"At Oxford, a person was convicted of having robbed the Worcester and Oxford Coach, near Woodstock, of a portmanteau, and this peculiar circumstance attended it:--The man committed the offence, was taken, indicted, tried, and convicted, within _twelve_ hours after the commission of the crime. He was indicted for petty larceny only."--(_Times, March 28, 1793._) * * * * * "Mr. Burdon, the Member for the County of Durham, had 25,000 guineas in his chaise when he was stopped, the other evening by footpads, who robbed him of 25 guineas only. Mr. Burdon was carrying down this sum, for the relief of the Durham Bank."--(_Times, April 26, 1793._) A shocking trade had sprung up, which was not long in developing. As Science grew, so was a knowledge of Anatomy becoming of more vital importance to the medical profession--but subjects for operation were scarce. True, those malefactors who were hanged, and had no friends, were given over to the Surgeons for dissection, but this means of supply, fell far short of the demand--which, however, was met, by the ghastly device of robbing the grave-yards of their newly buried dead. Here are some contemporary records of the doings of these ghouls:-- "Friday, a gang of persons, called _Resurrection men_, were apprehended between two, and three, o'clock in the morning, near the Churchyard at Hampstead; they had dug up the body of a Mr. John Lloyd, who had been buried the day before, put it into a sack, and a hackney-coach was waiting to receive it; but, by the vigilance, and resolution, of the watchmen, they lost their prey; for, having stopt the coach, they found the body in it, and two men, whose names are Tom Paine, and Peter Mackintosh, together with their shovels, and tools, for opening the coffin. They were both carried before Master Montague, together with John Peach, the driver of the Coach, and were committed to gaol upon the fullest evidence. There were two others of the party, who made their escape. One of them had the appearance of a Gentleman, and is supposed to be a surgeon."--(_Times, March 15, 1794._) * * * * *