The Smugglers: Picturesque Chapters in the Story of an Ancient Craft

by Smugglers"

he mid-eighteenth century with peculiarly revolting deeds that have in them nothing of romance; nothing but a long-drawn story of villainy and fiendish cruelty. It is a

in being brought to the telling of it, was the direct outcome of the lawless and almost unchecked doings of the

ed a considerable quantity of tea, for smuggling into this country. Unfortunately for their enterprise, they fell in with a revenue cutter, comm

r of sixty, well provided with firearms and other weapons, assembled in what is described as "Charlton Forest," probably Chalton Downs, between Petersfield and Poole, and thence proceeded on their desperate errand. Thirty of them, it was ag

ured tea-thirty-seven hundredweight, valued at ￡500-except one bag of about five pounds weight. They returned in the morning, in leisurely fashion, through

cavalcade of smugglers a certain John Diamond, with whom he had formerly worked in th

considerable interest to his neighbours at Fordingbridge, who, having seen that present of a bag of tea-a very considerable present as the price of tea then ran-no doubt thought he knew more of the affair than he cared to tell. At any rate, these things came to the knowledge of the Collector of Customs at Southampton, and the upshot of several interviews

ure all right-minded men abhor, and whom the smugglers of that age visited, whenever foun

ey soon, however, missed their way, and calling at Leigh, at the "New Inn," to refresh and to inquire the road, met there three men, George and Thomas Austin, and their brother-in-law, one Mr. Jenkes, who ac

he suspected, with intent to do some injury to the smugglers. Such was the state of the rural districts in those times that the appearance of two strangers was of itself a

be alarmed, the strangers were only carrying a lette

kely than that this business with a man who was, among other things, a highly place

th smuggling, who lived near at hand. In the meanwhile Chater and Galley wanted to be gone upon their journey, and asked for their horses. Mrs. Payne,

ayne drew them aside and whispered her suspicions; at the same time advising Mr. George A

even at this early stage, some ver

e commanded the landlady's respect, was not warned, and remained, together with his brother-in-law. To have won the reader's respect also, she should, at the very least o

gglers: William Steel, Samuel Downer, alias Samuel Howard, alias "Li

d asked him after Diamond; whereupon the simple-minded ma

ndiscreet, came out and asked him to rejoin them; whereupon Jackson, with

him. "I am a King's officer," exclaimed the unfortu

I'll make a King's officer of you; and for

ynes exclaiming, "Don't be such a fo

hat had passed. The entire party then sat down to more drink, until Galley and Chater were overcome by drunkenness and were sent to sleep in an adjoining room. Thomas A

d of committee to decide what should be done with their enemies, as they thought them. John Race and Richard Kelly then came in, and Jackson and Carter told them

d throw them in. Less ferocious proposals were made-to send them over to France; but when it became obvious that they would return and give the evidence after all, the thoughts

m where the unfortunate men were lying, spurred them on their foreheads with the heavy spurs of his riding-boots, and, having thus effectually wakened them, whipped them into the kitchen of the inn until they were streaming with blood. Then, taking them outside, the gang lifted them on to a horse, one behind the o

private life, and now a humble cottage. It was kept in those days by one Scardefield, who was no stranger to their kind, nor unused to the purchase and storing of smuggled spirits. Here they knocked and rattled at the door until Scardefield was obliged to get out of bed and open to them. Galley, still alive, was thrust into an outhouse, while the band, having roused the landlord

. So, while it was yet dark, they carried him down from the ridge on which Rake stands, into the valley, and, digging a grave in a fox-earth by the light of a lantern, shovelled the dirt over him, without inquiring too cl

turf-shed Chater lay chained by the leg, passing by, they hailed him and told him of what they had done; whereupon

might be remarked by the neighbours; agreeing to meet again at Rake on t

ers, and numbering in all fourteen, assembled accordingly. Dropping into t

" said he, "load a gun with two or three bullets, lay it upon a stand with the muzzle of the piece levelled at his head, and, after having tied a long string to the trigger, we will all go off to the butt-end, and, each of us taking hold of the string, pull it all together; thus we sh

by the author of the contemporary "Genuine History." The phraseology of the man's coldly logical proposals is, of course, that of the a

s misery. They had grown as epicurean in torture as the medi?val hell-hounds who racked and pinched and burnt for Church and Sta

that they should take him to Harris's We

orments by pulling out a large clasp-knife, and, with a fearful oath, exclaiming,

s he was ordered, and, while he was thus praying, Cobby kic

alarmed for his own safety. "Take him away," he said

k; Tapner, more cruel, if possible, than the rest, slashing hi

to it, and over this, although it was in places broken and could easily have been crawled through, they made their victim climb. Tapner then pu

ty, so they dropped him to the bottom of the well, imagining he would be quite killed by the fall. Unfort

adder, telling him one of their companions had fallen into Harris's Well. With this ladder they intended to descend the well and finally dispatch Chater; but, seeing they cou

returning to France, but that idea was abandoned, on account of the risk of discovery. It was finally decided to slaughter them and remove their skins, and this was accordingly