The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-04-23 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

TEE SMUGGLER'S CAVE.—This neighbourhood, about a century ago, was much the resort of smugglers, but more especially of the celebrated Hawkhurst gang, which was broken up in 1749, by the execution of the following desperadoes : Benjamin Tapner of West Stoke, William Carter of Hants, Richard Mills of Trotton, Richard Mills the younger of Stedham, John Cobby of Sidlesham, John Hammond of Berated, and William Jackson, died two hours after the sentence was announced. These with others were implicated in several murders, which they deemed it expedient to perpetrate for their protection in their outlawry, but the one for which they suffered was the murder of Chater, a shoemaker of Fordingbridge, and Galley an exciseman, who were seized upon by the smugglers on their way to Major Battine, at East Marden, for the purpose of giving information against Dimer, a smuggler, who, with others, had been engaged in breaking open the custom house at Poole. Chater was murdered by being hung in a well at Lady Holt Park, and Galley died three days previously from wounds received from the smugglers. The whole of the prisoners were hanged at a spot about a mile from this city, and the body of Benjamin Tapner was hung in chains on Rook's hill. The bodies of Mills and Jackson were thrown into a hole near the place of execution, and near to it is erected a stone having the follow ingipscription  Near this place was buried the body of William Jackson, a proscribed smuggler, who, upon a special commission of oyer and terminer,'heid at Chichester,:on the 16th January, 1748-9, was, with William Carter, attainted for the murder of William Galley, a custom-house officer, and who likewise was, together with Benjamin Tapper, John Cobby, John Hammond, Richard Mills the elder, and Richard Mills the younger, his son (attainted for the murder of Daniel Chater) but dying a few hours after sentence of death was pronounced upon him, he thereby escaped the punishment which the heinousness of his crimes deserved, and which was the next day most justly inflicted upon his accomplices." " As a memorial to posterity, and a warning to his and sncceedin' ~enerations  stone is erected, D. 1749."  It is evident from the details given that the whole of the north western parts of Sussex and the eastern parts of Hants, were, a century ago, much frequented by smugglers. Here they had their rendezvous, and at different times in voids and various places—pits' and other secret recesses, tar depositing their contraband goods have since been discovered. A short time ago another of these places was brought to light on the Old Broyle Common, by some labourers, who while engaged in digging a gravel-pit, suddenly broke into a subterraneous cavern. J n this place there appears to be a regularly formed arch, branching out in several directions, but owing to its being tilled up with rubbish it is difficult to recognise its form, but this will not be long a matter of conjecture, for workmen are now employed in clearing it out. In one direction a man on his hands and knees bas penetrated as far as one hundred yards underground, and in other parts g there is five feet standing room. From the remains of old fashioned wine ald Geneval bottles found therein, there can be no doubt of its having been used by smugglers as a place of rogrt and a depostory for their goods.