the obnoxious word whenever and wherever it appeared. The members of this association consisted mainly of young men, among whom were Skinner, Smith, Roberts, Brooker and Pulford. They were well assured of support both by residents and visitors, and in the event of any action being taken by the Town Council in a court of law, any amount of money for the defence would be forthcoming and advocates of the highest repute would be engaged. Of course, this new association of painters were willing to take upon themselves the risk of capture, but so numerous were the sentinels that notwithstanding the force against them of special constables, and the recent addion(sic) of six new policemen, they were able each night to effect their object without detection. It was winter time, and over-coats were in vogue. in one of such - an old one of course - a pocket was so constructed as to take a tin paint-pot of peculiar construction. When work was to be done, the person carrying the paint found his companions ready with walk-sticks so contrived that when three or four of them were put together they formed a rod, with a brush at the end, sufficiently long to reach the word Hastings intended to be obliterated. The constables set to watch the places were not many nights at their post before their suspicions were aroused by certain mysterious movements, and in some instances, whilst fixing their attention on the suspected party, someone stepped from the house (as pre-arranged) onto the balcony and gave "Hastings" a coat of ebony. Among other "ways and means" resorted to for the purpose of withdrawing policemen from their beat ad specials from their watch were pretend quarrels and fights, cries of fire, and feminine screams of a woman being assaulted on the parade. Whilst these false alarms were taking effect by certain persons in collusion with the paint-pot men, the latter, though concealed, were sufficiently near to the scene of the pre-meditated operation to be able to effect their object. Thus after the word Hastings had been painted upon houses in Verulam place, Eversfield place, Warrior square, Grand parade, London road, Norman road, &c. during the day, it was invariably daubed over at night, to be restored the next day and the daubing-out process repeated on the following night. While this antagonism of real-painters and pseudo-painters was going on, a party from Hastings assailed with a tar-brush and coat of tar, the newly grained and varnished doors and shop-shutters of Mr. Pain's house in Norman road. The owner was naturally much vexed at this exhibition of malice, and in the early part of the following evening called into his shop a man who had been set to watch Mr. Eldridge's house immediately opposite, where "Hastings" had been painted up a first time. It might have been that Mr. Pain purposely expatiated at some length on the villany of the tar process, but in any case, when the -
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From Historical Hastings
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