and generally in the winter season. They are common in the fashionable
squares of the West-end, at the East-end, toward the Commercial-road
and St. George’s-in-the-East, at Ratcliffe Highway, the City, the
Borough of Southwark, and Lambeth, along the docks, and at the railway
stations around the metropolis.
There are a number of laundresses residing at Chelsea, Uxbridge,
Hampstead, Holloway, and other districts in the suburbs, who wash large
quantities of clothes for the gentry and nobility in the fashionable
streets and squares of the metropolis. After washing and dressing the
linen, they pack it up in large wicker baskets, and generally convey it
in their own carts to the residences of the owners.
A class of people are frequently on the look-out for these carts to
plunder them of their linen. The carts are under the management of a
man or a woman. The thieves follow the vehicle to a quiet street, one
puts his shoulder under a basket while the other cuts the cord which
attaches it to the cart, when both make off with the stolen property.
These thieves reside over London in low districts, such as St. Giles’s
and Shoreditch, and are occasionally brought before the police courts.
There is a class of robberies from gentlemen’s carriages about the
West-end of the metropolis. In going to the Opera, West-end theatres,
or other fashionable places of amusement, the gentleman frequently
leaves his valuable overcoat or cloak in the carriage. These thieves
follow the conveyance to some quiet street leading to the stables where
the vehicle is to remain till the gentleman returns from his evening’s
amusement. They let down the window of the carriage and carry off any
article which is left. The theft is nimbly committed while the vehicle
is on its way to the stables, or when it is returning to the Opera, and
is done chiefly by young men, experienced thieves. They live in the low
neighbourhoods already referred to.
There is a good deal of this mode of thieving carried on in the
West-end of London during the winter season.
Number of larcenies from carts and other
vehicles in the Metropolitan district for
1860 286
Ditto, ditto, in the City 79
---
365
Value of property thereby stolen in
the Metropolis £1075
Ditto, ditto, in the City 370
----
£1445
_Stealing Lead from House-tops, Copper from Kitchens, and Workmen’s
Tools, &c. in Dwelling-houses._--Of late this mode of thieving has
been extensively carried on over the metropolis, chiefly at unoccupied
houses. In some cases, a key is obtained by the thief, respectable
in appearance, from the gentleman who lets the house, without his
accompanying him to the empty dwelling, when he takes the opportunity
of stealing the copper boiler from the washing-house, and the lead pipe
from the butt or cistern. He passes the stolen property to some of his
associates, and returns the key of the dwelling.
This is a peculiar class who make a livelihood by going round empty
houses in different districts on similar errands. They do not give
their name and address, are strangers in the neighbourhood, and cannot
be easily tracked out by the police.
Lead is frequently stolen from the housetops, by the loafing ruffians,
we have before described, who lounge about public-houses, robbing
drunken men, and occasionally by boys. Sometimes these robberies are
committed by plumbers’ workmen and others engaged in repairing the
houses.
Lead in most cases is stolen from those dwellings which are under
repair, or have been unoccupied for some time. When a house is
repaired, it frequently happens the roofs of the adjoining occupied
houses are stripped and carried off by unprincipled workmen.
These depredations are often committed by the workmen themselves, or
by their connivance. At other times they are done by persons climbing
low walls, and clambering up spouts to the roof, and cutting up the
sheet lead. This is usually done under night by two or more in company;
sometimes, though rarely, by boys. One keeps a look-out to see there is
no person near to detect them. This person is termed a “crow.” If any
one should be near, the “crow” gives a signal, and they decamp. Before
commencing their depredations, they generally look out for the means of
escape, seldom returning the same way they mounted the roof. They make
their way out in another direction. If hard pressed, they sometimes
hide themselves on the roof behind chimneys, or lie down in gutters
or cisterns or any other likely place of concealment. These felonies
are often done by bricklayers’ labourers (Irish cockneys) during the
winter, and in many cases, as we have said, with the connivance of the
workmen engaged in repairing the houses.
