11ECOLLECTIONS OF A FREE TKADElt. 323 



muscular lad, I frequently attended their funerals, and was deputed 

 to remove the subject from the coffin into the long black bag, which 

 they always have at hand for the purpose. The tenantless habitation 

 having been conveyed to the attendant hearse with great apparent 

 labour, my better filled bag was carelessly deposited by its side, and 

 on the return of the equipage we had but little difficulty in removing 

 our spoil to head quarters. Walking funerals were sometimes a little 

 more troublesome, but these were managed by my remaining a few 

 minutes behind, and then following the procession with my bag, at a 

 respectful distance. This manoeuvre most effectually screened me 

 from all interference, as it was of course presumed that I belonged to 

 the melancholy party. 



It happened, during my early experience, that we were much op- 

 posed by a large neighbouring firm, who had recently entered into 

 an unprofitable contract with one of the borough hospitals, and it be- 

 came almost impossible for us to do any real good. They kept a 

 sharp look out in every quarter, and for very many weeks completely 

 superseded all our exertions. It was therefore agreed, on my sug- 

 gestion, that mock funerals should be arranged and so it was our 

 own members were sufficient to furnish bearers, and pages, and 

 mourners ; and, by some little expense, we contrived, for several 

 weeks., to get up these imposing processions, the coffins of which were 

 iron ; and by contriving that they should always take place in burial- 

 grounds contiguous to the general scene of our opponents' operations, 

 we continued, for a length of time, to throw them upon false scents; 

 while we, by keeping a close look-out in the remoter districts, gene- 

 rally succeeded in our more important arrangements, and began to 

 get a good name for ingenuity and success. 



The leading member of our fraternity being a man well to do in 

 life, and passing as a respectable tradesman, at this time engaged (for 

 the ostensible purposes of a warehouse) a small range of premises, the 

 back of which looked upon a burial- ground, in the northern London 

 district : he also succeeded, in a short period, in getting for me the 

 appointment of night-watchman to this ground, which, he urged, 

 was an indispensable precaution against the numerous gangs of in- 

 surrectionists who were then in operation. This mode of securing to 

 himself the whole spoil, was credible to his ingenuity ; for while I 

 practised an unrelaxing vigilance, and effectually prevented the in- 

 trusion of a foreign footstep, I essentially served the interests of my 

 own firm. Our principal partner never lost an opportunity of saying 

 a word in my behalf, in quarters most influential, so, my wages were 

 speedily raised, every question of security was set completely at 

 rest, and the rumour of resurrectionists infringing on the burial- 

 ground of B , was never so much as breathed. 



Matters having gone on prosperously, it was agreed that I should 

 obtain the chapel key, and have a cast taken : as the vaults beneath 

 would open to us a considerable spoil, wherein our proceedings 

 would be conducted with less labour and greater security, and as 

 out of door's work, in wintry nights, was not agreeable. Being on 

 most intimate terms with the sexton, our purpose was speedily 

 effected ; but on the first experiment, an incident occurred, which 



