Townsend, was undoubtedly the sharpest of the three, but he was a pushing, boastful fellow, and never hid his light under a bushel. He was, however, courageous, and never heeded where he went, or what odds were opposed to him; so that the criminal classes began to respect him, and, at last, never thought of opposing him. He was extremely natty in his dress, and his flaxen wig was as well known, as his short stout figure, and his red face-- "Of all the wigs in Brighton Town, The black, the gray, the red, the brown, So firmly glued upon the crown, There's none like Johnny Townsend's; It's silken hair, and flaxen hue, It is a scratch, and not a queue, When e'er it pops upon the view, Is known for Johnny Townsend's." It was by his means, that the famous pickpocket, Barrington, was convicted, and transported, a fact which was very much to Barrington's advantage, for he helped to put down a mutiny on board, whilst on his passage out, for which he was well rewarded, and, by his good conduct, he rose from step to step, always in the Colonial police--until he died Chief of the Constabulary in New South Wales. The laws were then frightfully severe in their punishments, but this severity did not act as a deterrent to crime. The punishment of death, (and hanging was the punishment for many trivial crimes) seems to have had no terror--for we read in the _Morning Post_, July 11th 1788, "The number of Capital Convicts at present in Newgate is eighty-one!" Of course, these were not all executed, some having their sentences commuted to transportation for life. Let us take a few cases from one Newspaper only, the _Morning Post_, September 11, 1788. It was the Sessions at the Old Bailey, 9th September:-- "_John Dancer_, was put to the bar, and tried before Judge Grose, for a burglary, and robbery, in the empty dwelling-house of Daniel Dancer,[15] a farmer, near Uxbridge. This offence is made capital by the 39th Elizabeth. The jury brought in a verdict, _guilty_, of the value of £5.--_Death._ [Footnote 15: The celebrated Miser. During the last 20 years of his life, his house is said to have been entered, by thieves, no less than fourteen times--and the amount of his losses, is calculated at £2,500.] "_John Crawford_, for a burglary in the house of Francis Bias. The crime being fully proved.--_Guilty_--_Death_. "_William Johnson_, for a burglary and robbery of poultry, in the dwelling house of Margaret Allen, at Hampstead.--_Guilty_--_Death_. "_Thomas Jones_, for a highway robbery of a watch &c. He was taken in the _manier_--_i.e._ with the watch upon him.--_Guilty_--_Death_. "Several other prisoners were tried and acquitted for various offences, particularly one for a rape--_his crime was only_ Seduction!" * * * * *