For my own part, I made no doubt of the fellow's being mistaken
for some other person, and I went directly to the justice, in
order to procure his discharge; but there I found the matter much
more serious than I expected -- Poor Clinker stood trembling at the
bar, surrounded by thief-takers; and at a little distance, a
thick, squat fellow, a postilion, his accuser, who had seized him
on the street, and swore positively to his person, that the said
Clinker had, on the 15th day of March last, on Blackheath, robbed
a gentleman in a post-chaise, which he (the postilion) drove --
This deposition was sufficient to justify his commitment; and he
was sent accordingly to Clerkenwell prison, whither Jery
accompanied him in the coach, in order to recommend him properly
to the keeper, that he may want for no convenience which the
place affords.
The spectators, who assembled to see this highwayman, were
sagacious enough to discern something very villainous in his
aspect; which (begging their pardon) is the very picture of
simplicity; and the justice himself put a very unfavourable
construction upon some of his answers, which, he said, savoured
of the ambiguity and equivocation of an old offender; but, in my
opinion, it would have been more just and humane to impute them
to the confusion into which we may suppose a poor country lad to
be thrown on such an occasion.
Pages:
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269