COACH ATTACKED BY HIGHAVAYMEX. lo3 



whether the defendants were hable on account 

 of the apparent heedlessness of the coachman 

 in not leading the horses out of the yard, and 

 it was agreed that if the jury found the defend- 

 ants hable, the verdict should pass for all such 

 expenses as the plaintiff had reasonably incurred, 

 which were to be ascertained by a reference. 

 The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, and 

 the referee assessed the damages at six hundred 

 pounds. 



In the same year there was an inquest held 

 upon a woman who was run over by a Man- 

 chester coach, and the verdict was " Accidental 

 death," with a deodand of four pounds on 

 the fore horse. 



On the night of November the 23rd, 1696, 

 six highwaymen attacked the Ware coach on 

 Stamford Hill, and after the customary amount 

 of imprecations, led the horses, vehicle, and 

 passengers under a gibbet ; they then proceeded 

 to rifle each individual, and tore out the 

 breeches-pockets, and the skirts from the waist- 

 coats of the gentlemen, to be certain of 

 their contents, which amounted to above a 

 hundred pounds. 



At the moment the thieves had completed 

 their intentions, a gentleman's servant passed 



