prentice; but the youth expressed an aversion to any occupation but that of a gardener. Finding that he had conceived a strong prepos session in favour of this business, they bound him to a gardener at Stepney, whom he served in an industrious and regular manner for the space of seven years; and for some time afterwards continued with the same master in the capacity of a journeyman, his parents being so reduced through misfortunes that they could not supply him with money to carry on business on his own account.

A short time after the expiration of his apprenticeship he married a milk-woman, by whom he had seven children in the course of twenty years, during which time he lived in an amicable manner with his wife, earning a tolerable subsistence by honest industry.

His children all died in their infancy, and upon the decease of his wife he procured employment at Bromley; and, that he might lose but little time in going to and returning from his work, he hired a lodging at the lower end of Poplar, in a house kept by a widow, with whom he in a few days contracted a criminal familiarity. They had lived together about a twelvemonth, jointly defraying the household expenses, when she more frequently than usual gave way to the natural violence of her temper, threatening that he should not continue in the house unless he would marry her; which he consented to do, and, adjourning to the Fleet, the ceremony was performed.

After their marriage their disagreements became more frequent and violent; and, upon the wife's daughter leaving her service, and coming to reside with them, she united with her mother in pursuing every measure that could tend to

render the life of Joines insup portably miserable. On his return from work one evening a disagreement, as usual, took place; and, being aggravated by her abusive language, he pushed her from him, when, falling against the grate, her arm was much scorched. In consequence of this she swore the peace against him; but, when they appeared before the magistrate who had granted the warrant for the apprehension of Joines, they were advised to compromise their disagreement, to which they mutually agreed.

By an accidental fall Mrs. Joines broke her arm, about a month after the above affair; but, timely application being made to a surgeon, she in a short time had every reason to expect a perfect and speedy re.. covery.

Joines being at a public house on a Sunday afternoon, the landlord observed his daughter-in-law carrying a pot of porter from another alehouse, and mentioned the circumstance to him, adding, that the girl had been served with a like quantity at his house but a short time before. Being intoxicated, Joines took fire at what the publican had imprudently said, and im mediately went towards his house, which was on the opposite side of the street, with an intention of pre venting his wife from drinking the liquor. He struck the pot out of her hand, and then, seizing the arm that had been broken, twisted it till the bone again separated.

The fracture was a second time reduced; but such unfavourable symptoms appeared, that an amputation was feared to be necessary for preserving the patient's life. In a short time afterwards, however, she was supposed to be in a fair way of recovery; and, calling one day at the gardens where her hus

band was employed, she told his fellow-labourers that she had great hopes of her arm being speedily cured; adding, that she was then able to move her fingers with but very little difficulty.

The hopes of this unfortunate woman were falsely grounded; for on the following day she was so ill, that her life was judged to be very precarious. She sent for Joines from his work; and, upon his coming to her bed-side, he asked if she had any accusation to allege against him; upon which, shaking her head, she said she would for give him, and hoped the world would do so too. She expired the next night, and in the morning he gave some directions respecting the funeral, and then went to work in the gardens as usual, not entertaining the least suspicion that he should be accused as the cause of his wife's death; but, upon his return in the evening, he was apprehended on suspicion of murder.

An inquest being summoned to inquire whether the woman was murdered, or died according to the course of nature, it appeared in evidence that her death was occasioned by the second fracture of her arm: the jury, therefore, brought in a verdict of Wilful Murder against Joines, who was, in consequence, committed to Newgate, in order for trial.

At the ensuing sessions at the Old Bailey Joines was arraigned on an indictment for the wilful murder of his wife. In the course of the trial it appeared that the prisoner had frequently forced the deceased into the street at late hours of the night, without regard to her being without clothes, or to the severity of the weather. The surgeon who attended her deposed that a gangrene appeared on her arm, in consequence of its being

broken the second time, which was indisputably the cause of her death.

Nearly three months had elapsed from the time of her arm being first broken to that of her decease; but not more than ten days had passed from the second fracture to the consequent mortification. The law expresses that if a person, violently wounded, dies within twelve calendar months, the offender causing such wound, or wounds, shall be deemed guilty of a capital felony. As it was evident that his wife died in consequence of his cruelty within the time limited by law, Joines was pronounced to be guilty of murder, and sentenced to suffer death.

