they went to Pool, about thirty of them being present, broke open the Custom-house, (notwithstanding that an armed sloop of war lay off the town) and took away all the tea, except one bag of about five pounds.
Passing through Fordingbridge in Hampshire, the next morning, they were seen by some hundreds of people, who assembled to view the cavalcade. Among the spectators was one Daniel Chater, a shoemaker, who was known to Diamond, one of the gang, they having formerly worked together in harvest time. Diamond shook hands with Chater as he passed along, and threw him a bag of tea.
Such a daring piece of business as breaking open the king's Custom-house could not of course go unnoticed by the authorities, accordingly His Majesty issued his proclamation offering a reward for apprehending any of the persons concerned in breaking open the Custom-house ; Diamond was taken into custody on suspicion, and Chater saying, in conversation with his neighbours, that he knew Diamond, and saw him go by with the gang, the day after the Custom house was broken open, and it coming to the know ledge of the Collector of Customs at Southampton, he was ordered to send William Galley, a Custom -house officer, with Chater, with a letter to Major Battin, a Justice of the Peace for the County of Sussex, in order that Chater might be examined as to what he -
