The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1871-03-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

THE MODERN DICK TURPIN."  In London, on Tuesday, Horace Wright, whose strange freaks in the country have earned for him the name of the "Modern Hick Turpin," was brought b. fore the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, charged with stealing .£3O belonging to Mr. Samuel Cropper, of TO, Cheapside, with which sum he had been entrusted to pay a bill. Sergeant Bull deposed that on the 22nd of February the prosecutor, Mr. Cropp, r, gave information of the robbery to the police, and that he (witness) went to Cambridge, and found the prisoner in custody of the chief constable. He told him he was a detective officer, and that he would be charged with stealing two Bank of England notes for £2O and £lO, belonging to Mr. Cropper. The prisoner replied that that was correct, and he was very sorry for what he had done. He added, "If I had £1.0,000 I would give all of it to him; he was exceedingly kind an good to me, and I have been very ungrateful. When I see a horse with • saddle on I must be there if I have got money. I think I am mad." Upon him one halfpenny was found. The Lord Mayor, owing to the unavoidable absence of the prosecutor, remanded the prisoner for a week.  The above cane furniehea the Pall Mall Gaulle with a theme for the following observations it seems that there is an aspirant to the honours won by Dick turpin the famous highwayman. Mr. Horace Wright, who describes himself as a medical student, and has already distinguished himself by one or two highway robberies conducted in the approved fashion, name!), on horseback with a mask and pistol, was arrested on Friday night in a labourer's cottage, at Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire, on a charge of robbery. Mr. Wright had taken lodgings he this secluded village, which was perhaps selected by him as a retreat owing to its being in the neighbourhood of the real Trek Tornio's early horns. That gentleman according to the Newgate Calendar, was born at Thatted, in FMCS, no great distance from Castle Camps; and It was owing to his imprudently writing to his brother in that county, when he was imprisoned under the name of dons Palmer In York Castle, for horse-ate ,Ung, roi nesting that a witness might be sent from London to give him a character, that his real name was discovered The letter was returned unopened to the post-office because the brother would not pay the postage of It ; it was then accidentally seen by Mr. Smith, a schoolmaster, who had taught Turista to write, 1 and so knew lii, hand. Mr. Smith was despatched by the E.sex magistrates to York, and immediately selected his former pupil from all the ether prisoners in the Castle. The consequences were rather serious for poor Turpin, as it led to his being tried for murder and hanged. ilia death was, however, as beautiful as his life, for not many days before hie execution he purchased "a new fustian frock and a pair of pumps, In oVer to wear them at the time of his death ; " and on the day before his execution he hired five poor men at ton shillings each to follow the cart as mourners lie gave hatbands and gloves to several persons, and also left a ring and other articles to a married lady In Lincolnshire with whom he had been acquainted. If Mr. Wright's a.tempts to walk In the footsteps of this truly great man should unhappily conduct him also to the gallows, let us hope his last hours will be marked by a similar liberality.