Daniel Defoe: The History of the Remarkable Life of John Sheppard

Mr. Wood having Reason to suspect, that Sheppard had robb'd a Neighbour, began to be in great Fear and Terror for himself. And when his Man came not Home in due season at Nights bar'd him out; but he made a mere jest of the Locks and Bolts, and enter'd in, and out at Pleasure; and when Mr. Wood and his Wife have had all the Reason in the World to believe him Lock't out, they have found him very quiet in his Bed the next Morning, such was the power of his early Magick.

Edgworth Bess having stol'n a Gold Ring from a Gentleman, whom she had pick'd up in the Streets, was sent to St. Giles's Round-house; Sheppard went immediately to his Consort, and after a short Discourse with Mr. Brown the Beadle, and his Wife, who had the Care of the Place, he fell upon the poor old Couple, took the Keys from them, and let his Lady out at the Door in spight of all the Out-cryes, and Opposition they were capable of making.

About July 1723, He was by his Master sent to perform a Repair, at the House of Mr. Bains , a Piece-Broker in White-Horse Yard ; he from thence stole a Roll of Fustain, containing 24 Yards, which was afterwards found in his Trunk. This is supposed to be the first Robbery he ever committed and it was not long e're he Repeated another upon this same Mr. Bains , by breaking into his House in the Night-time, and taking out of the Till seven Pounds in Money, and Goods to the value of fourteen Pounds more. How he enter'd this House, was a Secret till his being last committed to Newgate , when he confessed that he took up the Iron Bars at the Cellar Window, and after he had done his Business, he nailed them down again, so that Mr. Bains never believed his House had been broke; and an innocent Woman a Lodger in the House lay all the while under the weight of a suspicion of committing the Robbery.

Sheppard and his Master had now parted, ten Months before the expiration of his Apprenticeship, a woeful parting to the former; he was gone from a good and careful Patronage, and lay expos'd to, and comply'd with the Temptations of the most wicked Wretches this Town could afford as Joseph Blake , alias Blewskins, William Field, Doleing, James Sykes , alias Hell and Fury , which last was the first that betray'd, and put him into the Hands of Justice, as will presently appear.

Having deserted his Master's Service, he took Shelter in the House of Mr. Charles in May-Fair , near Piccadilly , and his Landlord having a Necessity for some Repairs in his House, engag'd one Mr. Panton a Carpenter to Undertake them, and Sheppard to assist him as a Journeyman; but on the 23rd of October , 1723, e're the Work was compleat, Sheppard took Occasion to rob the People of the Effects following, viz. seven Pound ten Shillings in Specie, five large silver Spoons, six plain Forks ditto, four Tea-Spoons, six plain Gold Rings, and a Cypher Ring; four Suits of Wearing Apparel, besides Linnen, to a considerable value. This Fact he confess'd to the Reverend Mr. Wagstaff before his Escape from the Condemn'd Hold of Newgate .

Sheppard had a Brother, nam'd Thomas , a Carpenter by Profession, tho' a notorious Thief and House-breaker by Practice. This Thomas being committed to Newgate for breaking the House of Mrs. Mary Cook a Linnen-Draper , in Clare-street, Clare-Market , on the 5th of February last, and stealing Goods to the value of between 50, and 60 l. he impeach'd his Brother John Sheppard , and Edgworth Bess as being concerned with him in the Fact; and these three were also Charg'd with being concern'd together, in breaking the House of Mr. William Phillips in Drury-Lane , and stealing divers Goods, the Property of Mrs. Kendrick a Lodger in the House, on the 14th of the said February : All possible endeavours were us'd by Mrs. Cook and Mr. Phillips , to get John Sheppard and Edgworth Bess Apprehended, but to no purpose, till the following Accident.

