Murders > Life and adventures of that notorious robber and murderer, Richard Turpin

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Turpin nest acquainted his associates
that there was an old woman at Leighton,
\s ho was in possession of a great sum of
money, which he was sure was hoarded in
her house ; whereupon, agreeing to rob her
they proceeded to her house, when one of
them knocked at the door ; and the rest
forcing their way into the house, tied hand¬
kerchiefs over the eyes of the old woman
and her maid, and fastened a boy, her son,
to the bedstead. This being done, Turpin
demanded what money was in the house;
and the owner hesitating to tell him, he
threatened to set her on the fire if she did
not make an immediate discovery: still
she declined to give them any information ;
on which the villains actually placed her on
the fire, where she sat till anguish compelled
her to discover her hidden treasure; when
the robbers possessed themselves of above
400/. and decamped with the booty.
Some little time after this they agreed to
rob the house of a farmer at Rippleside, near
Barking; and knocking at tne door, the
[>eople declined to open it; on which they
broke it open; and having bound the farmer,
his wife, his son-in-law, and the servant-
maid, they robbed the house of about
700/, which delighted Turpin so much that
he exclaimed, “ Ay, this will do ! this is
the thing, if it would but always be so ! ’’
and the robbers retired with their prize,
which amounted to above 80/. a man.
This desperate gang, flushed With success
now determined to attack the house of