AND THE DUEES OF EICEMOND. 11 



Two of them then addressed the others as follows : — 



" If you will not do it, we will do it ourselves." 



Two members of the gang took care of the horses, 



whilst the main body went down to the Custom 



House, taking with them a boy whom they chanced 



to meet, to prevent his giving alarm. 



The goods consisted of about 42 cwt. of tea, 

 packed in canvas and oilskin bags, and 30 casks 

 of spirits, slung with ropes in order to be loaded 

 on horses. The door was soon forced open with 

 hatchets, etc., and the smuggled tea was carried off 

 on the horses. A reward was offered for the appre- 

 hension of the smugglers, but it was months before 

 any one was taken. A man named Diamond was 

 captured and lodged in Chichester gaol, upon which 

 a portion of the gang committed two murders to 

 prevent evidence being given against their fellows, 

 the victims being Galley, a Custom House officer, 

 and Daniel Chater ; the murderers were Benjamin 

 Tapner and the other men before-mentioned. 



It appears that on the 14th of February, 1748, 

 Galley and Chater were on their road to Major 

 Battine's at Stanstead to have Chater's evidence taken 

 on oath, when they were induced to stop at the White 

 Hart at Rowland's Castle, the landlady of which, being 

 afraid that they were going to hunt the smugglers, 

 sent for Jackson and Carter, and communicated her 

 suspicion to them. Others of the gang came in, and 



