278 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



resembled another. Information was first lodged with 

 Turpin by scouts whom he employed, as to the con- 

 templated journey of some one carrying a well-filled 

 purse, or bearing with him treasure which he In- 

 tended depositing In a bank or other place of safety. 

 Every opportunity was taken of acquiring knowledge 

 as to the route to be pursued by wealthy travellers ; 

 besides which, If any such opportunity offered, the 

 travellers' firearms were tampered with, so that when 

 they were stopped, and were prepared to offer resis- 

 tance, their old flint pistols and blunderbusses merely 

 flashed In the pan, without producing the expected 

 discharge that was to send the highwayman upon the 

 longest of all journeys never to return. 



The following account, which I have slightly 

 edited. Is from the same writer : 



Turpin also robbed a Mr. Major. This gentleman 

 was mounted on a thorough-bred horse at the time of 

 the robbery. He had been dining with a Justice of 

 the Peace, or rather, having supper, for the convivial 

 meeting had been carried far Into the night, and when 

 Mr. Major rose from the table the wax-lights were 

 flickering low In their sockets, and the daylight was 

 slowly stealing through the window-bllnds. As for 

 the "worshipful company," many of them were county 

 magistrates, landowners, with one or two parsons ; 

 all of these enlightened Individuals would have been 

 scandalised at the bare Idea of encouraging education, 

 or proficiency In refinement, or at the mere mention 

 of total abstinence, or, In fact, of anything that would 

 Improve the social and moral condition of country 

 communities. These fine old English gentlemen had 

 partaken of such fine old English hospitality, that 

 they were all dead drunk, and lying under the table 



