I was not so fortunate. I went to school at Mr. Low’s, Harp Alley,
Farringdon Street, but I did not stay there long. At nine years of
age I was sent out to work, to help to support myself. I went to work
at cotton-winding, and only got 3_s._ a week. I sometimes worked all
night, and had 9_d._ for it, in addition to my 3_s._, and often gained
3_s._ a week besides the six days’ wages. I was very happy then to
think I could earn so much money, being so young. At this time I was
only nine years of age. My brother tried to tempt me to pilfer from
my master, but he failed then. I afterwards got a better situation at
a trunkmaker’s in the City. There my mistress and young master took
a liking to me. I was earning 7_s._ a week, and was only ten years
of age. At this time my brother succeeded in tempting me to rob my
employers after I had been two months in their service. I carried off
wearing apparel and silver plate to the value of several pounds, which
my brother disposed of, while he only gave me a few halfpence. I was
suspected to be the thief, and was discharged in consequence. I got
another situation in a bookbinder’s shop, and was not eleven years old
then. My brother did not succeed for two or three months to get me to
plunder my master, although he often tried to prevail on me to do so.
My master had no plate to lose.
“I used to take out boards of books; one night my brother met me
coming from the binder’s with a truck loaded with books, stopt me, and
pretended to be very kind by giving me money to go and buy a pie at a
pie-shop. When I came out I found the books were gone and the truck
empty. My brother was standing at the door waiting me, but he had
companions who meantime emptied the truck of the whole of the contents.
I told him he must know who had taken them, but he told me he did not.
He desired me to say to my master that a strange man had sent me to get
a pie for him and one for myself, and when I came back the books and
the man had both disappeared. He told me if I did not say this I would
get myself into trouble and him too. I went and told my master the tale
my brother had told me. He sent for a policeman, and tried to frighten
me to tell the truth. I would not alter from what I had told him,
though he tried very hard to get me to do so. He kept me till Saturday
night and discharged me, but endeavoured in the meanwhile to get me to
unfold the truth, so I was thrown out of employment again.
“I then went to work at the blacking trade, and had a kinder master
than ever. My wages were 7_s._ a week. I then made up my mind that
my brother should not tempt me to steal another time. I was in this
situation a year and nine months before my brother succeeded in
inducing me to commit another robbery. My master was very kind and
generous to me, increased my wages from 7_s._ to 16_s._ a week as I was
becoming of more service to him.
“We made the blacking with sugar-candy and other ingredients. I was the
only lad introduced into the apartment where the blacking was made and
the sugar-candy was kept. My brother tempted me to bring him a small
quantity of sugar-candy at first. I did so, and he threatened to let
my mother know if I did not fetch more. At first I took home 7lbs. of
candy, and at last would carry off a larger quantity. I used to get a
trifle of money from my brother for this. Being strongly attached to
him, up to this time he had great influence over me.
“One day, after bringing him a quantity of sugar-candy, I watched him
to see where he sold it. He went into a shop in the City where the
person retailed sweets. After he came out of the shop I went in and
asked the man in the shop if he would buy some from me, as I was the
brother of the young man who had just called in, and had got him the
sugar-candy. He told me he would buy as much as I liked to bring.
“I used to bring large quantities to him, generally in the evening,
and carried it in a bag. The sugar-candy I should have mixed in the
blacking I laid aside till I had an opportunity of carrying it to the
receiver. My master continued to be very fond of me, and had strong
confidence in me until I got a young lad into the shop beside me, who
knew what I had been doing, and informed him of my conduct. He wanted
to get me discharged, as he thought he would get my situation, which he
did. He told my master I was plundering him; but my master would not
believe him until he pointed out a low coffee-house where I used to go,
which was frequented by bad characters. My master came into this den
of infamy one evening when I was there, and persuaded me to come away
with him, which I did. He told me he would forget all I was guilty of,
if I would keep better company and behave myself properly in future. I
conducted myself better for about a week, but I had got inveigled into
bad company through my brother. These lads waited about my employer’s
premises for me at meal-times and at night. At last they prevailed on
me again to go to the same coffee-house. The young lad I had got into
the shop beside me soon found means to acquaint my master. He came to
see me in the coffee-house again; but I had been prevailed on to drink
that evening, and was the worse of intoxicating liquor, although I was
not fourteen years of age. My master tried all manner of kind means to
persuade me to leave that house, but I would not do so, and insulted
him for his kindness.
