Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-12-08
Interesting Storp,
Z S. TOM ROCKET, j.
THE ENGLISH EIGHwAYMAN

NJ -"
| --S--
| Tom Rocket; was a. bighwayman. NJ
one ever schristened him Tom. and hi,
fathers name vas not Rocket. When be
was tried for bis life DIT Warwick assizes
he was aarraigeed Charles Jackson. anc
they were particular about names then
II you Indicted man as Jim, and his true
name was JUeshe got off and when the
law vas altefed-so that they could sci
Fsach errors right at the trial-people
leastwise lawyers, said that the British
| constitution was being pulled up. ROOT
and branch. But that's neither here nor
there. ! Cannot tell you how it was that
he. came to be known as Tom Rocket. and
if could, it woald not have ANYTHING to
do with my story. For six years he was
the most famous 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 wasEa good prize to be picked
up, and be had his scouts and his spies all
over the place TO give him information
about booty, and warn him ofadauger.--
But to judge By what people said. he was
. on the road at half dozen different
places at once every day of his life; for
you see when any one was robbed Of his
property or found it Convenient SO to
account for IT. Why he laid it upon Tom
Rocket DIS a sors Of excuse for giving it
up easily. becadsej yod see, no one thu't
OF resisting Tom. SO it was, that all
sorts of conflicting descriptions sof his
person got ab1ad. One said that he
was an a@fGTA man, and had a voice
like thunder; another that he was mild
little man, with black eyes and light hair.
lie was fiery fat man with blue eyes
and black hair with some; he had Jolly
red face f; he was as pale as death his
nose was Roman one day, Qrecian or a
snnb the next. His dress was all the col
ors of the rainbow, and as fer his horse.
that Was of every shade and breed that
was ever heard of, and good many more
beside. that have yet to be found OUT
He wore black half mask but some how
or other it was always obliging enough
to slip off, so as to give each of his vic
tins full view of his face, only no two
OF them could ever agree as to what it
was like.
My father was a Worcestershire man.
He stood six feet three in his stockings.
aud measured thirty.six inches across the
chest. He could double up half crown
between his finger and thumb, and was
as brave as lion. SO, many time and
oft. when any one talked of the dangers
OF the road, he would set his great teeth
together, shake his head, and say that he
would like to sec the man that could rob
him on the highway; and, as he said be
lore. ne did see him, and it was Tom
Rocket.
MY lather was lawyer, and was, at
the time | have mentioned, engaged in a
great 1.-THE cause that was to be tried at
Warwick spring asszes. So, shortly be
lore Christmas, he had to 90 over and
look up the evidence. There was no
across country coach, so he rode; and
being, as | have said, brave man, he
rode alone. He transacted his business;
and my poor mother being i'll, and not
liking to leave her alone longer than he
could help, lie set out to ride home again
about half past nine o'clock that same
evening. 1t was as, beautiful a winter s
| night as eygJSyS@ were out in. His nag
was a hrst rate hunter, as docile as a
dog, and fit to carry even his weight
over, or past, anything. He had brace
oil excellent pistols in his holsters; and
he logged along, humming merry tune
neither thinking or caring for any rob.
Der under the sun. All Of a sudden it
struck him that the pretty bar-maid OF
an inn just out Of Warwick town, where
he had stopped to have girth that he
had broken patched together, had been
very busy with those selfsame pistols
and suspecting that she might have been
tampefing with them, he drew the charges
aud reloaded them carefully. This done,
he logged on again as before.
lie had ridden about ten miles. when
he came to wooden bridge that was
there In those days over the Avon. Just
beyond 1t rose stifish hill, al the top OF
which was sudden bend in the road.--
Just as my father reached this turn, a
masked horseman suddenly wheeled
around upon him, and babe him Stand
and deliver r. It was Tom Rocket In
a second my fathers pistols were out, and
snapped within yard of the highway
mans chest but one after another they
missed Gre. The pretty bar MAZDA
special favorite of Tom s-was too sharp
to rely on the old dodge of drawing the
balls OF dampihg the charge; she thrust
a pin into each vent hole, aud broke it
short off.
Any more ~ Tom inquired, as cody
as you please, when my fathers second
pistol flashed IL The pan.
Yes she eted my father, in fury,
one for your mob ! Aud selling the
weapon lastusea by the muzzle, he hurled
it with all his a4IYlt aud main at Rock