Page:Life of Richard Turpin (1).pdf/8

8 met Turpin, with whom they went to the Bun-house; in the Rope fields, where they shared their booty with him, which proves the old adage, viz. there is amongst theives, though they had not taken any active share in the execution of the villany.

The booties they had succesively made themselves master of, had not in the least abated their ardour in the pursuit of more; for, like the miser, the spendthrift felon is never satisfied, but the more he gets, the more he lavishes, and though he does not secure any thing for a rainy day, takcstakes [sic] every opportunity to get more, or, as some of the fraternity have been heard to say, they often rob “to keep their hands in”

The next robbery they committed was about seven or eight o’ clock in the evening. Rust, Turpin, Fielder, Walker, and three others, came to the house of Mr. Saunders, a wealthy farmer at Charlton, in Kent, and knocked at the door, inquired if Mr. Saunders was at home. Being answered that he was, and the door opened, thcythey [sic] all rushed in & went directly to the, where Mr. Saunders, his Wife, and some friends, were at cards: they desired them not to be frightened; for they would not hurt their persons, if they sat still and made no disturbance, The first thing they laid hands on was a silver snuff-box, which lay upon the table before them, and having secured the rest of the company, obliged Mr. Saunders to go about the house with them, and open his closets, boxes, and escrutoir, whence they took upwards of one hundred pounds in money, and all the plate in the house, a velvet hood, mantle, and other things. Whilst this was doing, the servant maid got loose, ran upstairs, barred herself in one of the rooms and called out of the window for assistance, in hopes of alarming the neighbourhood; but one of the rogues ran up stairs after her, and with a poker broke open the