There is another class of persons who engage in lead-stealing from
the roofs of houses. They were formerly in the service of builders,
plumbers, or carpenters, but are out of employment. They go to their
late employer’s customers, under the pretext that they were sent by
him to repair the roof, and meanwhile plunder the sheet lead, which
they generally roll up, convey down, and carry off by means of their
accomplices, who are hovering in the neighbourhood. They have the
appearance and dress of industrious workmen, and may have been lately
seen employed in houses in the neighbourhood, so that they are more
likely to deceive the unsuspecting people who admit them into their
dwellings. This kind of lead-stealing has been lately of very frequent
occurrence in the metropolis.
Copper is frequently stolen from the boilers in the kitchens and
wash-houses by the same parties. Sometimes they enter by the area
door or the window, which is left open. At other times they climb
the garden wall at the back of the house, and enter by a window,
left unfastened. They take the copper out of the brickwork in the
wash-house, or from the kitchen, roll it up and carry it away. This
is generally done in unoccupied houses. Sweeps employed cleaning the
chimneys sometimes take away copper in like manner in their soot-bags.
In houses under repair, as well as in unfinished houses, they steal
carpenters’ tools, planes, saws, ploughs, squares, hammers, &c., left
by the workmen.
They obtain access to the house by climbing over the wooden enclosure
or over garden walls. This is generally done in the evening, between
the hours of 9 and 12, and frequently by discharged workmen.
In many cases they are stopped on the way with the tools in their
possession. If a proper account is not given, it often leads to the
detection of the robbery, which generally puts a stop for the time to
such depredations in that neighbourhood.
The stolen tools are taken to pawnbrokers or receiving-shops, and sold
at an under price. In some cases the pawnbroker gives notice to the
police, but in these other shops, this is seldom or never done.
The thieves generally go to some house where no watchman is employed.
The number of larcenies of tools, lead,
glass, &c. from empty or unfinished houses
in the Metropolitan districts for 1860, 472
Ditto, ditto, from the City 22
---
494
Value of the property thereby abstracted
in the Metropolis £462 0
Ditto, ditto, in the City 7 10
--------
£469 10
_Robberies by False Keys._--There are many robberies committed in
the metropolis by means of false keys, generally between the hours
of seven and nine o’clock in the evening. After nine o’clock they
would be considered burglaries. This class of robberies is generally
committed by thieves of experience, and frequently, before depredations
are committed, persons call at the house in the daytime, who take
particular notice of the lock of the street-door, to know the key
which opens it, whether a Bramah, Chubb, or other lock. These persons
are termed “putters up of robberies,” and supply the thieves with the
requisite information, when they come in the evening and enter the
house. In many cases they get clear off with the booty.
The houses entered are frequently respectable lodging-houses, or houses
occupied by one family where there is likely to be no children about
the upper rooms. In the case of entering these dwellings they make
their way to the bed-rooms above, their chief object being to steal
the jewellery and dressing-case left on the dressing-table, often of
great value. They also take clothes out of the drawers, and other
articles. On coming out they often put on some of the apparel, such as
an overcoat, and fill the pockets with stolen property.
In houses in the West-end, single gentlemen, such as government clerks,
officers in the army, and others, are often out dining in the evening,
or at the clubs; and as the servant is generally engaged downstairs at
this time, the thief is frequently not obstructed.
To elude suspicion from the police constables in the street they often
have a carpet-bag to carry off the booty. If they meet one of them near
the house, they generally ask him some question, such as the way to
some street, to take him off his guard.
A case of this kind occurred early this year at the West-end, where
four men were engaged in a robbery. On their arriving at the corner
of the street where the felony was committed they found two policemen
there. They stepped up to them, and conversed for some time, when
the constables left, having no suspicion, from their respectable
appearance. Two of the thieves crossed the street to a house opposite.
Meanwhile their movements were narrowly watched by a keen-eyed
detective, who knew the parties, three of the four being returned
convicts. Having arrived at the door of the house, they endeavoured
to gain an entrance, which, after trying several keys, they effected.
