Year: 1877

On the officers reaching London, the au-
thorities were informed of the circumstances
attending the brutal outrage at Hinckley,
but in the absence of any clew which would
lead to the perpetrators they were unable to
do anything.


In the course of month, however, George
Pycott was sufficiently restored to undertake
a journey to the metropolis, and thither he
the murderers of his father.


The elder Pycott had one brother, who
had been degraded from the army, and who
had become in every way so vile and reck-
the murdered man. He had been heard to
make threats against his brothers life.
George Pycotts theory was that this
renegade uncle was the leader of the assas-
sins of his father.


This man, Richard Pycott was therefore
looked for in London, but could not be
found. After three weeks search, George
Pycott was almost hopeless of discovering
the murderers of his father and of bringing


them to justice. One day he and Bow
street runner, as the detectives in those days


were called, took wherry at Westminster,


with view to have quiet row on the wa
ter, a private conversation in relation to the


crime and its supposed perpetrators. As


they hoated past Rotherithe man sudden
| ly thrust his head out of the scuttle of coal
| barge that lay alongside the wharf Quick


as was the movement, George saw the face,


and recognized it in an instant as Sileby's.
! Then, for the first time, suspicion broke in


upon young Pycott's mind that the unfortu-


nate man might have been implicated in the


dreadful crime. He hastily communicated


his thoughts to the officer, and in a moment


the wherry was alongside the barge and the


two men were aboard In the mean and


filthy cabin, if such it might be called, they


found the man whom they sought. He was


dressed in the commonest garments, and was


unshaven and unkempt He steadily denied


his identity as Sileby, but George was conf


dent, and he was manacled and placed on


board the wherry.


second thought induced the officer to


lie under cover of the barge for minute OF


more, and the delay was amply rewarded


for man came along the wharf toward the


barge carrying a basket, and him George
identified as the person spoken of as DR.


Grayton. As he stepped on board the barge
George sprang to her deck and colared the
miserable wretch, who covered like {
hound.


Sieby stouty denied his identity and par
ticipation in the murder of Squire Pycott
but Grayton turned kings evidence, and re
vesled the diabolical plot


From the day that Squire Pycott disarmeC
him in a duel and spurned him as too worth
less to slay, Sileby had vowed vegeance


His sickness was a mere sham to decoy tn
i Squire to the house, and at the same time Il
avert the suspicion from his real assailants
0 Grayton's anxiety that the Squire should no
carry his sword upstairs lest the sick maj
n should be aroused to unpleasant memorie
n at the sight of it, was part of the plot fo
while Squire Pycott was upstairs, Grayto
e snapped the sword off near the hit on pur
: pose to deprive the Squire of weapon G
n defence during the premeditated attack
g The horses were already saddled in the sta
8 Bile, and as soon as the Squire quilted tn
e house Sileby and Grayton mounted an
e started by the turnpike to intercept him
i The attack on the night of the weddin


was planned by Sileby with Grayton an
h one of his London companions, and the d,
d sign was to murder both the Squire and h
= son and to perpetrate other nameless crime
a while as the same time they pundered th


dwelling. When they were put to flight b
}. the return of the guests they made for BIZ
f mingham, as already known. Their disaI
n pearance after Sileby's astonishing leap ovt
: the backs of the stage coach horses was eas
= y accounted for. One of the number
It least was intimately acquainted with tn
d road, for he had piled his calling as higt
q wayman on it for years, and they were the
= enabled to take a private path skirting
o wood, and so keep out of sight and earshC
d until they reached cross road by whic
d they made for town off the London turr
r pike, and waited there until the way W,
n clear.


e Sileby and Grayton were taken back {
d Leicester, where they were tried, convcte
IT and executed in 1868. Their accomplice e
IS capped to Holland, but he was subsequent
70 captured and ended his life on the galloy
1t at Newgate for highway robbery few yea
n later.