The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 209: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

186 REYNOLDS’ WORKS after separating from the old sexton, had observed a police- man come sauntering around the corner of the street where he was posted, and he sped to accost him. ‘“ Hasten,”’ said Jack, ‘‘ there, in that direction, and arrest the old Jew. He is Barney the Burker.”’ “The Burker!’”’ ejaculated the constable. ‘‘ Here’s a capture! But I can’t tackle him alone; he’s the most desperate villain in all England. Will you come and help? ”’ “No, not I!”’ answered Jack, shrinking in horror from the idea of daring the deadly vengeance of his accomplice in the first moment of the desperado’s fury at finding that he was betrayed. ‘Well, where is he?’’ demanded the constable. ‘““ Near the end of that street,’ was Jack Smedley’s im- patient answer. “Then I’ll nab him,” quickly rejoined the constable; “there’s another officer close by.”’ With these words the policeman turned upon his heel, and hastened into the street which ran parallel with that where the Burker was, and procuring the assistance of a brother official whom he encountered at a short distance, he and his comrade sped along a narrow street connecting the two above mentioned. The capture was effected in the manner already described, and Smedley beheld 1t from a gateway leading into a mews. He saw the cab arrive to bear Barney off to Bow Street, and thither Jack Smedley hastened on foot, in order to turn approver on behalf of the government, that he might thereby save his own life. Though it was now late in the afternoon, the magistrate was still sitting at Bow Street, and the Burker, dressed in his Jewish apparel, was placed in the dock. The news speedily spread throughout the neighbourhood that the formidable Barney was taken, and the court was in a very short time crowded to excess. One of the constables who had captured the criminal deposed to the effect that he had been accosted by a stranger who gave him the infor-' mation upon which he had acted. The superintendent of police for that district then called the magistrate’s atten- tion to the fact that the prisoner had escaped from Liverpool gaol, to which he had been some time back committed on a charge of murder, and the officer produced the placard published on the occasion, specifying the particulars of ECORNICLIIOOKS (E(0)