oposed to him to join in that information he gave
against their companions, but that he scorned to save his life by so
mean a practice as betraying those who had received him into their
friendship.

Their deportment at the place of execution was resolute without
obstinacy or impenitence, and the last moments of their lives were full
of seriousness, without any marks of timorousness or confusion. Russell
was about twenty-five, Crouch about twenty, and Holden somewhat more
than twenty-eight years of age at the time they suffered, which was on
Monday, 20th of May, 1728.

The Lives of CHRISTOPHER, _alias_ THOMAS RAWLINS; ISAAC ASHLEY, _alias_
ALSEBY; JOHN ROUDEN, _alias_ HULKS; EDWARD BENSON, _alias_ BROWN,
_alias_ BOYSTON; GEORGE GALE, _alias_ KIDDY GEORGE; THOMAS CROWDER;
JAMES TOON; JOHN HORNBY; WILLIAM SEFTON; and RICHARD NICHOLS, Thieves,
Street-Robbers, Housebreakers, etc.

Although the several criminals whose lives we are now going to relate do
not so well tally with one another, they having been of different gangs
and dying for various offences, yet as they were all apprehended in
consequence of the before-mentioned proclamation, were street-robbers
and most of them not unknown to each other, I thought it would be better
to speak of them here all at once rather than divide them into several
lives. I have very little to say of any of them worthy the attention of
the reader.

To begin, then, with Christopher, _alias_ Thomas Rawlins. He was the son
of very honest parents here in town, who brought him up as well as their
circumstances would permit, and when he grew big enough to go out to a
trade put him apprentice to a silversmith with whom he served out his
time with tolerable reputation. But being a lad of great gaiety and
spirit, having much addicted himself to the company of young fellows of
a like disposition, frequented dancing meetings, and taken delight in
everything but his business, such inclinations as these easily betrayed
him to the commission of the greatest crimes and a certain alertness in
his temper made him very acceptable to those debauched young fellows who
were his usual companions to such places. Whether he was at first
seduced by the persuasions of others to the committing thefts and
robberies, or whether those necessities to which their extravagancies
had reduced them put him and his associates on taking such measures for
filling their purses, is hard to be determined. But certain it