THE ROUT OF THE THIMBLE-MEN. 33 



enclosures and gardens behind the Deaf and Dumb Institution 

 afforded good covert to the hunted thimble-men, but they were 

 bustled out in fine style ; in vain they doubled and dodged, hid 

 in ditches and crawled through fences. No fence or ditch could 

 stop the gallant sportsmen who were chasing them. By this 

 time, too, the spectators, finding that the thimble-riggers were 

 getting the worst of it, and that there was not much chance of 

 hurting their own skins, joined in the fun, and helped to catch 

 the flying thieves. Such a scene of excitement and diversion 

 was never witnessed on any racecourse before or since. Finally, 

 when the victors gathered to count up the spoils, they found 

 that they had taken some hundred and fifty prisoners. The big 

 caravan was chartered, and the captives were sent off in relays 

 under strong escort to the borough gaol. They were brought 

 up two days later before the magistrates, and every mother's son 

 of them was committed to Wakefield House of Correction for a 

 more or less lengthy term of hard labour. 



Such was the rout of the thimble-men, a feature in the Don- 

 caster Meeting of 1830, which for a long while afterwards formed 

 a leading topic of conversation in sporting circles. The thimble- 

 men never held up their heads after it. Their ring was com- 

 pletely broken. Isolated gangs, indeed, continued for some 

 time to prowl about the southern racecourses ; but, as a regular 

 organisation of resolute and audacious villany, they were crushed 

 out. An intolerable public nuisance was thus put an end to in 

 a manner which reflected the highest credit on all concerned in 

 its abolition. If every Turf abuse were dealt with as promptly 

 and resolutely, the true lovers of the great national sport would: 

 have less cause to grumble than they have. 