The other two confederates had taken up a position opposite the house,
being what is termed “look-out,” or outside men.
In a short time the two who had entered the house came out and closed
the door behind them. They were perceived to have some bulky articles
in their possession. The other two men remained for a few minutes in
their place on the opposite side of the street, when they followed
their companions. When at a short distance from the house, they
rejoined them, and the property was divided among them. This was done
in the dusk in the quiet street.
The detective officer saw two of the parties with Inverness capes, and
carrying umbrellas in their hand they did not have before they entered
the house. He went up to them, told them who he was, and arrested one
of them; the other was captured a few yards off by another officer
when in the act of throwing off the Inverness cape. The other two,
meanwhile, escaped. On conducting the two men to the police-station
the two capes were taken from them, and in their pockets were found a
number of skeleton keys, a wax-taper, and silent lights, along with
various small articles, evidently part of the robbery which had just
been committed.
Two hours after this a gentleman drove up in a cab to the
police-station, and gave information of the robbery, when he identified
the articles taken from the prisoners as his property. The two
thieves were tried at the sessions, and sentenced to six years’ penal
servitude. One of the two confederates who escaped was apprehended by
the same detective, found guilty, and sentenced to the same punishment,
which broke up a gang of thieves who had infested the neighbourhood for
several months, and occasioned great alarm.
Robberies from gentlemen’s houses by means of false keys are generally
put up by some person acquainted with the house, and who may have
frequented it under some pretext, such as by courting the servant girl,
or by being acquainted with some of the men-servants. They rifle the
valuables from wardrobes and drawing-rooms, such as watches, rings,
purses, clothes, &c.
Attic thieves chiefly aim at abstracting jewels from ladies’ bed-rooms,
generally on the second floor; but this class of skeleton-key thieves
frequently carry away bundles of stolen goods, and are not so
fastidious in their choice.
An instance of a skeleton-key robbery from a gentleman’s house occurred
lately at the West-end of the metropolis. The two thieves had engaged
a cab to carry off the stolen property (the driver of the cab being a
confederate), and drove up to the house next door to where the robbery
was to be committed. They were seen to leave the cab, to go up to the
door of the house, to apply the key to the door, and to walk in. About
ten minutes after, they left the house, and walked to the cab with
large parcels in their hands, when it drove swiftly away.
On that evening the butler of the house discovered that the whole
of his master’s clothes had been stolen from his wardrobe, and his
dressing-case, with costly articles, his gold watch and chain, and the
whole of his linen. Information was given to a detective officer, who
in two days after traced the robbery to two well-known thieves, one of
them being singularly expert in the use of skeleton keys.
The manner in which it was detected was very ingenious, and reflected
high credit on the officer.
On visiting a public-house near Tottenham Court-road, one Saturday
night, he saw a middle-aged, intelligent man, like a respectable
mechanic, conversing with a person at the bar over a pint of
half-and-half. The sharp eye of the detective observed the former
with a neckerchief which corresponded with one of the articles of
this stolen property. The suspicion of the officer was aroused, and
he followed him late at night, and saw where he resided. On the next
morning he went with two officers to his house, and found him in bed
with his paramour, and arrested him for the robbery. On searching his
house a handkerchief was found marked with the crest of the nobleman
to whom the property belonged. On a farther search a quantity of other
articles were found belonging to this robbery.
On his paramour getting out of bed she was perceived by the detective
to conceal something under her petticoats. On being asked to produce
it, she denied having anything. On being searched, another handkerchief
was found on her person, bearing the nobleman’s crest. This man was
afterwards identified as one of the two persons who were seen to enter
the house where the robbery was committed, and to leave with the cab.
He was tried at the Sessions, and sentenced to seven years’ penal
servitude. This man had for some time been well known to the police,
and was suspected of committing a series of large robberies, but he
was so dexterous in executing his felonies that his movements had not
previously been traced.
