Levee, Flood and Oakey were soon apprehended and Blake turning evidence, they were convicted the next sessions at the Old Bailey, and ordered for execution.  Levee behaved himself while under condemnation very seriously and modestly, though before that time, he had acted too much the bravo, from the mistaken opinion that people are apt to entertain of courage and resolution.  But when death approached near, he laid aside all this, and applied himself with great seriousness and attention to prayers and other duties becoming a person in his condition.

At the place of execution he fell into a strange passion at his hands being to be tied, and his cap pulled over his face.  Passion signifying nothing there, he was obliged to submit as the others did, being at the time of his execution, aged about twenty-seven.

FOOTNOTES: 

   [24] See page 66.

   [25] His real name was Joseph Blake, see page 177.

   [26] This was a portion of what is now the Bayswater Road,
        roughly between Petersburgh Place and the Notting Hill Tube
        Station.  Swift had lodgings there and it was a fairly
        fashionable residential spot.

   [27] See page 89.

The Lives of RICHARD OAKEY and MATTHEW FLOOD, Street-Robbers and Footpads

The first of these criminals, Richard Oakey, had been by his friends put apprentice to a tailor.  In about two years his master failed, and from thence to the day of his unhappy death, Oakey continually followed thieving in one way or other.  At first he wholly practised picking of women’s pockets, which he said he did in a manner peculiar to himself; for being dressed pretty genteelly, he passed by the person he intended to rob, took up their upper petticoat and cut off the pocket at once, tripping them down at the same time.  Then he stepped softly on the other side of the way, walked on and was never suspected.  He said that while a lad, he had committed several hundred robberies in this way.  As he grew older he made use of a woman to assist him, by pushing the people against the wall, while he took the opportunity of cutting their pockets; or at other times this woman came behind folks as they were crossing the way, and catching them by the arm, cried out, There’s a coach will run over ye; while Oakey, in the moment of their surprise, whipped off their pocket.

This woman, who had followed the trade for a considerable time, happened one night at a bawdy-house to incense her bully so far as to make him beat her; she thereupon gave him still more provoking language, till at last he used her so cruelly, that she roared out Murder; and not without occasion, for she died of the bruises, though the people of the house concealed it for fear of trouble, and buried her privately.  Upon this Oakey was obliged to go on his old way by himself.

[Illustration:  THE HANGMAN ARRESTED WHEN ATTENDING JOHN MEFF TO TYBURN