New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13
captain SCARLET'S' COAL
AN ANECDOTE.

LoIu "~naments Of the Upper House. re IL" -,
onIv boasted the finest cOllectio,I va aait faster
he found in the kingdoin p M .ossins at St
~ any man in Whites. the so s,Wi,or hold
Inr,os's hinted that had certain MIN ,ua as
osice but six months longer, ne Wouiu , h;r, No
va, have had the Buckhounds oileieu mn, as
hot ma You'd have refused them because az
Char,es Fox once said of him. Loru so. a ;t -,
,yo,,Id no the last man alive VINO "cu.u NEW,
We ~ oven nominal service to an! ' W. ,as
be Oh -" az The time of which l wrhe ne was
mn, two-and- thirty and was eAVreu u ~ for
Tor. not what one might call coi',iile ,hnro
The truth was that he had always ueou "a orl,
'', I. r.os generally admitted that ne mao oiity
done one wise thing in his NE. t acton
used to avow that this single sens' of fpolish
o,u,arbalanced a longish sequence Oh iooiisii
49, J-nder the headirr List OF Matl Ias.
the deed is recorded In the pages o1 Time "a
mans Magazine" Of tn year G 80 49,, inns the
Niscount Stayneyard 10 MISS "'
brief announcement ,u..o. of tho
Chaplain and Rector T OF Her mother
Sad been a niece Of Lord Darecourt' So tnou ,,
sbe brought her husband no fortune INV ,m ~
was nowhere considered mesallanCe. AL az" az
,~ou,iodged her great beauty ana chaIlh ",
manner In less than two seasons guy '',' ho
House which has long since ulsaipea ~ 80 co. b
cama the most popular rendezvous III ''le i''
The parties at Laughton were somewhat ie ss
formal than the Mayfair entertain entertain stnot,rr
vas natural whera a round or cover 80
cards foxhunting dancing and thealilca's "e'0
the chief pleasures - r,,.. .. ., pr,gb
the close or ~. MI. i 1T W.
ton preparing his Irish poncy: snIa,,.;rg
wou,d moi meet before the end of the foiloWihs
January At LaughtOn Park were aSse H ~
a number of guests for the new yea ~.
&c ~ Il there was to be dance. ana on Ne"
Years Day theatrical entertainments warren
with songs and music ,,or LADY
The company included the Dowaser IduS
Intherbv and the Misses Elizabeth ana Doio,
thea Sutton, the Lexngtons, the bl9hpp ca ca
his good lady Lord Edenm1 Mnr5 T Miss
Goodchild host Of others. and MI. Neoles
Hawley But on the ?9th and ;ioth the guess
Rad been admittedly little dull loI INA. u,i h
sent on brief visit to an old friend OF MS nv iIs
on tho borders of I.eicestershire. He was 10 re-
turn TO IaughtOn on the 3lst IN oruer u 'e
nreseent at Lady Stayneyards dance.
Tev-Years eve was that rare occurrence a
bye day with Mr. Hugo Mey ,f rs s paGM
George Hawley sat drinking port IN Squlle
Shel6on's oak parlor. 1t was close on y o CLOCK
in the afternoon when he rose to go. .no
The Squire naturally protested az LOSING wv
enaet COMPANY ir the world and before they
had touched the Westminster serum as pU %,
even a second bottle had been cracked but
Hawley was firm ne had pron" II, limo Ear
her dance There lay at least a twelve-me
ride before him. and there was moreover some
likelihood Of fall of snow before nishl;
So he took his leave of the genial Squire ana
half an hour after shutdown was within SIX
miles Of Laughton Park. He was ridlng qu 'sI
on the high road when suddenly a curious lued
came across his mind He felt a shade weary
OF the monotony of the fashionable life ne nau
led at Laughtor Park for near a week lhs
old strange eagerness for adventure possessed
him Quick as thought his mind was made up
Not a mile away, and approached by uesoia'-
lane, were some disused farm buildings. IN me
tbatching of the roof Of one of these was hldden
the famous scarlet coat. and his larger piston
was also there. He had not clapped eyes upon
his notorious property since he had taken
clear hundred pounds OF COLONIES Brau'eS one
windy night three weeks back on the ASH
bourne Road. The recollection OF his encounter
with the distinguished soldier stirred MN 10 I'M
mediate action In a very few minutes. when
it would be totally dark. he judged the Man
chester Mail would come tOng up That MIL
"Captain Scarlet" should be there to meet ii.
With that unerring sense of localities which
had been no small factor in making the man so
successful he reached the lonely homestead
Here he dismounted and entered. Standing on
one Of the feeding trOuehs he ran his mana
between the matching and broad rafter There,
sure enough. he found the coat. II was OF SILK
and unlned. Round the edge of the collar ran
narrow gold braid. Folded neatly it occupied
very small space A little further along the
rafter his hand struck the leather holster con-
tanning the horse pistol. This was wrapped
round with hay. and was. he assured himself,
perfectly uninjured from exposure to damp. He
loaded it carefully, as also the smaller weapon
ne carried with him where danger might chance
20 Though srOw had not yet fallen the
night bitterly cold, and he decided not to
wear the silk coat there and then in exchange
for his riding coat. was his usual custom, but
to put II on at the last minute over the other,
for the garment made loose to admit
OF this arrangement. Then he strapped the
holster to the saddle. Blouzenda. his mare,
greatly not having any false white stockings
handy for the bay. These were little make
beliefs bandages in fact. which he had found
very useful and misleading more than once or
a dark evening; when Mr.. Sheriff Lounger
had caused a handful to be issued Offering re-
ward TO any person giving information as to the
whereabouts Of a suspicious-lookng stranger
riding bay with three or not four white stock
fngs: whereas Blouzelinda had not single
white hair in her body But ne decided with nm his
Play ran rather high at Laughton, nor had he
been having the best Of luck at the card table;
SO IL Fortune should smile on him, and send in
his way a wel-laden yet awestruck mail coach
why George Hawley would probably prove
equal to the occasion.
And he did / am Of opinion that il the au-
thorities at His Majesty's Prison Of Newgate
had had 1t in their power to publish a
volume Of the Memoirs and Adventures OF the
Hon. George Hawley, commonly known as Cap
tain Scarlet" the robbery of the Manchester
Mail on NewYear's eve. 1874. would rank as his
most daring and successful exploit The very
audacity of the man took the passengers (but
five in number and three Of them inside by sur
prise
Is all / ask. There is too much paste abroad and
too poor market for II. for me TO petition you,
humbly though persuasively. for your jewels.
And beg you 10 be quick" he went on. ut
blows Chank YOU uncommon like A
paltry twenty guineas; not more. I'll warrant.
in this light purse Why sir. | VOW | took YOU
at first sight for Trade thousand apologies.
Speed is everything. May 80 bring you luck
gentlemen. and this way again with fuller
purses. But detan you. Three of your horses
are dying to be off. and the fourth is, fear. al
ready dead Good evening"
The off-wheeler lay in the roadway; 'the Cap
tain had given the poor brute the right barrel
the moment the coach had come within pistol
range. The others kicked and fdgeted while
the postboys and guard alternately trembed
and swore For all the dim light Of the coach
lamps. they had caught a glimpse Of man in
a mask with a pistol resOlute figure In red.
In twinkling they knew him for the notorious
captain Scarlet" the talk and terror Of every
tavern the road
II had been the deuce Of long speech for
him, for the passengers had been desperately
slow But he had looted them OF near ESQ be-
tween them, and now lost time in gallOping