Sheppard was now upon his wicked Range in London , committing Robberies every where at Discretion; but one Day meeting with his Acquaintance, James Sykes , alias Hell and Fury , sometimes a Chair-man, and at others a Running Foot-man. This Sykes invited him to go to one Redgate's , a Victualling-house near the Seven Dials , to play at Skettles , Sheppard comply'd, and Sykes secretly sent for Mr. Price a Constable in St. Giles's Parish , and Charg'd him with his Friend Sheppard for the Robbing of Mrs. Cook , &c. Sheppard was carried before Justice Parry , who order'd him to St. Giles's Round-house till the next Morning for farther Examination: He was Confin'd in the Upper part of the Place, being two Stories from the Ground, but 'ere two Hours came about, by only the help of a Razor, and the Stretcher of a Chair, he broke open the Top of the Round house, and tying together a Sheet and Blanket, by them descended into the Church-yard and Escap'd, leaving the Parish to Repair the Damage, and Repent of the Affront put upon his Skill and Capacity.

On the 19th of May last in the Evening, Sheppard with another Robber named Benson , were passing thro' Leicester-fields , where a Gentleman stood accusing a Woman with an attempt to steal his Watch, a Mobb was gathered about the Disputants, and Sheppard's Companion being a Master , got in amongst them and pick'd the Gentleman's Pocket in good earnest of the Watch; the Scene was surprizingly chang'd, from an imaginary Robbery to a real one; and in a moment ensued an Out-cry of stop Thief , Sheppard and Benson took to their Heels, and Sheppard was seiz'd by a Serjeant of the Guard at Leicester House, crying out stop Thief with much earnestness. He was convey'd to St. Ann's Round House in Soho , and kept secure till the next Morning, when Edgworth Bess came to visit him, who was seiz'd also; they were carried before Justice Walters , when the People in Drury-Lane and Clare-Market appeared, and charged them with the Robberies aforemention'd: But Sheppard pretending to Impeach certain of his Accomplices, the Justice committed them to New-Prison , with intent to have them soon removed to Newgate , unless there came from them some useful Discoveries. Sheppard was now a second time in the hands of Justice, but how long he intended to keep in them, the Reader will soon be able to Judge.

He and his MATE were now in a strong and well guarded Prison, himself loaded with a pair of double Links and Basils [17] of about fourteen pounds weight, and confined together in the safest Appartment call'd Newgate Ward ; Sheppard conscious of his Crimes, and knowing the Information he had made to be but a blind Amusement that would avail him nothing; he began to Meditate an Escape. They had been thus detained for about four Days, and their Friends having the Liberty of seeing them, furnish'd him with Implements proper for his Design, accordingly Mr. Sheppard goes to work, and on the 25th of May being Whit-son Monday at about two of the Clock in the Morning, he had compleated a practicable breach, and sawed of his Fetters; having with unheard of Diligence and Dexterity, cut off an Iron Bar from the Window, and taken out a Muntin, or Bar of the most solid Oak of about nine Inches in thickness, by boring it thro' in many Places, a work of great Skill and Labour; they had still five and twenty Foot to descend from the Ground; Sheppard fasten'd a Sheet and Blanket to the Bars, and causes Madam to take off her Gown and Petticoat, and sent her out first, and she being more Corpulent than himself, it was with great Pain and Difficulty that he got her through the Interval, and observing his Directions, was instantly down, and more frighted than hurt; the Phylosopher follow'd, and lighted with Ease and Pleasure; But where are they Escap'd to? Why out of one Prison into another. The Reader is to understand, that the New Prison and Clerkenwell Bridewell lye Contiguous to one another, and they are got into the Yard of the latter, and have a Wall of twenty-two Foot high to Scale, before their Liberty is perfected; Sheppard far from being unprepared to surmount this Difficulty, has his Gimblets and Peircers ready, and makes a Scaleing-Ladder. The Keepers and Prisoners of both Places are a sleep in their Beds; he Mounts his Bagage , and in less than ten Minutes carries both her and himself over this wall, and compleats an entire Escape. Altho' his Escape from the Condemn'd Hold of Newgate , has made a far greater Noise in the World, than that from this Prison hath. It has been allow'd by all the Jayl-Keepers in London , that one so Miraculous was never perform'd before in England ; the broken Chains and Bars are kept at New Prison to Testifie, and preserve the Memory of this extraordinary Villain.