at the West-end. It was arranged that I should enter the house. I was
lifted to the top of a wall about sixteen feet high, at the back of
the premises, and had to come down by the ivy which grew on the garden
wall; I had to get across another wall. The ivy was very thick, so
that I had to cut part of it away to allow me to get over. I entered
the house by the window without difficulty, having removed the catch in
the middle with my knife. On a dressing-table in one of the bedrooms I
found a gold watch, ring and chain, with 3_l._ 15_s._ in money, and a
brace of double-barrelled pistols, which I secured. In the drawing-room
I found some desert-spoons, a punch-ladle, and other pieces of silver
plate--I looked to them to see they had the proper mark of silver; I
found them to be silver, and folded them up carefully and put them
into my pocket. On looking into some concealed drawers in a cabinet I
found a will and other papers, which I knew were of no use to me; I put
them back in their place and did not destroy any of them. I also found
several articles of jewellery, and a few Irish one-pound notes. I put
them all carefully in my pocket and came to the front-door. The signal
was given that the cab was ready; I went out, drew the door close after
me, and went away with the booty.
“I entered about half-past eleven o’clock at night, and came out
at half-past two o’clock. I saw a servant-girl sleeping in the
back-kitchen, and two young ladies in a back-parlour. I did not go up
to the top-floors, but heard them snoring. They awoke and spoke two or
three times, which made me be careful.
“I went along the passage very softly, in case I should have awakened
the two young ladies in the back parlour as well as the servant in the
kitchen. All was so quiet that the least sound in the world would have
disturbed them.
“I opened the door gently, and came out when the signal was given by my
comrades. It was a cold, wet morning, which was favourable to us, as
no one was about the street to see us, and the policeman was possibly,
as on similar occasions, standing in some corner smoking his pipe. I
jumped into the cab along with my two pals, and went to Westminster.
The booty amounted to a considerable sum, which was divided among us.
We spent the next three or four weeks very merrily along with our
girls. On this occasion we gave the cabman two sovereigns for his
trouble, whether the burglary came off or not, and plenty of drink.
“A short time after, a person came up to me with whom I had associated,
and played cards over some liquor in the West-end. He was a young man
out of employment. He thus accosted me, ‘Jim, how are you getting on?’
I answered, ‘Pretty well.’ He asked me if I had any job on hand. I
said I had not. I inquired if he had anything for me to do. He said
he would give me a turn at the house of an old mistress of his. He
told me the dressing-case with jewels lay in a back room on a table,
but cautioned me to be very careful the butler did not see me, as he
was often going up and down stairs. Two of us resolved to plunder the
house. My companion was on the outside to watch, while I had to enter
the house.
“I got in with a skeleton key while they were at supper, and got up
the stairs without any one observing me. On going to the back room
I was disturbed by a young lady coming up stairs. I ran up to the
second floor above to hide myself, and found a bed in the apartment.
I concealed myself underneath the bed, when the lady and her servant
came into the room with a light. They closed the door and pulled the
curtains down, when the lady began to undress in presence of the
servant. The servant began to wash her face and neck. The lady was a
beautiful young creature. While lying under the bed I distinctly saw
the maid put perfume on the lady’s under linen. She then began to dress
and decorate herself, and told the servant she was going out to her
supper. She said she would not be home till two or three o’clock in
the morning, and did not wish the servant to remain up for her, but to
leave the lamp burning. As soon as she and the waiting-maid had left
the room, I got out of my hiding-place, and on looking around saw but
a small booty, consisting of a small locket and gold chain; a gold
pencil-case, and silver thimble. As I was returning down stairs with
them in my pocket to get to the first floor back, I got possession of a
case of jewels, which I thought of great value. I returned to the hall,
and came out about twelve o’clock without any signal from my comrade.
“On taking the jewels to a person who received such plunder, he told
us they were of small value, and were not brilliants and emeralds as
we fancied. They were set in pure gold of the best quality, and only
brought us 22_l._
“To look at them we fancied they would have been worth a much higher
sum, and were sadly disappointed.
