The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-16 00:00:00

GELPSMS IN THE NETV FOat:ST.

-.R3tr.-,--

the ve%vJi

rein a class of Ind

Ct9:6,
I These rwrsons by virtue of a ling existing
l custom and usage, established themselves as sepa-
rate and distinct colonies, which are extensively
distributed throughout this waste.
It is a:: a:cient admitted plea of justification for
a perpetual tenancy that if a faintly can erect a
house and occupy the same, free from the ill effects
of wind and weather, within a space of 24 clear
hours, they become, by virtue of such an accom-
plishment, tenants in foe of the grouud they stand
upon, and are suffered. thenceforth to enjoy the
same as a perpetual freehold.
From this circumstance, either with a view to
promote a spirit of social accommodation, or to se-
tura from external annoyances united support, or
both, these people have been progressively en-
croaching from time immemorial on this sylvan,
waste, until they have ultimately succeeded in con-
structing villages, which they are pleased to term
towns, in which they multiply in numbers and. in
crime.

Being proximate to the coast, immediately op-
posite the port Cherbourg, and in close connection
and constant communication with the Channel
Islands, the New Forest presents a most eligible
theatre for the encouragement of smuggling, and
the greater portion of the inmates of these mud-
built wigwams are wore or lees in the practice of
carrying on an unceasing trade in contraband wares.
This lawless practice, combined with deer stealing,
and poaching on an unlimited scale, may be.
ookebd
upon as the chief resources of the villages under con-
sideration. Some years since there was a notorious
deer stealer, named Jem Dible, who occupied a hut
in "deer-ending-town," near Wyvelly Lodge, the
residence of one of the forest keepers of the name
of Toomer. This is the person who once succeeded
in tutoring a pig he had in his possession to perform
the duties of a sporting dog. The porcine quad-
ruped would gallop by the sides of hedges, through
stubble or heath, and wherever he scented fur or
feather, would come to a dead stand, and maintain
his position as stiff as the s aunchest pointer. This
pig Toomer bad for years, and, for his g .od servi-
ces, spared from the murderous knife of the but-
cher, so that he might be said to have " saved his
bacon." Jem Dible was no less than fifty times in-
carcerated in Winchester gaol, for longer or shorter
terms of imprisonment. He was the most noto-
rious poacher of the day, and has left behind him
a name that will go down with posterity for ages
to come in the legendary annals of "feats of the
forest."
From Dible's school sprang up a race of similar
character unrivalled by the " Waltham blacks" for
their daring intrepidity. They spread terror in the
neighbourhood around. Nor were their pursuits
directed to deer stealing and poaching alone ; the
farmers' homestead-, were assailed by these noctur-
nal depredators. Poultry, sheep, and pigs came
alike to them ; in fact, they made a trade of their
daring ingenuity ; and have been known to have
succeeded, without a shadow of suspicion attached
to them, of disposing of joints of mutton to the
farmers' wives iu the vicinity, which formed a part
and parcel of the very sheep that, twenty-four hours
before, were grazing on their husbands' lands.
A veryremarkatile instance of detection, in relation
to one of the Dible's, on the score of sheep stealing,
may prove interesting in detail. It happened in
the month of December. Mr. Cole, of Bucklands,
lost a sheep off his farm during the night; the animal
had been killed on the spot on which it was feed-
ing, and the skin and garbage were abandoned to a
ditch hard by. Cole, on discovering his loss, ordered
his horse to be saddled, and started off to Rhines-
field Lodge, the keeper of which, one Bumpstead,
kept a brace of highly-trained bloodhounds, which
were used for redeeming the red deer that were
frequently apt to stray away beyond the forest
bounds. These dogs were conveyed in a cart to the
field in which the robbery had been committed, and.
laid on to the foot track of the perpetrator of the
theft, accompanied by Bumpstead, Mr. Cole, and
his eon. The scent was quickly acknowledged by
the canine retrievers ; they drifted their way at an
even pace, overa wild heath, a cold fallow, through
a coppice, crossed the high road at Garlington Mill,
through a turnip field, over a stubble, into the high
road again, on to Arnewood farm, ran the length
of a mile towards Batcbley, when they entered the
forest, and uninterruptedly entered Deer-ending-
town, when they opened with the stentorian salute
of "We have found." On the parties entering the
premises, in a shed behind the house was the mut-
ton, cut up ready for retail purposes. The man.
Able was so struck with the novel mode of his
apprehension that ho credulously fancied the devil
had a hand in the whole transaction, and, falling
on his knees, implored mercy from. God and man
for the criminal act he had committed. He was,
however, visited with the usual punishment atten-
dant upon such a feature of felony at the following
assizes, held at Winchester.

