and goods. His son, Richard, also one of
the seven, had been concerned in smuggling for years, and was a daring
fellow. John Cobby, the third of the culprits, was of a weaker
temperament, and had been brought under the influence of the
smugglers. Benjamin Tapner was especially penitent, and "hoped all
young people would take warning by his untimely fate, and keep good
company, for it was bad company had been his ruin." William Carter
complained that it was Jackson who had drawn him away from his honest
employment to go smuggling, but John Hammond was of a more obdurate
nature, and had always hated the King's officers.

According to the testimony of the Rev. John Smyth, who visited them in
gaol, all the prisoners received the Holy Communion at ten o'clock,
the morning after being sentenced to death. All the prisoners except
the two Mills admitted that they deserved the sentence, but all the
surviving six acknowledged that they forgave everybody. On January 19,
1748-9, they were executed. The two Mills were not hung in chains, but
having neither friend nor relation to take them away their bodies were
thrown into a hole near the gallows, into which also was placed
Jackson's body. Carter's body was hung in chains on the Portsmouth
Road, near Rake; that of Tapner on Rook's Hill, near Chichester; those
of Cobby and Hammond on the sea coast near Selsey Bill; so that from a
great distance they could be observed across the sea by the ships as
they went by east and west. Later on, John, the brother of Richard
Mills, and one of the gang, was also arrested. When the above three
judges were travelling down to Chichester for the trial of the seven
men, John had intended waylaying their lordships on Hind Heath, but
his companions had refused to support him. But soon after his father's
and brother's execution he met with a man named Richard Hawkins, whom
he accused of having stolen two bags of tea. Hawkins denied it, and
was brutally and unmercifully thrashed to death in the Dog and
Partridge Inn at Slindon Common, his body being afterwards carried a
dozen miles, thrown into a pond, with stones attached, and then sunk.
John Mills was convicted and hanged at East Grinstead, and afterwards
remained hanging in chains on Slindon Common. Other members of the
gang were also arrested, tried at the same assizes as highwaymen, and
then executed.

* * * * *

Later on, two of the smugglers who had given evidence