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170 SUSSEX SMUGGLERS. |
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and lurked about; and being acquainted with Winter, commonly called the Coachman, Shoemaker Tom, who was evidence against him at his trial, Fuller, and the two Kemps, his fellow sufferers, and many more smugglers, many of whom were outlawed, they all agreed to rob on the highway, and break open houses, in order to support themselves, being afraid to go a-smuggling; but they did that sometimes, when they could get anybody that they could trust to take+ the goods. He refused to make a general confession, but did not deny being concerned in robbing Mr. Walter on the highway near Bersted, for which he suffered.
He exclaimed against Mr. Wickens and his wife, who gave evidence against him at his trial, and said that he had never done them any harm.
He was taken up at first on suspicion of being a smuggler with Richard Mills, who was executed at Chichester, Eichard Perrin, alias Payne, Thomas Kings-mill, alias the Staymaker, and William Fairall, alias the Shepherd, the three last now under condemnation in Newgate, for breaking open his Majesty's warehouse at Poole ; and being carried before Justice Hammond, in the Borough of Southwark, he committed them all five to the county gaol for Surrey, from whence he was removed by a Habeas Corpus to East Grin stead to take his trial.
He was not so very penitent as a person should be under his unhappy circumstances, but he frequently prayed to God to forgive him, and lamented most for the disgrace he had brought upon his family.
Lawrence Kemp and Thomas Kemp, two brothers, whose trials have been before related, refused to give an account of themselves, only that they were born near Hawkhurst, in Kent, and that they had been smugglers |
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