"All servants are recommended to take notice that if any man has stayed at home without apparent cause, within these few days, during the daylight. All washerwomen and servants should take notice of any blood on a man's handkerchief, or linen, as the wretch generally fetches blood when he strikes. All servants should examine if any man carries sharp weapons about him, and if there is any blood thereon, particularly tucks; and maid-servants are to be told that a tuck is generally at the head of a stick, which comes out by a sudden jerk. All cutlers are desired to watch if any man answering the above description is desirous of having his weapon of attack very sharp."
The MONSTER cutting a lady.—1790.
All baker's men were asked to give notice at every house they called at, of the above reward, and Mr. Angerstein promised twenty pounds to any man by whose instrumentality the Monster was discovered.
Additional publicity was, moreover, given by other means. The Morning Herald of April 27th says:
"A new musical piece was produced last night at Astley's called The Monster, and being brought forward at a time when the attention of all London was engaged in discovering him, cannot fail of producing full houses. Astley seems to have taken up the matter very seriously, as the piece abounds with much satire against the Monster. The songs also are well adapted: the chorus of one concluding as follows,
'When the Monster is taken in the fact
We'll have him tried by the Coventry Act,[16]
The Black Act
The Coventry Act,'
produced unbounded applause. This piece will certainly be a good acquisition to Astley, who is said to be the author."
One lady (Mrs. R. Walpole) was fortunate enough to escape being wounded, owing to her having an apple in her pocket: an incident which gave rise to some poetic effusions:
"Eve, for an apple, lost immortal life:
From you an apple turn'd the Monster's knife!
Can greater proof, since Eve, be given
Of diabolic strife,
Or interposing Heaven?"
"The apple was, in days of yore,
An Agent to the Devil,
When Eve was tempted to explore
The sense of good and evil;
But present chronicles can give
An instance quite uncommon,
How that which ruined Mother Eve
Hath saved a Modern Woman."