198 HISTORY OF HARTING. 



notoriety, soon reached Major Battine's ears, the 

 Lady Holt gardener was arrested on the ugly sus- 

 picion of being an accomplice and harbourer of the 

 murderers, and spent his Christmas in gaol to his 

 great misery. Caryll sent Father H. Hoghton, the 

 R. C. priest of West Grinstead, probably as Father 

 Hunt was too old or too much of an invalid for the 

 task, to visit the poor victim of his own vanity in 

 the prison. Hoghton reported, that in his journey 

 to Chichester, Combleach was loaded with a great 

 pair of irons, and put into a cart with the other 

 smugglers : where, besides the shame, he was en- 

 tertained all along with their reprobate language. 

 When arrived at Chichester, he was thrown into the 

 dungeon, where he remained seven days on straw. 

 Combleach describes the scene in Chichester gaol the 

 night before the execution. One or two of the 

 smugglers were bewailing their fate ; Carter praying 

 most earnestly: the rest swearing and revelling, and' 

 not yet believing that they should be hung. It seems 

 that to the last they were in hopes of a rescue 

 from their comrades. Hoghton adds "This usuage 

 (towards Wm. Combleach) has been, I think, a most 

 severe punishment for a crime, w ch - I think can scarce 

 be called a crime, considering y l - if Combleach had 

 discovered this at first, he wou'd have run great 

 risque of his life ; and secondly, as he says himself, 

 he cou'd not believe w ht - they said to be true, for 

 it was y e part of madmen only to go and kill a 

 man, and then come and tell him that they had 

 done it. Y e gaol-keeper told me y l - he had spoke 

 to y e Duke of Richmond, to know what he should 

 do ab l - Will, who made answer he was sure Will 

 knew more, and therefore y l - he shou'd take him 

 back to gaol."* After the executions, Combleach was 

 transferred to Horsham gaol, and liberated after the 

 March assizes, 1749. 



* C. C., Vol. V. Add 1 - 28,231, pp. 29, 31, 35. 



