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148 SUSSEX SMUGGLERS.
the laws of the land, but against the law of God also, which commands all men to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. That smuggling was robbing the nation of that revenue which is appointed for payment of the national debt; and that every act of smuggling was defrauding every one of his Majesty's subjects that pay taxes, as they are obliged to make good all deficiencies. That when they shall hear the witnesses they will find that this evil practice was the original cause of this murder, and then he did not doubt but they would find the prisoners guilty.
Mr. Sergeant Wynn, after speaking of the nature of the crime, and that it was one of the consequential evils that attended smuggling, observed that most of the daring robberies that had been lately committed, were by these sort of men, who thought, or at least acted, as if they thought themselves above all law. That when they had called their witnesses, he did not doubt but they would give the jury such evidence as would induce them to believe the prisoners guilty, and consequently find them so.
Henry Murril deposed that some time in January last was twelvemonth, he was informed that some persons were at his house, enquiring after some tea they had lost, but could not tell who they were ; that he went to young Cockrel's, who keeps a public-house at Yapton ; where he saw Jerry Curtis and two others, drinking. Curtis was very angry ; said some rogues had stolen two
bags of tea from him, and d......n him, he would find it
out, and severely punish those . concerned therein ; for
d......n him, he had whipt many a rogue, and washed
his hands in their blood; that Curtis had offered this deponent five guineas to get the tea again, or find out who had got it: and then said that if money could |
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