Number of felonies in the Metropolitan
districts for 1860 by means of false
keys 247
Ditto, ditto, in the City 17
---
264
Value of property thereby abstracted in
Metropolitan districts £1,840
Ditto, ditto, in the City 160
------
£2,000
_Robberies by Lodgers._--Robberies are frequently committed by lodgers
in various parts of the metropolis, in low as well as in middle-class
localities.
A great many of these are committed in low neighbourhoods, by abandoned
women, frequently young. They commit depredations in their own room,
or in other rooms in the house in which they lodge, by entering open
doors, or by turning the key when the door is locked, while the parties
are out. Many of these are done by prostitutes of the lowest order,
who sometimes steal the linen, bedding, wearing-apparel, and other
property, and pawn or sell it.
Robberies of this kind are sometimes perpetrated by mechanics’ wives,
addicted to dissipated habits, who steal similar articles from
dwelling-houses. Sometimes they are done by servants out of place,
driven to steal by poverty and destitution; at other times by sewing
girls, often toiling from 4 in the morning to 10 o’clock at night for
about 8_d._ a day--many of whom commit suicide rather than resort to
prostitution; and occasionally by clerks and shopmen--fast young men,
when in poverty and distress; and by betting-men and skittle-sharps.
In March, 1861, two known prostitutes, lodging together in a house in
Charlotte-street, were brought before the Lambeth police court for a
felony committed in the room in which they lodged. They abstracted
knives and forks, plates and spoons, along with two chairs, rifling
the apartment of nearly all it contained. They were convicted and
sentenced, the one to three months’, and the other to six months’,
imprisonment--the latter having been previously convicted.
Another felony occurred lately in Isabella-street, Lambeth, where a
mechanic’s wife stole the bed-clothes and the feathers out of a bed in
the house in which she lodged. Her husband was glad to pay the amount
to prevent criminal prosecution.
There are many felonies committed by persons lodging in coffee-houses
and hotels, some of them of considerable value. The hotel thieves
assume the manner and air of gentlemen, dress well, and live in high
style. They lodge for an evening or two in some fashionable hotel,
frequently near the railway stations. They get up at night, when the
house is quiet and business suspended, and commit robberies in the
house. They have an ingenious mode of opening the doors, though locked
in the inner side, by inserting a peculiar instrument and turning round
the key. They go stealthily into the rooms, and abstract silver plate,
articles of jewellery, watches, money, and other valuables.
These persons usually leave early in the morning, before the other
gentlemen get up. Some of them are young, and others are middle-aged.
They have generally some acquaintance with commercial transactions, and
conduct themselves like active business men. They are birds of passage,
and do not reside long in any one locality, as they would become known
to the police.
A very extensive robbery of this kind occurred some time ago at a
fashionable hotel in the metropolis, near the Great Northern Railway,
to the amount of 700_l._ or 800_l._ The thief was apprehended at York,
and committed for trial.
Number of felonies in the Metropolitan
districts for 1860, committed by lodgers 1,375
Ditto, ditto, in the City 83
-----
1458
Value of property thereby abstracted in
the Metropolitan districts £3,643
Ditto, ditto, in the City 144
------
£3,787
_Robberies by Servants._--There are a great number of felonies
committed by servants over the metropolis, many of which might be
prevented by prudent precautions on the part of their employers. On
this subject we would wish to speak with discrimination. We are aware
that many honest and noble-minded servants are treated with injustice
by the caprice and bad temper of their employers, and many a poor girl
is without cause dismissed from her situation, and refused a proper
certificate of character. Being unable to get another place, she is
often driven with reluctance from poverty and destitution to open
prostitution on the street. On the other hand, many of our employers
foolishly and thoughtlessly receive male and female servants into their
service without making a proper inquiry into their previous character.
