Smuggling & Smugglers in Sussex: The Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker, by Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, with the Trials and Execution of Seven of the Criminals at Chichester, 1748-9Anonymous
History
Smuggling & Smugglers in Sussex: The Genuine History of the Inhuman and Unparalleled Murders of Mr. William Galley a Custom-house Officer, and Mr. Daniel Chater, a Shoemaker, by Fourteen Notorious Smugglers, with the Trials and Execution of Seven of the Criminals at Chichester, 1748-9
Anonymous
Crime -- England -- History; Smuggling -- England -- Sussex -- History
Being asked by the court if the prisoner at the bar was with them at
the time of their committing the robbery, said he believed he was, but
was not sure; but that he was very sure that he was present at the time
of sharing the goods, and that he had his share in the dividend; and
that this witness sold his share to the last evidence, Thomas Winter.
The prisoner in his defence denied being any ways concerned in the
robbery; but had no witnesses to call to contradict the facts as sworn
by the witnesses for the prosecution. The jury brought him in Guilty of
single felony. Transportation.
Mr. Friend, the prosecutor of Savage, laid the indictment for single
felony, because he did not care to take life away; but the trial had
not been over an hour, before he was informed by Winter and Shoemaker
Tom that Savage had been concerned with them in many things, and that
when Savage lived as a servant to Mr. Friend’s brother, to look after
and manage a farm for him, that was fallen upon his hands by a tenant
leaving it, that Savage used to entertain them all, which was a gang of
about twelve or thirteen, where they used to come with their goods, and
he found the horses in hay and corn, and them with victuals and drink;
and they gave him tea and brandy for it, which he sold for his own use.
He received sentence of transportation, but is ordered to be stopped in
order to be tried next assizes for another fact.
* * * * *
Having now given an account of the trials of all the seven smugglers
at East Grinstead, six of whom were executed for the several crimes of
which they stood convicted, we shall now proceed to give an account of
their behaviour and last dying words.
John Brown, alias Jockey Brown, about 33 years of age, was born of
honest parents in the county of Sussex, who gave him a tolerable
education, but he had followed smuggling for many years, and being
apprehensive of being taken up for that crime, he absconded from his
home and lurked about; and being acquainted with Winter, commonly
called the Coachman, Shoemaker Tom, who was evidence against him at his
trial, Fuller, and the two Kemps, his fellow sufferers, and many more
smugglers, many of whom were outlawed, they all agreed to rob on the
highway, and break open houses, in order to support themselves, being
afraid to go a-smuggling; but they did that sometimes, when they could
get anybody that they could trust to take the goods. He refused to make
a general confession, but did not deny being concerned in robbing Mr.
Walter on the highway near Bersted, for which he suffered.
He exclaimed against Mr. Wickens and his wife, who gave evidence
against him at his trial, and said that he had never done them any harm.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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