“On the following morning he paid a visit to my mother’s house while I
was at breakfast. My mother and he tried to persuade me to go back and
finish my week’s work, but I was too proud, and would not go back. He
then paid my mother my fortnight’s wages, and said if I would attend
church twice each week he would again take me back into his service. I
never attended any church at all, for I had then got into bad habits,
and cared no more about work.
“I lived at home with my mother for a short time, and she was very kind
to me, and gave me great indulgence. She wished me to remain at home
with her to assist in her business as a greengrocer, and used to allow
me from 1_s._ to 1_s._ 3_d._ of pocket-money a day. My old companions
still followed me about, and prevailed on me to go to the Victoria
Theatre. On one of these occasions I was much struck with the play of
Oliver Twist. I also saw Jack Sheppard performed there, and was much
impressed with it.
“Soon after this I left my mother’s house, and took lodgings at the
coffee-house, where my master found me, and engaged in an open criminal
career. About this time ladies generally carried reticules on their
arm. My companions were in the habit of following them and cutting the
strings, and carrying them off. They sometimes contained a purse with
money and other property. I occasionally engaged in these robberies for
about three months. Sometimes I succeeded in getting a considerable sum
of money; at other times only a few shillings.
“I was afterwards prevailed on to join another gang of thieves, expert
shoplifters. They generally confined themselves to the stationers’
shops, and carried off silver pencil-cases, silver and gold mounted
scent-bottles, and other articles, and I was engaged for a month at
this.
“Being well-dressed, I would go into a shop and price an article of
jewellery, or such like valuable, and after getting it in my hand would
dart out of the shop with it. I carried on this system occasionally,
and was never apprehended, and became very venturesome in robbery.
“I was then about sixteen years of age. A young man came from sea of
the name of Philip Scott, who had in former years been a playmate of
mine. He requested me to go to one of the theatres with him, when Jack
Sheppard was again performed. We were both remarkably pleased with the
play, and soon after determined to try our hand at housebreaking.
“He knew of a place in the City where some plate could be got at. We
went out one night with a screw-driver and a knife to plunder it.
I assisted him in getting over a wall at the back of the house. He
entered from a back-window by pushing the catch back with a knife.
He had not been in above three quarters of an hour when he handed me
a silver pot and cream-jug from the wall. I conveyed these to the
coffee-shop in which we lodged, when we afterwards disposed of them.
The young man was well acquainted with this house, as his father was
often employed jobbing about it.
“After this I cohabited with a female, but my ‘pal’ did not, although
we lived in the same house.
“Soon after we committed another burglary in the south-side of the
metropolis, by entering the kitchen window of a private house at the
back. I watched while my comrade entered the house. He cut a pane of
glass out, and drew the catch back. After gathering what plate he could
find lying about, he went up-stairs and got some more plate. We sold
this to a receiver in Clerkenwell for about 9_l._ 18_s._ From this
house we also carried off some wearing apparel. Each of us took three
shirts, two coats and an umbrella.
“Some time after this we made up our minds to try another burglary in
the city. We secreted ourselves in a brewer’s yard beside the house we
intended to plunder, about eight o’clock in the evening, before it was
shut up. We cut a panel out of a shutter in the dining-room window on
the first floor, but were disturbed when attempting this robbery. I ran
off and got away. My companion was not so fortunate; he was captured,
and got several months’ imprisonment.
