The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763Speckman, Charles
History
The life, travels, exploits, frauds and robberies of Charles Speckman, alias Brown, who was executed at Tyburn on Wednesday 23d of November, 1763
Speckman, Charles
Criminals -- England -- Biography; Speckman, Charles, -1763
My mind continued still to run upon England; I took a walk to the
bay, and met with captain Sclater, bound for England, made a bargain
for my passage, told him I had an estate fallen to me, and was going
home to take possession of it; got all necessaries for the voyage,
took leave of all my acquaintances, and in 1761, went on board; my
servant, who still continued in town, begged to accompany me wherever
I should go, but being at this time very sick, I was obliged to leave
him behind me, tho’ very unwilling. After being on board about three
weeks, I began to write; at the same time telling the captain, I had
sent the most valuable of my papers home in the West India fleet.
We had a long passage of nine weeks, and the day before we made
Falmouth, a most terrible hurricane came on, the oldest person on
board had never before seen the like: we resigned our selves to the
mercy of God, and the mountains of waves; however, we at length put
into Falmouth, in a shattered condition. Captain Sclater and I went
directly on shore, I then told him my intention of going up to London
by land. I had a negroe of his to sell, but could not get my price
for him; the gentleman I applied to, knowing my friend, desired me to
be perfectly easy, as I might have ten or twenty pounds to carry me
to town; I took only ten guineas, and gave him my note for it. I also
settled with the captain, and gave him a note for thirty-five pounds,
for the payment of my passage, and other matters betwixt us.
I set out for London along with part of the guard that came with the
money, brought over in the Lisbon packet; my friend at Falmouth lent
me one of his horses; when we came to Exeter I took a post-chaise,
but not before I had borrowed twenty guineas of the landlord, who
really thought I was a sharer in this fine prize, and master of the
packet. The whole sum was imagined to be seventy thousand pounds. I
made a bold attempt, and got some of this money, and should have got
much more, but for the want of a partner. I put this and the rest of
my money into the seat of the chaise, suffered a man to ride behind
to the next post town, where I quitted the chaise, put the money in
a box, and had it sent to town by the next waggon, and which came
very safely to my hands. I was vain enough to think with proper
assistance, I could have got hold of the greatest part of this cargo
of money. I set out post for town on horse-back; my behaviour all
the way was such as gave every body satisfaction, from the genteel
treatment they all had from me on the road; they gave me the greatest
character, which I turned to the best advantage, and made several
little sums by the way. On searching my pockets in London, I found
myself possessed of more than one hundred pounds; but thought of
having another push at the treasure, which was expected in town every
hour; I went to the inn in Friday-street, told the book-keeper all
the circumstances relating to the money, and where I had left them
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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