composition of the felony, by advertising a reward to any person who would bring the property stolen, to be paid without asking any questions; but the pernicious consequences of recovering goods in this way, from the encouragement such advertisements held out to thieves and robbers of every description, became so glaring and obvious, that an act passed the 25th year of George II, cap. 36, inflicting a penalty of 50l. on any person, including the printer and publisher, who shall publicly advertise a reward for the return of stolen goods, with "no questions asked," without seizing the person producing the goods stolen; or who shall offer to return to any pawnbroker or other person the money lent thereon, or any other reward for the return of the articles stolen. Ibid.

All rioters, or those who assist in riots, are accounted felons. As our preceding volumes abound with examples, we shall here add only one.

STRUTT, JOSEPH, (RIOTER,) a singular character, long known in London for his depredations on the public, was born in the year 1764, in St. Giles's, of poor, but honest and industrious, parents, who gave him the best education their small means could afford; but the narrowness of their fortune could not set bounds to the genius of their son, who, aspiring above the humble sphere of his birth, without the necessary supply of money, formed at an early period of his life a connection that ended in his ruin.

Before he was fourteen years of age, he was a member of the famous Golden-Lane gang; it was also about this time he got connected with the cele

brated

brated barrow-girl, commonly called Saucy Nan, with whom he lived for upwards of seven years, when a dispute arose concerning a child of which she was delivered, and of which she asserted Joe was the father; but he, having just cause for jealousy, rejected it with disdain, and, swore he would. be it's death. Whether he fulfilled his oath, cannot be here ascertained; but the infant disappeared in a few days, and Joe and Nan parted in consequence.

Since that period, he practised a number of ingenious devices on the public, and always with success. He used to boast himself the cleanest pickpocket in town, and would frequently from the fruits of one night's performance procure sufficient to maintain himself genteelly for six months or more; by which economy he was less exposed to detection than the generality of the light-fingered tribe, till the unlucky chance of his getting into a mob at Charing-Cross, collected to be revenged on a set of miscreants called crimps, who occupied a house for the infamous purpose of ensnaring young men, when Joseph was taken up as ringleader of the riot, committed to Newgate, tried and condemned.

It should not be omitted, that just before his apprehension, he married a deserving young woman, on whom he imposed himself as a merchant's clerk, and whom he left with child, to deplore her wretched mistake and his miserable and shameful end.

The following is a copy of a letter he sent her from the cells of Newgate :

"DEAR

"DEAR BETSEY,

"Pierced to the heart with the deepest remorse and sorrow, for having deluded your inno cent heart, I dare not ask your forgiveness-yet I cannot die without it. Is it possible, my dearest Betsey, that you can grant it?

"I know great is the injury I have done you, accumulated misery and shame have I brought upon you, and no means of atonement for me to make; but while I have life my fervent prayer shall be for your future happiness! And, O my dear! could I believe you would forgive me and pray for ine, I should die happy, for the prayer of the righteous prevaileth much.

"Your unhappy husband,

"Till death,.

He suffered January 29, 1795, with Patrick Murphy, who had been convicted of a rape, and Francis Ross, of forgery.

ROBBERY.

If a person be put in fear or assaulted, and then plundered, this the law terms robbery, and punishes with death.

ROGUES and VAGABONDS,

Punishable by six months' imprisonment.

1. Persons going about as patent gatherers or gatherers of alms, under pretence of loss by fire or other casualty.

2. Fencers, bearwards, strolling players of interJudes, or other entertainments.

3. Min

3. Minstrels, except those licensed by the Lord Dutton in Cheshire..

4. Persons pretending to be, and wandering in the habit of, gypsies.

5. Fortune-tellers, pretending skill in physiognomy, palmistry, &c. or using any subtle craft to deceive and impose on others.

6. Persons playing or betting at any unlawful games or plays.

7. Persons who run away, and leave their wives and children upon the parish.

8. Petty chapmen and pedlars wandering abroad without a licence..

9. Persons wandering abroad, and lodging in ale-houses, out-houses, or the open air, and not giving a good account of themselves.

10. Persons wandering abroad, and pretending to be soldiers or sailors, without proper certificates from their officers or testimonials from magistrates.

11. Persons wandering abroad, pretending to go to work in harvest, without a proper certificate from the parish.

12. Persons having implements of house breaking or offensive weapons, with a felonious intent. 13. Persons concerned in illegal lottery transactions, as described in the lottery acts, 27th, 33d, 34th, and 35th Geo. III. Colquhoun.

ROGUES, INCORRIGIBLE,

Punishable with two years' imprisonment and whipping, or transportation for seven years.

1. Persons stiled end-gatherers, buying, collecting, or receiving, ends of yarn in the woollen branch, against the stat. 13 Geo. I, cap. 23.

2. Persons who, being rogues and vagabonds,

have escaped after being apprehended, or who shall refuse to be examined by a magistrate, or who shall give a false account of themselves, after being warned of their punishment.

3. Persons who shall escape out of any house of correction before the period of their imprisonment expires.

4. Persons who, being once punished as rogues and vagabonds, shall again commit the same, offence. Ibid.

SCUFFLE-HUNTERS,

So denominated, probably, from their resorting in numbers to the quays and wharfs where goods are discharging, under pretence of finding employ ment as labourers upon the landing-places and in the warehouses, and from the circumstance of disputes and scuffles arising about who should secure most plunder from broken packages. This class of men, who may fairly be considered as the very scum of society, frequently prowl about with long aprons; not so much with a view to obtain employment, as for the purpose of availing themselves of the confu. sion which the crowded state of the quays often exhibits, and the opportunity of obtaining plunder; in which object they have too frequently been successful, particularly when admitted into the warèhouses as labourers, where they have found means to pilfer and carry away considerable quantities of sugar and other articles, in which they were not a little countenanced by similar offences committed by journeymen coopers and others, who, under the colour of sanctioned perquisites, abstract considerable quantities of sugar, thereby subjecting the proprietors to an accumulated loss; for, in addition to

the