Page:Life of Richard Turpin (1).pdf/3

3 sheep-stealing to foot-pad robbery, and was  last obliged to fly his native place, for stealing a  heifer, which he sold.

Soon after, he stole two oxen from one farmer Giles, and drove them to a slaughter-house near Waltham abbey. Gile’s servants came to this place pursuit of them, where finding two carcases, answering the description, they shrewdly suspected  Turpin was the owner, and having found the  after a strict search, they had not the least  that they were the stolen cattle. A  accordingly issued for his apprehension; but he  had scent that the runners wercwere [sic] after him, and got off in time to save himself. He escaped, just the moment they were entering the door.

Finding his situation at Waltham Abbey rather, he retreated into the Hundreds of Essex, where he greater security; but as he could not live long without a fresh supply of money, he  upon a new scheme to support himself, and that was to rob the smugglers he happened to meet on the road; but he took care not to attack a gang, only such solitary travellers as fell in his way; and then he did it with a colour of justice; for he constantly pretended to have a deputation from the customs, and so took their property in the king’s name. He got tired of this kind of business after a while; and the retirement to which he was condemned, in this pursuit, not suiting the volatility of his disposition, he went in search of the gang with whom he had before connected himself, the part of whose depredations were committed  Epping Forrest, and the adjacent part; but this business soon became an object of magisteria inquiry, he again returned to the solitude of the, with some more of the gang, and they  notorious deer-stealers; and Turpin being a good shot, he sent many a good buck up to his connexions in London.