Many felonies are committed by domestic female servants who have been
only a month or six weeks in service. Some of them steal tea, sugar,
and other provisions, which are frequently given to acquaintances or
relatives out of doors. Others occasionally abstract linen and articles
of wearing-apparel, or plunder the wardrobe of gold bracelets, rings,
pearl necklace, watch, chain, or other jewellery, or of muslin and
silk dresses and mantles, which they either keep in their trunk, or
otherwise dispose of.
Female domestic servants are often connected with many of the
felonies committed in the metropolis. Two of the female servants in a
gentleman’s family are sometimes courted by two smart dressed young
men, bedecked with jewellery, who visit them at the house occasionally.
One of them may call by himself on a certain evening, and after sitting
with them for some time in the kitchen, may pretend that he is going
upstairs to the front door on some errand, such as to bring in some
liquor. He goes alone, and opens the door to his companion whom he had
arranged to meet him, and who may be hovering in the street. He admits
him into the house to rifle the rooms in the floors above. Meantime
he comes in with the liquor, and proceeds down stairs, and remains
there for some time to occupy the attention of the servants until his
companion has plundered the house of money, jewels, or other property.
On other occasions two young men may remain downstairs with the
servants, while a third party is committing a robbery in the apartments
above.
Some respectable-looking young women, in the service of middle-class
and fashionable families, are connected with burglars, and have been
recommended to their places through their influence, or that of their
acquaintances. Some of these females are usually not a fortnight or a
month in service before a heavy burglary is committed in the house, and
will remain for two or three months longer to prevent suspicion. They
will then take another similar place in a gentleman’s family, remain
several months there, and by their conduct ingratiate themselves into
the good graces of the master and mistress, when another burglary is
committed through their connivance. The booty is shared between them
and the thieves.
Some continue this system for a considerable time, as their employers
have no suspicion of their villainy. They are often Irish cockneys,
connected with the thieves, and have been trained with them from their
infancy. They generally aim at stealing the silver plate, clothes, and
other valuables. In these robberies they are always ready to give the
“hue and cry” when a depredation has been committed.
There are often instances of these robberies brought before the
police-courts and sessions, where the dishonesty of many servants is
brought to light.
There are many felonies committed by the male servants in gentlemen’s
families; some of them of considerable value. Numbers of these are
occasioned by betting on the part of the butlers, who have the charge
of the plate. They go and bet on different horses, and pawn a certain
quantity of plate which has not the crest of their employer on it, and
expect to be able to redeem it as soon as they have got money when the
horse has won. He may happen to lose. He bets again on some other horse
he thinks will win--perhaps bets to a considerable amount, and thinks
he will be able to redeem his loss; he again possibly loses his bet.
His master is perhaps out of town, not having occasion to use the plate.
On his coming home there may be a dinner-party, when the plate is
called for. The butler absconds, and part of the plate is found to be
missing. Information is given to the police; some pawnbroker may be
so honourable as to admit the plate is in his possession. The servant
is apprehended, convicted, and sentenced possibly to penal servitude.
Cases of this kind occasionally occur, and are frequently caused by
such betting transactions.
Robberies occasionally are perpetrated by servants in shops and
warehouses, clerks, warehousemen, and others, of money and goods of
various kinds.
A remarkable case of robbery by a servant occurred lately. A young
man, employed by a locksmith, near the West-end of the metropolis, was
frequently sent to gentlemen’s houses on his master’s business to pick
locks. In many of the houses where he was employed, money and other
property was found missing. He went to pick a lock at a jeweller’s
shop. After he was gone, the jeweller found a beautiful gold chain
missing. As his son was a fast young man, he was afraid to charge the
young locksmith with the robbery. Meantime the latter was sent to
other houses, and in those places articles were found missing, and
servants in the families were discharged on suspicion of committing the
robberies.
He went to a solicitor’s office to pick the locks of some boxes
containing title-deeds and money. From one of the boxes, which he did
not require to open, he stole 100_l._, and locked it up again. The head
clerk was then away on business for several days. On his return he
found that one of the boxes in the office had been opened and 100_l._
had been abstracted.