156 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



amount. The ' Expedition ' coach has been twice 

 robbed in the hist week — the last time of all the 

 parcels out of the seats. The ' Telegraph ' Avas 

 robbed last Monday night between the Saracen's 

 Head, Aldgate, and Whitechapel Church, of all 

 the parcels out of the dicky. It was broken open 

 while the guard Avas on it, standing up blowing 

 his horn. The York mail was rol)bed of j^^i'cels 

 out of the seats to a large amount." 



Many of these robberies cited by Hasker were, 

 it will be noticed, from stage-coaches. Despite 

 this warning note, small thefts continued. Then, 

 in 1822, came the classic instance — the robbery 

 from the Ipswich Mail, when notes worth 

 £31,198 mysteriously disappeared. A month later 

 the bulk of them, to tlie value of £28,000, Avas 

 returned, only a fcAV, Avorth £3000, liaAang been 

 successfully negotiated. On the night of June Cth, 

 1820, scA^en bags Avere taken from the DoAcr Mail 

 betAA'een Chatham and Rainham; and in the fol- 

 loAAdng year a new sensation Avas proA ided by the 

 Warwick Mail being robbed of £20,000. 



But the closing great robbery of the coaching 

 age AA^as that of £5000 in notes from the " Potter" 

 (Manchester and Stafford) coach, October 1839. 

 The notes, in a parcel addressed to a bank at 

 Ilanley, Avere extracted from the hind-boot Avhen 

 the coach Avas near Congleton. 



Adventures, says the proverb, are to the 

 adventurous ; but in coaching times they befell 

 those Avho desired a quiet life, equally Avith 

 the seekers after sensation and experience. 