“A week after I joined two other burglars. We resolved to attempt a
burglary in a certain shop in the East-end of the metropolis. There
happened to be a dog in the shop. As usual I kept watch outside,
while the other two entered from the first-floor window, which had no
shutters. So soon as they got in the dog barked. They cut the dog’s
throat with a knife, and began to plunder the shop of pencil cases,
scent-bottles, postage-stamps, &c., and went up-stairs, and carried
off pieces of plate. The inmates of the house slept in the upper part
of the house. The property when brought to the receiver sold for about
42_l._
“Another burglary was committed by us at a haberdasher’s shop in the
West-end. While I kept watch, the other two climbed to the top of a
warehouse at the back of the shop, wrenched open the window on the
roof, and having tied a rope to an iron bar, they lowered themselves
down, broke open the desks and till, and got a considerable sum
of money, nearly all in silver. They then went to the first-floor
drawing-room window over the shop, and entered. The door of this room
being locked, they cut out a panel, put their arm through and forced
back the lock. They found only a small quantity of plate along with
a handsome gold watch and chain. The few articles of plate sold for
38_s._, and the watch and chain for 7_l._ 15_s._
“The thieves entered about one o’clock at midnight, and went out about
a quarter past five in the morning.
“These are the only jobs I did with these two men, until my comrade
came out of prison, when we commenced again. We committed burglaries
in different parts of London, at silk-mercers, stationers’ shops, and
dwelling-houses--some of considerable value; in others the booty was
small.
“In these burglaries numbers of other parties were engaged with
us--some of them belonging to the Borough, others to St. Giles’s,
Golden Lane, St. Luke’s, and other localities.
“In 1850 I took a part in a burglary in a shop in the south-side of
the metropolis along with two other parties. One went inside, and the
others were on the watch without. We got access to the shop by the
back-yard of a neighbouring public-house, which is usually effected
in this way. One person goes to the bar, and gets into conversation
with the barmaid, while one or more of their ‘pals’ takes a favourable
opportunity of slipping back into the yard or court behind the house.
This is often done about a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, before
the house is shut up. The party who kept the barmaid in conversation,
would go to the back of the house, and assist the other burglar who
was to enter the house in getting over the wall. So soon as this is
effected, his other ‘pal’ comes out again. If the wall can be easily
climbed, the party who enters lurks concealed in the water-closet, or
some of the outhouses, till the time of effecting the burglary.
“The house intended to be entered is sometimes five or six houses away
from this public-house, and sometimes the next house to it.
“When all is ready, the outside man gives the signal. The signal given
from the front, such as a cough or otherwise, can be heard by his
confederate behind the house. On hearing it the latter begins his work.
In this instance the burglar entered the premises by cutting open the
shutters of a window in the first floor to the back. He then cut a
pane of glass, and removed the catch, and went down stairs into the
shop, and took from a desk about 60_l._ in money, with several valuable
snuff-boxes and other articles. He had to wait till the morning before
he could get out. The police seemed to have a suspicion that all was
not right, but he got out of the shop about the time when the police
were changed.
“I was connected with another burglary, committed in the same year
in the West-end in a linendraper’s shop. It was entered from a
public-house in the same manner as in the one described. The same
person was engaged inside, while the others were stationed outside.
The signal to begin work was given about one o’clock. He had first
to remove an iron bar at the first floor landing window to the back,
which he did with his jack. (The bars had been seen in the day-time,
and we brought this instrument to remove them.) He removed the bar in
ten minutes, cut a pane of glass, and removed the two catches. By this
means he effected an entry into the house, and to his surprise found
the drawing-room was left unlocked. He proceeded there, and got nearly
a whole service of plate. After he had gathered the plate up, he made
his way toward the shop, cutting through the door which intercepted
him. He went to the desk and found 72_l._ in silver money, and 12_l._
in gold. He also packed up half a dozen of new shirts and half a dozen
of silk handkerchiefs.
“He was ready to come out of the house, but a coffee-stall being
opposite, and the policeman taking his coffee there, the outside man
could not give him the signal for some time. To the great surprise of
the burglar in the shop, he heard the servant coming down stairs, when
he opened the door, and rushed suddenly out, while the policeman was on
the kerb near by. He bade the policeman good morning as he passed along
with two large bundles in his hands.
“He had not gone fifty yards round the corner of the street, before the
servant appeared at the door and asked the policeman as to the person
who had just come out. Along with other two constables he gave chase to
the burglar, but, being an active, athletic man, he effected his escape.