During the confinement of Joines in Newgate he did not appear to entertain a proper sense of his guilt. As his wife did not die immediately after the second fracture of her arm, it was with difficulty he could be persuaded that the jury had done him justice in finding him guilty of murder. He had but a very imperfect notion of the principles of religion; but the Ordinary of the prison took great pains to inspire him with a just sense of his duty towards his Creator. Though he was distressed for all the necessaries of life during the greatest part of his confinement, his daughter-inlaw, who had taken possession of his house and effects, neglected either to visit him, or afford him any · kind of assistance; and he was violently enraged against the young woman on account of this behaviour. Joines suffered along with Thomas Bark with, Dec. 21, 1739.

The fate of this malefactor and his wife affords a striking lesson to teach the necessity of avoiding family dissensions, from which the most terrible effects are frequently known to arise. Mrs. Joines was a woman of violent passions, which, instead of endeavouring

to curb, she indulged to the utmost extravagance, though she could not be ignorant that during her paroxysms of rage her life was in

momentary danger from her husband, whose natural ferocity of disposition she increased by perpetual ill treatment.

FROM serving some years as a messenger to the General Post office, this man formed the dan. gerous resolution of robbing the mails. At this time the vast property in circulation by means of the post was not, as at present, secured from being plundered by any lurking thief upon the road. Since the adoption of Mr. Palmer's plan of regulations it is nearly an impossibility to rob the mail.

On the 21st of February, 1738, this public plunderer began his depredations by stopping the postboybringing the Bath and Bristol mails, about seven o'clock in the

VOL. I.

evening, at the end of Sunning Lane, two miles north of Reading, in Berkshire.

For the apprehension of the robber the postmaster-general offered a reward of two hundred pounds, over and above the sum allowed by act of parliament for apprehending highwaymen; or, if any accomplice in the said robbery shouldmake a discovery of the person who committed the fact, such accomplice should be entitled to the reward of two hundred pounds, and also receive his majesty's most gracious. pardon. The advertisement dcscribed the robber to be a middle. 26

sized man, wearing a great riding. coat, with a white velvet or plush cape.

No sooner had Lympus rifled the bags of their most valuable contents than he determined upon attempting to make his escape to France. For this purpose he hastened to the nearest sea-port, and actually landed there, but not before the officers of justice got information of his flight. They pursued him to France, and demanded him to be delivered up to them as a national robber; but, flying to the sanctuary of the church, and declaring himself a Roman Catholic, he received protection, and for a while evaded the offended laws of his own country.

There is often to be found in such as fly for a heinous crime, after some time passed abroad in safety, a desire to return, which in vain they struggle to suppress. Instances of this nature present them selves, where, after many years have expired since the commission of their crime, men have returned, and either surrendered, or placed themselves so as to favour their apprehension; which would really seem as though their minds would not permit them any peace in this world. So it was, in some measure, with the malefactor now recorded, who could not rest with his booty in France, but returned in a short time for farther plunder, and immediately committed another mail robbery, for which he was apprehended and brought to trial.

It appeared, by the evidence of the post-boy, that he was stopped between the towns of Crewkherne and Sherborne by the prisoner, on horseback, who compelled him to dismount, then bound him hand and foot, and rode off with the mail, containing twenty-four bags, from as many post-towns.

Having taken out the bank-notes, he again contemplated an escape to France, and for that purpose once more embarked; but the winds were no longer propitious to his hopes, for the vessel was driven back, and obliged to put into Dartmouth. Here he offered one of the stolen notes in payment, which being endorsed by one Follet, of Topsham, as described in the account of the robbery, he was suspected of being the robber. Apprehending himself to be in danger, he immediately decamped, and was making the best of his way towards Kingsbridge, but was pursued by seven men, who took him on a warrant being granted for that purpose. He was convicted. of this robbery, and, after much equivocation, confessed, since sentence of death, having robbed the Bristol mail a little more than a year before, and impeached one Patrick, a dealer in hops, as his accomplice.

He was executed on the top of Dunkit Hill, within a mile of Wells, in Somersetshire, Sept. 21, 1739, and affected to die professing the religion he had adopted in France.

The security now given to our mail-coaches rendering an open attempt on them impracticable, unless sustained by a whole band of rob. bers, recourse has been frequently had to artifice in order to get pos session of the mail. One of these tricks was thus played off with success.

It was customary to deposit the mail-bags at a private house in Castle Street, Reading, near to which the horses belonging to the mail were changed. The guard an nounced the approach of the mail to the inn by sounding his horn, and, whilst the horses were putting to, he went to the receiving-house to exchange his bags. A horn was