The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

42 THE COURT OF LONDON whence you have derived your nickname of the Kinchin- Grand. I also know that the present Richard and Sarah Melmoth, who have been living with the deceased Daniel Coffin, are the brother and sister of that James Melmoth of whom I have spoken, but who has long been dead. I am moreover aware that your late mistress, Shickster Sal, brought up the Foundling.”’ “Then, if you know all this, Mr. Sampson,” said Taggarty, “what more can you expect to glean from me?” and the chandler now felt easier in his mind, because he saw, from an observation just made by Larry, that he really supposed the Hangman to have been drowned, and that consequently his visit to Mutton Hill at such a moment was purely an accidental coincidence. “T expect to glean from you any additional information which you may be enabled to impart,’’ said Sampson. ‘‘ In the first place, endeavour to recollect the precise date on which the babe was brought to the Kinchin-Ken in Grub Street.”’ “Tt was the Ist of June, 1795,” answered Taggarty. “How do you recollect the date so well? ’’ inquired Larry Sampson. ‘Because [ remember that it was the day before James Melmoth’s father murdered Sir Richard Stamford in Windsor Park, and then blew out his own brains,’ was Taggarty’s response. ‘It was not known for some time afterward that the assassin of the baronet was the same wretched man whose previous enormities had so horrified the metropolis.” ‘But I knew it was the same man,” observed Taggarty, in a scarcely audible whisper, ‘‘ because his son, young James, told me so at the time. Afterward I mentioned the circumstance to my pals, it got talked about, and this was the way the public at length knew that James Melmoth, senior, was the assassin of Sir Richard Stamford.” ‘Now, was not the babe stolen by that man and his son James? ”’ asked Sampson. “He was,” replied Taggarty. “I don’t see any harm in telling you the real truth now.” “ Certainly not. And it was in Hyde Park that the babe was thus stolen? ”’ “It was. But you seem to know all about it,’’ said the (COUN (Q) LOOK KS ((0)