3 60 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
As soon as the robbery was discovered on Monday morning, the most active
measures were adopted. The robbers were traced to Edinburgh, from whence
Mr. Walkinshaw, belonging to Glasgow, and a city officer, set off in pursuit,
following the route of the robbers all the way, From the direction of a portmanteau-
which Mackcoull had left in charge of the waiter at Welwyn, to
be forwarded by the Stamford coach to London-aided by the Bow Street
officers, the residence of Scoltock the smith was soon found out, where White
was apprehended, Mackcoull narrowly escaping. In order to save White’s
life, and secure themselves against prosecution, a negotiation, on the suggestion
of French, was proposed to restore the money. Mackcoull, who from
the first evidently intended to cheat his associates out of a few thousands of
the spoil, reluctantly, although with the best grace, acceded to the proposal.
Determining, however, not to give all up, he conceived a plan which evinced
no small degree of generalship on his part. This was, to negotiate through
the medium of hlr. Sayer, one of the Bow Street officers appointed to attend
on the person of George the Third, who, from his long service, was believed
to have some little influence at Lord Sidmouth‘s office. He was besides an
old acquaintance of Mrs. Mackcoull, and the more likely, backed by a consideration,
to be prevailed upon by that lady’s eloquence. The contrivance
proved eminently successful. In his anxiety to secure the money, the agent
of the bank acted with improper precipitancy. The terms of restitution were
at once agreed to-White was forgiven, and the other two secured against
prosecution. Mrs. Mackcoull was then despatched with the notes, which, when
counted out, amounted only to f,11,941 odds, instead of ;E20,000. The
agent remonstrated j but of course Mrs. Mackcoull knew nothing of the matter.
Mackcoull had thus played his cards to admiration. White, in pursuance
of his pardon, was sent to the Hulks; and French, although so enraged at
the perfidy of our hero as to threaten his life, could not accuse him without
the certainty of following the fate of Huffey. The Bank was, besides, in a
manner tied down ; and to make matters worse, the officers who were at first
employed were so angry at the job having been taken out of their hands, that
they refused to proceed farther in the business.
Mackcoull now gave out that he had gone to the West Indies ; and the
bank giving up hopes of his apprehension, he farther secured himself from
danger by informing against French, who was seized and transported-to New
South Wales. For nearly a year Mackcoull contrived to enjoy himself in
London Without detection. In 1812, however, he was seized in one of his old
haunts, and, after being detained at Hatton Garden for some time, despatched
for Scotland. As he sat on the coach heavily ironed, previous to leaving the
“Eull and Mouth,” his late conduct having brought him into low esteem
among the honourable members of the fraternity, several of his former acquaintances
stood round jeering him. “Some of them observed that the Captain
looked extremely well after his West Indian. Voyage; others, in allusion to his
nose, that the convoy was about to get under weigh, for the Commodore had