High Holborn, from whence they set out about two o’clock in the afternoon, and arrived at the Queen’s-Head, near Stanmore, at five, where they staid to regale themselves. It was by these means that Wood, the master of the house, had so good an opportunity of observing the horses, as to remember the same again when he saw them afterwards in King-street, Bloomsbury, where they were taken. About five o’clock they went from Mr Wood’s, at the Queen’s Head, to Stanmore, and staid there from six until about seven o’clock, and then all went away together to Mr Laurence’s, which was about a mile from thence, where they arrived about half an hour after seven. Mr Laurence had just been paying off some workmen, who were discharged and gone from the house. On their arrival at Mr Laurence’s they alighted from their horses at the outer gate ; and Fielder getting over the hatch into the sheep-yard, met with Mr Laurence’s boy, just putting up some sheep. They seized and presented a pistol to him, Fielder saying he would shoot him if he offered to cry out; and then took off the boy’s garters, and tied his hands, inquiring what servants Mr Laurence kept, and who was in the house, which they obliged him to tell them. They told him they would not hurt him, but that he must go to the door with them ; and when they knocked at it, if any body within should ask who it was, that the boy was to answer, and bid them open the door to let him in, and they would give him