“I was engaged with two others in another burglary in the West-end
soon afterwards. Three persons were engaged in it: one to enter, and
other two ‘pals’ to keep watch. We got access to the house by a mews,
and got on the top of a wall, when I gave the end of a rope to my
companion to hold by while he slid down on the other side. The house
was entered at the kitchen window by removing two narrow bars with the
jack, and sliding back the catch. There was no booty to be found in
the kitchen. On going up-stairs our ‘pal’ got several pieces of plate,
and other articles. On coming down into the shop, he got a quantity of
receipt-stamps with a few postage-stamps.
“The putter up of this robbery was a connection of the people of the
house.
“I was connected with another burglary in the south-side of the
metropolis. A man who frequented a public-house there put up a burglary
in a stationer’s shop. Two persons were engaged in it, and got access
to the premises to be plundered from the public-house. He then climbed
several walls, and got access to the shop by a fanlight from behind.
Here we found a large sum of money in gold and silver, which had been
deposited in a bureau, some plate, and other articles. His ‘pal’ went
to him at half past three, and gave him the signal. He came out soon
after, and had only gone a short distance off when he heard a call for
the police, and the rattle of the policeman was sprung.
“After a desperate struggle with two constables, he was arrested and
taken to the station, with the stolen property in his possession.
He was tried and found guilty of committing the burglary, and for
assaulting the constables by cutting and wounding them, and was
sentenced to fourteen years’ transportation, having been four times
previously convicted.
“I have been engaged in many depredations from 1840 to 1851, many of
which were ‘put up’ by myself.
“In the year 1851 I was transported several years for burglary. I
returned home on a ticket of leave in 1854, and was sent back in the
following year for harbouring an escaped convict. I returned home in
1858, at the expiry of my sentence, and since that time have abandoned
my former criminal life.”
NARRATIVE OF ANOTHER BURGLAR.
One evening as we had occasion to be in a narrow dark by-street in
St. Giles’s, we were accosted by a burglar--a returned convict whom
we had met on a former occasion in the course of our rambles. We had
repeatedly heard of this person as one of the most daring thieves in
the metropolis, and were on the look-out for him at the very time
when he fortunately crossed our path. He is a fair-complexioned man,
of thirty-two years of age, about 5 feet 2 inches in height, slim
made, with a keen grey eye. He was dressed in dark trousers, brown
vest, and a grey frock coat buttoned up to the chin, and a cap drawn
over his eyes. We hesitated at first as to whether this little man
was capable of executing such venturesome feats; when he led us along
the dark street to an adjoining back-court, took off his shoes and
stockings, and ran up a waterspout to the top of a lofty house, and
slid down again with surprising agility. Before we parted that evening,
he was recommended to us by another burglar, a returned convict, and
by another most intelligent young man, whom we are sorry to say has
been a convicted criminal. He afterwards paid us a visit, when we were
furnished with the following recital:--
“I was born in the parish of St. Giles’s in the Fields, in the year
1828. My father was a soldier in the British service; after his
discharge he lived for some time in the neighbourhood of St. Giles’s.
He was an Irishman from the county of Limerick. My mother belonged
to Cork. My eldest sister was married to a plasterer in London; my
second sister has been sentenced to four years, and another sister to
five years’ transportation, both for stealing watches on different
occasions. I have another sister, who lately came out of prison after
eighteen months’ imprisonment, and is now living an honest life.
“I was never sent by my parents to school, but have learned to read
a little by my own exertions; I have no knowledge of writing and
arithmetic. I was sent out to get my living at ten years of age by
selling oranges in the streets in a basket, and was very soon led into
bad company. I sometimes played at pitch and toss, which trained me to
gamble, and I often lost my money by this means.
“I often remained out all night, and slept in the dark arches of
the Adelphi on straw along with some other boys--one of them was a
pickpocket who learned me to steal. It was not long before I was
apprehended and committed at the Middlesex Assizes, and received six
months’ imprisonment.
“At this time I learned to swim, and was remarkably expert at it:
when the tide was out I often used to swim across the Thames for
sport. I continued to pick pockets occasionally for two years,
and was at one time remanded for a week on a criminal charge and
afterwards discharged. I used to take ladies’ purses by myself, and
stole handkerchiefs, snuff-boxes, and pocketbooks from the tails of
gentlemen’s coats.
