During the reign of Edward I., about the year 1262, the Abbot of Westminster attempted to extend the privilege of sanctuary, to those guilty of treason, to debtors and other classes of criminals than those who had formerly enjoyed the right and he also contended that the civil officers were not allowed, under the conditions of the charter of that institution, to enter upon any places, however remote, that belonged to the abbey. A law suit resulted and notwithstanding the broad terms of the charter above quoted, it was decided by all the justices that sanctuary was confined to felons alone and that the sheriffs of London had a right to enter the town of Westminster and to proceed to the very gates of the abbey and to enter the houses of the abbey elsewhere in the county, to arrest felons.[32] The class of criminals who sought protection under the right of sanctuary, included the whole gamut of crimes known to English law, murder or homicide, debt, horse and cattle stealing, housebreaking, or burglary, escaping from prison, rape, harbouring a thief, treason, receiving stolen goods, counterfeiting, larceny and the other crimes common in the realm and made so by statute, or existing at common law. During the reign of Henry VII., it was decreed that when an offender fled to sanctuary, it was not enough for him to declare that he came there to save his life, but he must add that he had committed a felony; though he need not specify the felony, before the coroner came.[33] But if he failed to make such a general declaration, he could be dragged from the sanctuary and was not exempt from civil process.[34] The system whereby the felon fled to sanctuary and was accorded the privilege is described in the literature of the period descriptive of the manner of enjoying this right. A knocker was usually provided at the outer door of the abbey and one or two janitors roomed above the door, to admit such nocturnal visitors as called at different hours to claim their sanctuary. After the refugee was admitted to the sanctuary, the Galilee Bell was tolled, to announce to the outer world that another sanctuary criminal had been admitted. A gown of black cloth, with a yellow cross, was given to the culprit to wear and he was disarmed and assigned to his quarters.[35] The oath administered to the refugee has been preserved by the Harleian Manuscripts[36] and a form of confession and abjuration, administered by Sir William Rastall, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of Queen Mary, has been handed down to us.[37] While the right was held not to extend to cases of treason, generally, in different reigns, we find that it was extended to include treason, as well as the lesser felonies.