Black Bess; or, The Knight of the Road — A Tale of the Good Old Times — page 245: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~~ ana 248 Mr. Gnoff descended from his elevated position, the} his companion, with whom he committed a highway counsel who had accepted the duty of watching the case | robbery on the Dover road on the following evening.” not deeming it necessary to put any further questions to him. “Call Jonathan Wild!” cried the counsel. “ Jonathan Wild!” repeated the usher. In obedience to this call, the celebrated thier-aker, with an assumption of great humblenesss, tock his place in the witness-box, and when he took the oath, kissed the book in rather an ostentatious manner. Then he looked round the court in wuai he fancied was & very amiable way, and made a deep circular bow to the assemblage generally. ‘Your name is Jonathan Wild, I presume ?” *¢ Tt is, sir,’ said Wild, in such a different tone of vaice, that Jack Sheppard could hardly believe it was his enemy who had spoken. “Do you know the prisoners at the bar?” Before he replied, Jonathan pretended it was necessary for him to scrutinize all three very attentively. “Yes,” he said, at length, with great deliberation. **'Yes, I know them all three.” ‘$QOh! very good, then, perhaps you would have no objection to tell the court what do you know about them.” ‘Certainly not!” *¢ Stay a moment, Mr. Wild!” said the judge, “‘ F would take notes of what you say p” “Very good, my lord!’ ow, go on.” ‘Yes, my lord! the prisoner nearest to me iz, I believe, named Matthew Flood!” “Matthew Flood!” repeated the judge, as he wrote the name. ‘* He was employed by me as a kind of supernumerary police-officer. The same may be said of the man stand- ing next to him, who calls himself William Blewitt!”’ ‘*¢ Very good, Mr. Wild, that will do. Now, what about the other Ba ‘¢ Jack Sheppard ?” ‘Tf that is his name!” ‘°T believe it is, sir!” a ee information can you give the court concerning im ‘““A great deal, sir, I am sorry to say, and none that will redound to his credit.” _ eoaene yourself to particularities, if you please, Mr. ** Certainly, sir. I have known the prisoner from his childhood. I knew his father too.” ** Hold!” shouted Jack, who could restrain himself no longer. Hold! I say, mention not his name.” ‘‘This interruption is very unseeming on Oa: : rT; : <2 1, 3 young man,” said the judge. “ Be silent, sir. ** We will not mention his father,” said Wild. ‘‘ I was, however, merely foing to observe that he was a notorious highwayman, and suffered at Tyburn about twenty years ago.” Jonathan had gained his point. That little bit of family history, he imaginel, would tell well with the jury. Nor were his calculations far wrong. The judge took a note of it. The jury exchanged looks, and whispered with each other, and apparently made a note of it also. ‘* Now, Mr. Wild, what can you tell us about the prisoner at the bar P” “The first I heard of him was in couscquence of a burglary, committed at the house of a higuly respectable gentleman, named Hadley, which I tracud to him and a man, named Joseph Blake, whom I had dismissed from my employ.” ** What next ?”’ “I chased both from one place to another, till at last I came up with them at aruined abbey on the borders of Gloucestershire, where I captured Sheppard after a most desperate resistance, which resulted in the death of Blake. At least, he was left as such; but it seeme, by some means or another, he escaped.” “Is this man in custody P” asked the judge. “No, my lord, he is not, though a warrant has been issued for his apprehension.” your part, “i brought Sheppard a prisoner to Newgate, from which place he managed to make his escape and regain ** Did you capture them P” ** Yes, upon Blackfriars-bridge. I overpowered Shep. pard, but Blake threw himself over the parapet into the river. I left the two other prisoners at the bar to keen guard over Sheppard, while I went with the rest and took a boat down the river; but Blake managed in the end to elnde us.” ** You then returned to Blackfriars-bridge, I presume P” ‘I did, sir, with all speed; but on reaching it, I found that both prisoner and guard had disappeared. Important business immediately afterwards took me from London, and when I returned, the first intelligence I received was that the three prisoners were safely lodged in Newgate.” ** That is all, Mr. Wild, I suppose.” “ Well, nearly all. I visited Sheppard in his cell last night, in order to learn, if I possibly could, where his comrade in iniquity was likely to be found. But, taking me off my guard, he made a furious attack upon me with his heavy fetters; and I have no doubt, had it not been for the timely interposition of the turnkeys, he would have put an end to my life.” This was another of Jonathan’s master-strokes. “That is all, Mr. Wild,” said the junior counsel, ‘ with- out my friend here for the defence wishes to put any questions to you.” The young barrister, who had gone through the form of watching the case, shook his head negatively. Jonathan left the witness-box in triumph. His evidence damaged the prisoners fearfully, and none knew 1t better than himself. ** My lord,” said the junior counsel, addressing the judge, “I have here the names of several witnesses who will testify to Sheppard having broken out of Newgate, and caused the death of Godfrey, the turnkey; but as this case is one in which all three are implicated, I imagine the ends of justice will be met by passing over that clause in the indictment, and treating only with this.” The judge inclined his head. ** Call Mr. Skellum.” The police-officer, under whose direetion the little force which had apprehended Jack and his companions was, stepped into the box and was sworn. *¢ Will you be good enough, Mr. Skellum, to relate what took place on or about the night of the twenty-fifth of this month.” ‘* Yes, sir.” * Begin, then.” “By instructions received, I went, accompanied by twelve police-officers, to the ** Black Lion” public-house, to seo if I could find any trace of Jack Sheppard, who had escaped from Newgate.” “* Just so; go on.” “Towards morning, as we were going down Wych- street, from the direction of Drury-lane, we heard an alarm of thieves, and, upon hastening forward, we found the alarm proceeded from the house of John Roots, the ‘carpenter, round whose shop-door a number of pcople had already asseiubled.” “Go on, if you please.” “Understanding that the robbers were within the house, we were about to effect aforeible entry, when we heard the loud report of a pistol.”’ “Who do you mean by we?” ** Myself and my men.” “Very good; what next?” “We set to work in good earnest to batter down the door, but, as it was a very strong one, it for some time resisted our efforts. At last we forced it from ita hinges.’ ** Did you hear anything on the inside.” ‘No, sir, all was quiet; but just as we knocked down the door, out rushed the three prisoners! They fought desperately, and made the strongest efforts to make their escape, but, thanks to the exertions of the men who were with me, they were prevented from achieving their end. ** Did you make them all prisoners ?”’ ** We did, sir.” ‘6 Turn round and look at the prisoners at the bar. Are you ready to swear that those are the three men whom you captured ?” — ‘*T am quite ready to swear to them, sir. . “That is enough. What was the next step you took P af “See oe” 2p =~ “ EC a aE EO STK agen OI ¢ BLUESKIN: A ROMANCE. EO NOOKS Cc (SO) 5}