The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01

:NGLANDS PRESS GANGS GAVE HER MASTERY OF THE
From the painting by Morland.

people were very shy and cautious Of
appearing in public" The salutary
effects Of the raid. however. did not ex-
tend to the fishermen it was indeed to
benefit. They became more insolent
than ever and a few years later marked
their resentment Of the attempt to press
them by administering a sound thrash
ing to Mdshipman Sealy Of the Shore
ham rendezvous. whom they one day
caught unawares.
The surprise tactics Of the gang Of
course varied according to Circum-
stances. and the form they took was
sometimes highly ingenious. a not un-
common stratagem was the impersOna-
ton Of recruiting party heating up
for volunteers. With cockades In their
hats, drums rolling and flies shrilling.
the gangsmen, who of course had their
arms concealed. marched ostcntatiousIy
through the high street OF some sizable
country town and so into the market
place. Since nobody had anything to
fear from a harmless recruiting party
people turned out in strength to Sc
the sight and listen to the music. When
they had in this way drawn as many as
they could into the open the gangsmen
suddenly threw on their disguise and
seized every pressable person they could
lay hands on. Market day was III
adapted to these tactics. 1t brought too
big a crowd together.
A similar ruse was once practised
with great success upon the inhabitants
of Portsmouth by Capt. Bowen OF the
Dreadnought. in connection with a gen.
eral press which the Admiralty had
secretly ordered to be made in and
| about that town. Dockyard towns were
not as a rule considered good pressing
| grounds because OF the drain of men set
up by the ships of war fitting out there.
but Bowen had certainly no reason to
| subscribe to that opinion. Late on the
night OF March s, 1903. he landed
| company OF marines at Gosport for the
purpose. as ii was given out. OF sup
pressing a mutiny at Fort Monckton.
| The news spread rapidly, drawing
crowds Of people from their homes In
anticipation OF an exciting scrimmage.
| This gave Bowen the opportunity he
counted upon. When the throngs had
| crossed Haslar bridge he posted marines
at the bridge end. and as the disap-
pointed people came pouring back the
] "jolles'' pressed every man in the
| crowd Five hundred are said to have
been taken on this occasion. but as the
nature Of the service forbade discrimi-
| nation at the moment OF pressing nearly
| one half were next day discharged as
| unfit or exempt.
Hunting the sailor was largely a mat
ter OF Information, and unfortunately
| for his chances Of escape informers
were seldom wanting. Everywhere 1t
| was a game Of hide and seek. Con-
stables had orders TO report him. Chap
men. drovers and soldiers, persons who
were much on the road, kept a bright
| lookout for him. The crimp, habitualy
given to underhand practices, turned
informer when prices for seamen ruled
low in the service he usually catered
| for. His mistress loved him as long
| as his money lasted; when he had no
more To throw away upon her she per-
hdiously betrayed him. And for all this
| there was a reason as simple as casting
up the number of shillings In the pound.
No matter how pennlless the sailor him
self might be he was always worth that
sum at the rendezvous. Twenty shil-
lings was the reward paid for informa-
ton leading to his apprehension as
straggler or n skulker and it was largely
on the strength OF such informations
and often under the personal guidance
of such detestabe informers that the
gang went a hunting.
Apart from greed of gain the motive
most commonly underlying informations
was either jealousy or spite. Women
We're the greatest sinners in the first
respect. Let the sailorman concealed
by a woman only So much as look with
favor upon another and his fat" was
sealed. She gave him away or, what
was more profitable, sold him without
regret. There We're as good fish in the
sea as ever came out. Perhaps better.
On the wings of spite and malice
the escapades of youth often came home
to roost after many years. Men who
had run away to sea as lads, but had
afterward married and settled down.
were informed on by evil disposed per
sons who bore them some grudgc, and
torn from their families as having used
the sea. stephen Kemp Of Warbelton
in Sussex, one Of the many who suf-
fered this fate, had indeed used the
sea, but only for single night on
board a fishing boat.
In face OF these infames il Is good
to read OF how they dealt with in
formers at Newcast!e-upon-T There
the role was one fraught with peculiar
; danger. Rewards wer" paid 10y the
Collector Of Customs and when a New
castle man went to the customs house
to claim the price OF some sailors be-
trayal the people set upon him ana
incontinently broke his head. one no.
torious receiver 81 such rewards was
, NEARLY murtherd." Thereafter In
formers had to be paid In private places
for fear OF the mob, and so many per"
sons fell under suspicion OF playing
the dastardly game that the regulating