“Soon after we resolved on another burglary in the West-end. One kept
watch without while two of us entered the house by a grating underneath
the shop window, and descended into the kitchen by a rope. We got a
signal to work. The first thing we did was to lift up the kitchen
window. When we got in we pulled the kitchen window down, drew down the
blind, and lighted our taper. We looked round and saw nothing worth
removing. We went to the staircase to get into the shop. As we were
wrenching open a chest of drawers, a big cat which happened to be in
the room was afraid of us. We got pieces of meat out of the safe and
threw them to the cat. The animal was so excited that it jumped up on
the mantelpiece, and broke a number of ornaments. This disturbed an
old gentleman in the first-floor front. He called out to his servant,
‘John, there is somebody in the house.’ We had no means of getting the
door open, and had to go out by the window. The old gentleman came
down stairs in his nightgown with a brace of pistols, just as we were
going out of the window. He fired, but missed us. I jumped so hastily
that I hurt my bowels, and was conveyed by my companions in a cab to
Westminster, and lay there for six weeks in an enfeebled condition. My
money was spent, and as my young woman could not get any, my companions
said you had better have a meeting of our “pals.” A friendly meeting
was held, and they collected about 8_l._ to assist me.
“When I recovered, to my great loss, my companion was taken on account
of a job he had been attempting in Regent’s Park. He was committed to
the Old Bailey, tried, and transported for life. He was a good pal of
mine, and for a time I supported his wife and children. On another
occasion, I and another comrade met a potman at the West-end. He asked
us for something to drink, as he said he was out of work. We did so,
and also gave him something to eat. We entered into conversation with
him. He told us about a house he lately served in, and said there could
be a couple of hundreds got there or more before the brewer’s bill was
paid. We found out when the brewer’s bill was to be paid. We asked the
man where this money was kept. He told us that we would find it in the
second-floor back.
“We made arrangements as to the night when we would go. Three of us
went out as usual. We found the lady of the house and her daughter
serving at the bar. We had to pass the bar to go upstairs. There was
a row got up in the tap-room with my companions. While the landlady
ran in to see what was the matter, and the daughter ran out for the
policeman, I slipped upstairs, and got into the room. The policeman
knew one of my companions when he came in, and at once suspected there
was some design. He asked if there had been any more besides these
two. The landlady said there was another. I was coming down stairs
with the cash-box when I heard this conversation. The constable asked
leave to search the house. I ran with the cash-box up the staircase,
and looked in the back room to see if there was any place to get away,
but there was none. I took the cash-box up to the front garret, and was
trying to break it open, but in the confusion I could not.
“I fled out of the garret window and got on the roof to hide from the
policeman. My footsteps were observed on the carpet and on the gutters
as I went out and slipped in the mud on the roof. I intended to throw
the cash-box to my companions, but they gave me the signal to get away.
I had just time to take my boots off, when another constable came out
of the garret window of the other house. I had no other alternative but
to get along the roof where they could not follow me, and besides I was
much nimbler than they. I went to the end of the row of houses, and did
not go down the garret window near me. Seeing a waterspout leading to a
stable-yard, I slipt down it, and climbed up another spout to the roof
of the stable. I lay there for five hours till the police changed.
“I managed to get down and went into the stable-yard, when the
stable-man cried out, ‘Hollo! here he is.’ I saw there was no
alternative but to fight for it. I had a jemmy in my pocket. He laid
hold of me, when I struck him on the face with it, and he fell to
the ground. I fled to the door, and came out into the main street,
returned into Piccadilly, and passed through the Park gates. On coming
home to Westminster I found one of my comrades had not come home. We
sent to the police-station, and learned he was there. We sent him some
provisions, and he gave us notice in a piece of paper concealed in some
bread that I should keep out of the way as the police were after me,
which would aggravate his case.
“I then went to live at Whitechapel. Meantime some clever detectives
were on my track, from information they received from the girls we
used to cohabit with. We heard of this from a quarter some would not
suspect. He told us to keep out of the way, and that he would let
us know should he get any further information. At last my companion
was committed for trial, tried, and sentenced to seven years’
transportation. I did not join in any other burglary for some time
after this, as the police were vigilantly looking for me. I kept
myself concealed in the house of a cigar-maker in Whitechapel.
