Yesterday John Palmer, alias Richard Turpin, was tried here, and convicted upon two several Indictments for Horse-stealing: The Evidence was clear and full, and the Prisoner had little or nothing to say in his Defence.
He was proved by two Witnesses from Essex to be the notorious Richard Turpin (one of whom was Smith who taught him to write) and he himself owned his Name so to be, but said he was not the Richard Turpin he was taken for, but another Person of the same Name:
He said he had been a Butcher in Lincolnshire, and sailing there, retired into this Country, and took it upon himself the Name of Palmer, he did not apprehend any Danger from the first Accusation of shooting a Farmer’s Cock, and therefore tamely submitted to the Constable’s Authority; and after he was charged with Horse-stealing, he did not attempt to escape, left, if he did not succeed, and enquiry might be made after him, and a Discovery made who he was.