Now meaning a quick, careless treatment, it was originally a hurry-up penance given to criminals before execution
..... By this means he had a constant resource for himself; and the baronet,
... [DOC] [TLE] Full text of "Passing English of the Victorian era : a dictionary of ... [PAR] Now used figuratively, e.g., 'Poor bloke, he's gone to Abney Park ' meaning that 
he is dead.