“Another pal and I went one evening to a public-house in Whitechapel.
My pal was a tall, athletic young fellow, of about nineteen years,
handsomely dressed, with gold ring and pin, intelligent and daring. We
had gone in to have a glass of rum-and-water, when we saw a sergeant
belonging to a regiment of the line sitting in front of the bar. He
asked us if we would have anything to drink. We said we would. He
called for three glasses of brandy-and-water, and asked my companion if
he would take a cigar. He did so. The sergeant said he was a fine young
man, and would make an excellent soldier. On this he pulled out a purse
of money and looked at the time on his gold watch. My comrade looked
to me and gave me a signal, at the same time saying to the soldier,
‘Sergeant, I’ll ‘list.’ He took the shilling offered him, and pretended
to give him his name and address, giving a false alias, so that he
should not be able to trace him.
“He called for half a pint of rum and water, and put down the shilling
he received, from the sergeant. We took him into the bagatelle-room,
and tried to get him to play with us, as we had a number of counterfeit
sovereigns and forged cheques about us. He would not play except for a
pint of half-and-half. On this he left us, and went in the direction
of the barracks in Hyde Park. My comrade said to me, ‘We shall not
leave him till we have plundered him.’ I was then the worse for
liquor. We followed him. When he reached the Park gates I whispered
to my companion that I would garotte him if he would assist me. He
said he would. On this I sprung at his neck. Being a stronger man than
I, he struggled violently. I still kept hold of him until he became
senseless. My companion took his watch, his pocket-book, papers, and
money, consisting of some pieces of gold, and a 5_l._ note. We sold the
gold watch and chain for 8_l._
“Along with my pal, I went into a skittle-ground in the City to have a
game at skittles by ourselves, when two skittle-sharps who knew us well
quarrelled with us about the game. My companion and I made a bet with
them, which we lost, chiefly owing to my fault, which irritated him. He
said, ‘Never mind; there is more money in the world, and we will have
it ere long, or they shall have us.’ One of the skittle-sharps said
to us insultingly, ‘Go and thieve for more, and we will play you.’
On this we got angry at them. My pal took up his life-preserver, and
struck the skittle-sharp on the head.
“A policeman was sent for to apprehend him. I put the life-preserver
in the fire as the door was shut on us, and we could not get away.
On the policeman coming in my pal was to be given in charge by the
landlord and landlady of the house. The skittle-sharp who had been
struck rose up bleeding, and said to the landlord and landlady, ‘What
do you know of the affair? Let us settle the matter between ourselves.’
The policeman declined to interfere. We took brandy-and-water with the
skittle-sharps, and parted in the most friendly terms.
“One day we happened to see a gentleman draw a pocket-book out of
his coat-pocket, and relieve a poor crossing-sweeper with a piece
of silver. He returned it into his pocket. I said to my pal, ‘Here
is a piece of money for us.’ I followed after him and came up to
him about Regent’s Park, put my hand into his coat-pocket, seized
the pocket-book, and passed it to my comrade. An old woman who kept
an apple-stall had seen me; and when my back was turned went up and
told the gentleman. The latter followed us until he saw a policeman,
while I was not aware of it; being eager to know the contents of
the pocket-book I had handed to my comrade, he being at the time in
distress. We went into a public-house to see the contents, and called
for a glass of brandy-and-water. We found there were three 10_l._ notes
and a 5_l._ note, and two sovereigns, with some silver. The policeman
meantime came in and seized my hand, and at the same time took the
pocket-book from me before I had time to prevent him.
“The gentleman laid hold of my companion, but was struck to the ground
by the latter. He then assisted to rescue me from the policeman. By the
assistance of the potman and a few men in the taproom, they overpowered
me, but my comrade got away. I was taken to the police court and
committed for trial, and was afterwards tried and sentenced to seven
years transportation.
