l8o ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



saddle-bag were freely attacked. In short, the foot- 

 pads, baulked in one dh-ection, operated in another. 



At five o'clock in the morning, on Thursday, 

 September 15, 1791, the post-boy, on his way to 

 Manchester, carrying on horseback the Liverpool bag 

 for Eochdale, and other bags, was set upon by four 

 men at a point about a mile from Warrington, robbed 

 of the mails, and killed. 



The active Postmaster of Warrington — William 

 Orrett — drew up a minute description of the male- 

 factors and spread it far and wide. One was soon 

 secured. He wore his black hair tied, a brown coat 

 with yellow buttons, a spotted velveret waistcoat, dark 

 velveret breeches ; his stockings were mingled blue 

 and white cotton, and his hat had a narrow brim and 

 high crown. He was marked out for detection. Two 

 of the others, if not all, were eventually brought to 

 justice. Still, robberies of the mail became so frequent 

 in particular localities that, in the first three months 

 of 1800, four had been committed on one road within 

 a distance of twelve miles. The Treasury loosened 

 the public purse-strings, and allowed fifteen hundred 

 pounds a year to be spent in guarding the mails 

 at night on the principal roads. 



It is a singular fact that the same period — almost 

 the same year — which saw the birth of the great 

 system of mail-coaches, produced the still greater 

 discoveries (more strictly, perhaps, inventions) which 

 were to work the downfall of Palmer's handiwork at 

 the very zenith of its fame. While mail-coaches were 