“I left my home on the expiry of my six months’ imprisonment for
stealing a pocketbook. My parents would gladly have taken me back, but
I would not go. At this time I associated with a number of juvenile
thieves. I had a good suit of clothes, which had been purchased before
I went to prison, and having a respectable appearance I took to
shop-lifting. I worked at this about seven months, when I was arrested
for stealing a coat at a shop in the Borough Road, and was sentenced to
three months in Brixton Prison.
“When I got out of prison I went to St. Giles’s and cohabited with a
prostitute. I was then about seventeen years of age. She was a fair
girl, about five feet three inches in height, inclined to be stout,--a
very handsome girl, about seventeen years of age. Her people lived
in Tottenham Court Road, and were very respectable. She had been led
astray before I met her, through the bad influence of another girl,
and was a common prostitute. She was very kind-hearted. She was not
long with me when I engaged with other two persons in a housebreaking
in the West-end of the metropolis. On the basement of the house we
intended to plunder was a counting-house, while the upper floors were
occupied by the family as a dwelling-house. Our chief object was to get
to the counting-house, which could be entered from the back. Our mode
of entering was this.--At one o’clock in the morning, one of the party
was set to watch in the street, to give us the signal when no one was
near--a young man was on the watch, while I and another climbed up by a
waterspout to the roof of the counting-house. There was no other way of
getting in but by cutting the lead off the house and making an opening
sufficient for us to pass through.
“The signal was given to enter the house, but at this time the
policeman saw our shadow on the roof and sprung his rattle. The party
who was keeping watch and my ‘pal’ on the roof both got away, but I
hurt myself in getting down from the house-top to the street. I was
apprehended and lodged in prison, and was tried at Middlesex Assizes
and sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment.
“So soon as the time was expired, I met with another gang of burglars,
more expert than the former. At this time I lived at Shoreditch, in
the East-end of the metropolis. Four of us were associated together,
averaging from twenty-two to twenty-three years of age. We engaged
in a burglary in the City. It was hard to do. I was one of those
selected to enter the shop; we had to climb over several walls before
we reached the premises we intended to plunder. We cut through a panel
of the back door. On finding my way into the shop I opened the door to
my companions. We packed up some silks and other goods, and remained
there very comfortable till the change of the policeman in the morning,
when a cart was drawn up to the door, and the outside man gave us
the signal. We drew the bolts and brought out the bags containing the
booty, put them into the cart, and closed the door after us. We drove
off to our lodgings, and sent for a person to purchase the goods. We
got a considerable sum by this burglary, which was divided among us.
I was then about twenty-two years of age. Our money was soon expended
in going to theatres and in gambling, and besides we lived very
expensively on the best viands, with wines and other liquors.
“We perpetrated another burglary in the West-end. Three of us were
engaged in it; one was stationed to watch, while I and another pal had
to go in. We entered an empty house by skeleton-keys, and got into the
next house; we lifted the trap off and got under the roof, and found
an under-trap was fastened inside. We knew we could do nothing without
the assistance of an umbrella. My comrade went down to our pal on the
watch, and told him to buy an umbrella from some passer-by, the night
being damp and rainy. We purchased one from a man in the vicinity for
2_s._; my comrade brought it up to me under the roof. Having cut away
several lathes, I made an opening with my knife in the plaster, and
inserted the closed umbrella through it, and opened it with a jerk,
to contain the falling wood and plaster. I broke some of the lathes
off, and tore away some of the mortar, which fell in the umbrella.
We effected an entry into the house from the roof. On going over the
apartments we did not find what we expected; after all our trouble we
only got 35_l._, some trinkets, and one piece of plate.
“Burglars become more expert at their work by experience. Many of them
are connected with some of the first mechanics in the metropolis.
Wherever a patent lock can be found they frequently get a key to fit
it. In this way even Chubbs and Bramahs can be opened, as burglars
endeavour to get keys of this description of locks. They sometimes give
5_l._ for the impression of a single key, and make one of the same
description, which serves for the same size of such locks on other
occasions. An experienced burglar thereby has more facilities to open
locks--even those which are patented.