But, although the New Forest has been for a long
course of years the parent of crimes of a like charac-
ter, nevertheless it may be considered somewhat
anomalous in the scale of truth, that the gipsies
who are numerous in these parts, are seldom, if
ever, known to trespass upon the possessions of the
farmer. These roving tribes are looked upon in
the light of the guardians of the housekeeper,
rather than as pilferers or plunderers. The farmer
feels more satisfied when gipsies encamp near his
1 residence than when they are away. He is safe
from the encroachments of his more furtive neigh-
bours, for the Sybilline fraternity are invariably
accompanied by a kennel of restless, impatient curs,
which give alarm at the slightest sound of ap-
proach on the part of any stranger advancing to-
wards them ; these watch-dogs give the signal for
an immediate look out, so that no person can escape
the vigilant observation of the staff of the camp.
The Lees, the Coopers, and the Stanlevs have,
from time immemorial, visited the different farms
in the neighbourhood of their Sylvan encampment
every year. They on their arrival announce their
presence by personally waiting on the respective
farmers at their residences ; genera ly begging of
the latter a few trusses Gf straw, which constitute
the chief of their bed furniture. This boon is in-
variably afforded them, and in such good faith is
the bond of reciprocal accommodation observed
that, if any one of the tribe should, under any cir-
cumstances, betray the trust reposed in hint by
committing a depredation on a neighbouring far-
mer who has befriended them with their necessary
wants, that individual is, after undergoing a judi•
cial ceremony, reproved by the whole community,
and ultimately expelled from the tribe he belonged
to, abandoned as au exile and an outcast. A singular
instance of this kind occurred about twenty-five
years ago, at a place called Bolton Bench, in the fo-
rest. It happened that a young gipsy boy had
been guilty of some act of a nature repugnant to the
general understanding of the tribe. He was re-
moved to a spot a short distance from the camp,
and there surrounded by the whole of the brethren,
each member having a branch of oak in his or her
hand. He was then commanded by the king,
who assembled the council, to walk slowly round
the human circle within arms'-length of the cir-
cutnstationed group. Dur ng this perambulatory
exposure, he received a stroke from the branches
that the men and women were provided with. A
vessel of ditty water was then soused over him, and
he was suffered to boat a hasty retreat from the
camp. _ _

Jo-seph Lee was the patriarchal monarch of the
gipsi-s, on the above occasion. He was 87 years
of age when ho died, having by hook or by crook,
as tee saying goes, lumped together a tidy personal
estate ; for, according to the accredited reckoning
of the gipsey court of "testamentary comtnins,"
he left behind him no less a sum than six thousand

pounds sterling. He hid three daughters, whom
he severally named "Faith," " Hope," and
" Charity." On Charity Lee, his youngest daugh-

ter, being married to a ioundman-of the Stanley

tribe, it is stated that he presented to the
bride-
groom 3001. worth of plate and jewellery, and 200

_ -
bride,
four
1 'E. overeigns, and to his daughter, the
' Now Forest ponies, and a saddle and bridle.
The
c, sri
Forest
featuresareptshhaitre.to
etligetegcw'itfeeFalt gain that would speedily
bg
ei plllini
dee set
puae inedh
etinlnite
theo N
lf
follow in the wake of bringing this long-neglected
waste into a state of cultivation, the government
would, at one swoop, sap the foundation of this
forest Babel of crime and its contingencies, thereby
admitting the flood-gates of civilisation to be
opened and the back-waters of sound knowledge
and moral example to find their way into the
hearts of its degraded and depraved inhabitants.

The private advices from New York by the North Star
state that the news by the Persia which brought out
240,0001., was better than had beenP expected. More
produce was moving from the West ; the banks were
discounting choice paper rather more freely, and the
general tone was decidedly better. The belief conse-
quently was that unless very bad news should arrive
from Europe the worst might be considered past. In
mthoastt rseesrpioeuctp. the
Probably fail u oh fo
wMe ev sea:, s .hnieegDfno etreineyvriatrrsyeteoterhuorivninvegert
Res
recovered tot
back
ethneabvlaeriitoutsombaerkmeetst wwiiltlhohuatvethsruoffiwci
into increased confusion. Under any circumsrances,
however, the improvement would be slow until the open-
ing of the canals in the spring, so as to allow of vroduce
being brought down in larger quantities. 20,000 sove-
reigns which came out by the Baltic had been sent back
to England by the next return steamer. The rate of
excha4ge had further advanced, some transactions hav-
ing occurred at la Gold from this side therefore would
fail as a speculation. The only further suspension of any
iteportantance bad been that of George Warren and Co.
large dry goods importers, at Boston.