Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-11-09
GIisrellaueous.
TOM ROCKET.
The English Elfghyvayman.

Tom Rocket was high hwavman. No one
ever christened him Tom, and his fathers
name was not Rocket. When he was tried
for his life at Warwick assises, he was ar
rsigned as Charles Jackson, and they were
particular about names then. If you indict-
ed man as Jim, and his true name was Joe.
he got off; and when the law was alte red-so
that they could set such errors right at the
trial-people, leastwise lawyers, sGid that the
British constitution was being pulled up, root
and branch. But that's neither here nor
there. [ cannot tell you how it that he
came to be known as Tom Rocket, and if |
could, it would not have anything to do with
my story For six years he the most ia
nous thief in the Midland counties, and for
six years no one knew what he was like. He
was lazy fellow. was Tom; he never came
out except when there was good prize to be
picked up, and he had his scouts and his
spies all over the place to give him informa-
ton about booty, and warn him of danger.
But to judge by what people said, he was ION
the road" at half-a-dozen different places at
once, every day of his life; for you see wheL
any one was robbed Of his property, or found
it convenient so to account for it, why he
laid it upon Tom Rocket as sort of excuse
for giving it up easily, because, you see. no
one thought of arrestipg Tom. So it was,
that all sorts of conflicting descriptions of his
! person got abroad. One said that he was
| awfullT tall man and had voice like thun-
der; another, that he was a mild little man
! with black eyes and light hair. He
wa, fiery fat man, with blue eyes and
black hair with some; he had jolly red face
he was pale as death-his nose was Ro
man one day, Grecian, or snub in the next
His dress was all the colors of the rainbow,
and as for his borse:-that was of every shade
and breed that was ever heard Of and of
good many more beside, that have yet to b,
found. He wore black half-mask, but som,
how or other it was always obliging enoug!
to slip off, so as to give each of his victims
full view of his face only no two of then
could ever agreee as to what it was like.
My father was Gloucestershire man. HI
stood six feet three in his stockings. ant
measured thirty-sx inches across the cheast
He could double up half crown between hi
finger and thumb, and was as brave as lion
So, many time and oft, when any one talk
ed ofthe dangers of the road, he would Sc
his great teeth together, shake his head, AM
say that he should like to see the man tina
could rob him on the highway; and as L sal
before, he did see him, and it was Tom Roc
ct.
My father was lawyer, and was, at tn
time L have mentioned. engaged in grea
1.-THE cause that was to be tried at the War
wick Spring assizes. So, shortly befor
Christmas, he had to 60 over to look up evi
dence. There was no cross-country coach
so he rode; and being, as have said, bray
man. he rode alone. He transacted his bu:
iness; and my poor mother being i'll, and nc
liking to leave her alone longer than he coul
help, he set out to ride home again, abor
half past nine o'clock that same evening.
was as beautiful winters night as ever yo
were out in. His nag was first-ra
hunter, as docile dog. and fit to carr
even his weight over, or past, anything. H
4 held brace of excellent pistols in his ho
sters; and he logged along, humming a merI
tune, neither thinking nor caring for any ro)
Der under the sun All of Sudden it struc
him that the pretty barmaid Of an Inn just o.
of Warwick town, where he had stopped