The Lamar register., 1893-07-15
wELL-DREssED HIo4wAyMEN.
Ciande Duval and Other knights of the
Road Who Fiourished Long Ago.


Road Who Fiourishsd Long Ago.
Claude Ddval was extremely fas-
tidious touching the cut and color of
his costume. and his partiality for
dandyisrn may have been to a consid-
cradle extent due tc the fact of his
having been in the service as foot
man of the duchess of Portsmouth.
who turned him out of doors for
thieving. says the London Standard.
Perhaps the plush he had once worn
had entered into his soul. and he
could not divorce himself from love
for the radiant garments which he
had once worn. This impudent
footpad had an artistic successor in
| James Macleane, well known in the
reign OF George H. as the gentle
| man highwayman. who was remark
able for the splendid attire in
which he habitually disported him
self. and who. in curious vindication
OF the principle of retributive JUS
tice. at length got convicted
and hanged for roobing a stage coach
passenger on the highway of cloth
! coat. laced waistcoat. pair of
breeches, a periwig, a pair of pumps.
! Iiye Holland shirts, pair of silk
stockings and three cambric cravats
Mr. Macleane's own wardrobe would
appear to have been amply furnished
at the time. since he hastened to sell
! his booty to dealer in secondhand
| clothes, on the counter Of whose shop
/ they were seen and identified by the
wife of the stage coach passenger
whom he had robbed. He was only
20. The ordinary of Newgate. al
though admitting that he was known
as the gentleman highwayman,"
and in his dress and equipage very
much affected the coxcomb. added
that to any one acquainted with gen.
uine good breeding as distinguished
| from impudence and affectation there
was very little in his address or be-
| havior that would entitle him to the
/ character of gentleman. He wa,
in reality the son OF a Scotch Presby-
ter.an minister He had come to
| grief through prohigacy in early
| youth. and had been a
gentleman's butler. but had been dis
| missed for pilfering. 1t is a re-
markable circumstance that in the
interval between his arrest and his
execution the gentleman highway
man" was literally and even luxu-
riously supported by members OF that
fair sex in whose society he had al
ways taken so much delight For
several years the mantle which should
have properly descended on the
shoulders of some equally fashionable
rascal. seemed to have hovered. like
! Mahomet's coffin, in the air; but
about I711 the ideal robe in question
was donned by John Rann. who had
also been a gentlcman's servant, and
who. owing to the fantastic eccen-
| tricity OF his garb, acquired the
sobriquet of 'Sixteen-String-Jack
He also had been footman in a
gentleman family. He was only feet
inches high; he disdained wig and
wore his hair, which was of
| light brown color. combed over
| his forehead in ..fringe."
He was particularly neat in
his dress, but in two instances
his taste was very peculiar. He was
accustomed to have sixteen strings
at the knees of his neither garments
always of silk. and he always wore
! a remarkable hat with ribbons and
| gold button on the crown, while on
| sundays he was very fond Of appear
| ing in the tea gardens at Bagnigge
Wells. elegantly dressed in scarlet
coat, tambour waistcoat and white
silk stockings. Fine feathers make
| inc birds, but the end OF John Rann's
gay doings and macaroni appearance
was his being sentenced to death for
robbery and duly hanged at Tyburn.
| Throughout his confinement he lived
a very joyous and expensive life, the
prison beng frequented by large
numbers OF female acquaintances,
| who provided him with means of Civ
ing costly entertainments. But the
cart the gallows and the halter were
not to be STAYED off by the orgies of
game pie and brandy punch. and John
Ram had to climb the heavy hill and
be hanged from the triple tree.