THE INTRODUCTION. I N the beginning of Auguft, 1753, when I had taken the Duke of Portland's medicine, as it is called, near a year, the effects of which had been the carrying off the symptoms of a lingering imperfect gout, I was perfuaded by Mr. Ranby, the King's premier ferjeant-furgeon, and the ableft advice, I believe, in all branches of the physical profeffion, to go immediately to Bath. I accordingly writ that very night to Mrs. Bowden, who, by the next post, informed me fhe had taken me a lodging for a month certain. WITHIN a few days after this, whilft I was preparing for my journey, and when I was almoft fatigued to death with feveral long examinations, relating to five differ ent ent murders, all committed within the space of a week, by different gangs of street robFers, I received a meffage from his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, by Mr. Carrington, the King's meffenger, to attend his Grace. the next morning, in Lincoln's-inn-fields, upon fome bufinefs of importance; but I excufed myself from complying with the meffage, as befides being lame, I was very ill with the great fatigues I had lately undergone, added to my diftemper. His Grace, however, fent Mr. Carrington, the very next morning, with another fummons; with which, tho' in the utmost distress, I immediately complied; but the Duke happening, unfortunately for me, to be then parti cularly engaged, after I had waited fome time, fent a gentleman to difcourfe with me on the best plan which could be invented for putting an immediate end to those murders and robberies which were every day committed in the ftreets; upon which, I promised to tranfmit my opinion, in writing, to his Grace, who, as the gentleman informed me, intended to lay it before the privy council. THO THO' this vifit coft me a fevere cold, I, notwithstanding, fet myself down to work, and in about four days fent the Duke as regular a plan as I could form, with all the reafons and arguments I could bring to fupport it, drawn out in feveral fheets of paper; and foon received a meffage from the Duke, by Mr. Carrington, acquainting me, that my plan was highly approved of, and that all the terms. of it would be complied with. THE principal and moft material of thofe terms was the immediately depofiting 600 l. in my hands; at which small charge I undertook to demolifh the then reigninggangs, and to put the civil policy into fuch order, that no fuch gangs fhould ever be able, for the future, to form themselves into bodies, or at leaft to remain any time. formidable to the public. I HAD delayed my Bath-journey for fome time, contrary to the repeated advice of my phyfical acquaintance, and to the ardent defire of my warmeft friends, tho' my diftemper was now turned to a deep jaundice; in which cafe the Bath-waters are generally reputed to be almoft infallible. But I had the most eager defire of de demolishing this gang of villains and cutthroats, which I was fure of accomplishing the moment I was enabled to pay a fellow who had undertaken, for a fmall fum, to betray them into the hands of a fet of thief-takers whom I had enlifted into the fervice, all men of known and approved fidelity and intrepidity. AFTER fome weeks the money was paid at the Treasury, and within a few days after 2001. of it had come to my hands the whole gang of cut-throats was entirely dispersed, seven of them were in actual cuftody, and the reft driven, fome out of town, and others out of the kingdom. THO' My health was now reduced to the laft extremity, I continued to act with the utmoft vigour against these villains; in examining whom, and in taking the depofitions against them, I have often spent whole days, nay fometimes whole nights, efpecially when there was any difficulty in procuring fufficient evidence to convict them; which is a very common case in street-robberies, even when the guilt of the party is fufficiently apparent to fatisfy the moft tender confcience. But courts of juf tice |