ad enabled the gang to
carry on their depredations with more impunity than ever. He had
concealed himself in a lighter on the river, and appearing in her as one
diligently performing his duty, and earning his livelihood as an honest
man had by such means been enabled to extend his influence, the number
of his associates, and his audacious schemes. The principal means of
detection in cases of burglary was by advertising the goods, and the
great difficulty on the part of such miscreants was to obtain a ready
sale for them--the receivers of stolen goods being aware that the
thieves were at their mercy, and must accept what was offered. Now, to
obviate these difficulties, Fleming had, as we before observed,
concealed himself from justice on board of a river barge, which was made
the receptacle for stolen goods: those which had been nefariously
obtained at one place being by him and his associates carried up and
down the river in the craft, and disposed of at a great distance, by
which means the goods were never brought to light, so as to enable the
police to recognise or trace them. This system had now been carried on
with great success for upwards of twelve months, and would, in all
probability, have not been discovered even now, had it not been that a
quarrel as to profits had taken place, which had induced two of his
associates to give information to the officers; and these two associates
had also been permitted to turn king's evidence, in a case of burglary,
in which Fleming was a principal, provided that it was considered
necessary. But there was a more serious charge against the prisoner,--
that of having attempted the life of a boy, named Jacob Faithful,
belonging to the lighter, and who, it appeared, had suspicions of what
was going on, and, in duty to his master, had carefully watched the
proceedings, and given notice to others of what he had discovered from
time to time. The lad was the chief evidence against the prisoner
Fleming, and also against Marables, the other prisoner, of whom he could
only observe, that circumstances would transpire, during the trial, in
his favour, which he had no doubt would be well considered by his
lordship. He would not detain the gentlemen of the jury any longer, but
at once call on his witnesses.

I was then summoned, again asked the same questions as to the nature of
an oath, and the judge being satisfied with my replies, I gave my
evidence as before; the judge as I perceiv