‘But the trial took place in January 1827,’ Morton said.
‘But the thing is, the Assizes didn’t happen in one day. They might have gone on for five or six weeks, depending on the number of defendants. What you need to remember is that the Assizes were paid for by central government, so local magistrates would happily pass lots of cases to the Assizes to save local money.’
‘Right, I see. So you think it will be late 1826 into early 1827?’
‘That’s right. Special in the case of the Assizes usually just meant Winter.’
‘I’ll give that a try, then,’ Morton said, standing. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re very welcome.’ Morton turned to leave when the man added, ‘Have you tried looking for your smugglers in the letters which went between the Board of Customs and Excise and the various South-Eastern ports?’
‘No, I haven’t,’ Morton answered, being not aware of such documents.
‘It’s possible they’ll mention smuggling. One second,’ the man said, looking up the details on his computer. ‘Yes, there’s a volume specifically for letters to and from the town of Dover. End of 1826, was it?’
‘That’s right,’ Morton confirmed, watching as he scribbled the information onto a piece of scrap paper—CUST 54/56.
‘There you go. Worth a shot,’ the man said, handing him the paper.
Morton thanked him and returned to Jack. ‘He thinks we should order the Special for 1826 because it was probably the winter session, which ran into early 1827. He’s also given me something else which might have mentioned the smugglers.’
‘Excellent,’ Jack said. ‘I’ve just been through this again and there’s definitely no mention of the group.’
‘Could you bind it back up again, then take it back for me, please? I’ll get these items ordered.’
‘Sure thing.’
While Jack warily rerolled and bound the file, Morton headed to one of the computer terminals designated for searching and ordering. He swiped his reader’s ticket, then ordered the two documents. According to the reference number given to him by the Irishman, the file contained copies of letters between the Board of Customs and Excise and the Blockade Service, based at Dover.
Returning to the desk, Morton placed the Fair Agenda Book back inside the box and carried it through to the returns table.
‘What now?’ Jack asked.
‘Now, we wait for the documents to be brought up,’ Morton said. ‘That can be a frustrating part about following a lead: the thirty-to-forty-minute wait.’
Thirty-two minutes later, when Morton scanned his reader’s ticket at the computer terminal for the sixth time, the two documents were finally listed as delivered. He and Jack collected them together, hurrying keenly back to their table. Jack eagerly turned to the bundle of Assize records, titled ‘Kent Winter Gaol Delivery 1826 Felony File’ and unravelled the packet.
‘This is the one,’ Jack said, excitement rising in his voice.
Morton craned his neck and read the typed text, ‘Kent. Gaol Calendar for the Special Gaol Delivery to be holden on Saturday, the 6th Day of January, 1827, at Maidstone before The Honourable Sir James Allan Park, Knight.’ Morton smiled and side-stepped back to the book of letters on his desk, only for Jack to call his attention straight back again.
‘Jeez, would you look at this!’ he exclaimed, unfurling the next sheet in the bundle, which rolled all the way to the end of the table. It contained the names of all the defendants and the charges brought against them for the special Assizes. ‘Seventy-two names!’ Jack drew his finger down the list. ‘And here are your guys: ‘Brought by Habeas Corpus—is that Latin for something?—from His Majesty’s Gaol of Newgate, charged with having been guilty of the wilful murder of Richard Morgan, on the 30th day of July last, at Dover.’
‘That’s them,’ Morton said, pulling his mobile from his pocket and switching on the camera. ‘Could you take photos for me, please?’
‘All of it?’
‘All of it; you never know what you might need later. Thanks,’ he said, opening the large book containing copies of letters from April to December 1826, the precise period of Richard Morgan’s death and the group’s eventual capture. Like the previous volume, it was large and worn, and arranged chronologically. If he had had the time, he would gladly have read each and every page, but, assessing that that would take many hours, which he did not have, he instead skipped through to the crucial period at the end of July. It took just a few seconds for him to locate the first entry: ‘30th July 1826. Enclosed it is our painful duty to submit to you a report from Lt. Hellard Divisional Officer of the Blockade Force on this station of one of the foulest and most deliberate murders that ever was committed in this or any civilized country. We have the whole of this morning been endeavouring by enquiries to ascertain what Public Houses were open late last night, and the names of the parties who were drinking therein and we hope tomorrow in co-operation with the magistracy of Dover to review them. In the meantime, should you think it more probable that a discharge of the parties engaged in this disgraceful and brutal transaction tonight be more readily effected by the activity and address of two intelligent Bow Street Officers, accustomed to deducing information from circumstantial points, we would appreciate that they should be directed to proceed without a moment’s delay to Folkestone and communicate with Lt. Hellard, who occupies the battery – the murder having been committed close to the bathing machines and consequently within the precincts of the Town of Dover-’
‘Got it!’ Jack declared, a little too loudly, drawing the attention of nearby researchers.
Morton grinned at his enthusiasm and stepped to the side to see what