“On one occasion, after my return from transportation, I and a
companion of mine met a young woman we were well acquainted with who
belonged to our own class of Irish cockneys. She was then a servant in
a family next door to a surgeon. She asked us how we were getting on,
and treated us to brandy. We asked her if we could rifle her mistress’s
house, when she said she was very kind to her, and she would not
permit us to hurt a hair of her head or to take away a farthing of her
property. She told us there was a surgeon who lived next door--a young
man who was out at all hours of the night, and sometimes all night. She
informed us there was nobody in the house but an old servant who slept
up stairs in a garret.
“The door opened by a latch-key, and when the surgeon was out the gas
was generally kept rather low in the hall. We watched him go out one
evening at eleven o’clock, applied a key to the door, and entered the
house. The young woman promised to give us the signal when the surgeon
came in. We had not been long in when we heard the signal given. I got
under the sofa in his surgical room; the gas used to burn there all
night while he was out. My companion was behind a chest of drawers
which stood at a small distance from the wall. As the surgeon came in I
saw him take his hat off, when he sat down on the sofa above me.
“As he was taking his boots off, he bent down and saw one of my feet
under the sofa. He laid hold of it, and dragged me from under the sofa.
He was a strong man, and kneeled on my back with my face turned to
the floor. I gave a signal to my companion behind him, who struck him
a violent blow on the back, not to hurt him, but to stun him, which
felled him to the floor. I jumped up and ran out of the door with my
companion. He ran after us and followed us through the street while I
ran in my stockings. Our female friend, the servant, had the presence
of mind and courage to run into the house and get my boots. She carried
them into the house of her employer, and then looked out and gave the
alarm of ‘Thieves!’ We got a booty of 43_l._
“One night I went to an Irish penny ball in St. Giles’s, and had a
dance with a young Irish girl of about nineteen years of age. This
was the first time she saw me. I was a good dancer, and she was much
pleased with me. She was a beautiful and handsome girl--a costermonger,
and a good dancer. We went out and had some intoxicating liquor, which
she had not been used to. She wished me to make her a present of a
white silk handkerchief, with the shamrock, rose, and thistle on it,
and a harp in the middle, which I could not refuse her. She gave me
in exchange a green handkerchief from her neck. We corresponded after
this for some time. She did not know then that I was a burglar and
thief. She asked me my occupation, and I told her I was a pianoforte
maker. One night I asked her to come out with me to go to a penny Irish
ball. I kept her out late, and seduced her. She did not go back to her
friends any more, but cohabited with me.
“One night after this we went to a public singing-room, and I got
jealous by her taking notice of another young man. I did not speak to
her that night about it. Next morning I told her it was better that she
should go home to her friends, as I would not live with her any more.
“She cried over it, and afterwards went home. Her friends got her a
situation in the West-end as a servant, but she was pregnant at the
time with a child to me. She was not long in service before her young
master fell in love with her, and kept her in fashionable style, which
he has continued to do ever since. She now lives in elegant apartments
in the West-end, and her boy, my son, is getting a college education. I
do not take any notice of them now.
“One night on my return from transportation I met two old associates.
They asked me how I was, and told me they were glad to see me. They
inquired how I was getting on. I told them I was not getting along very
well. They asked me if I was associated with any one. I told them I was
not, and was willing to go out with them to a bit of work. These men
were burglars, and wished me to join them in plundering a shop in the
metropolis. I told them I did not mind going with them. They arranged
I should enter the shop along with another ‘pal,’ and the other was to
keep watch. On the night appointed for the work we met an old watchman,
and asked him what o’clock it was. One of our party pretended to be
drunk, and said he would treat him to two or three glasses of rum.
Meantime I and my companion entered the house by getting over a back
wall and entering a window there by starring the glass, and pulling
the catch back. When we got in we did not require to break open any
lockfast. We packed up apparel of the value of 60_l._ We remained in
the shop till six o’clock, when the change of officers took place. The
door was then unbolted--a cab was drawn up to the shop. I shut the door
and went off in one direction on foot, while one ‘pal’ went off in a
cab, and the other to the receiver at Whitechapel.
“I have been engaged in about eighteen burglaries besides other
depredations, some of them in fashionable shops and dwelling-houses in
the West-end. Some of them have been effected by skeleton keys, others
by climbing waterspouts, at which I am considered to be extraordinary
nimble, and others by obtaining an entry through the doors or windows.
I have been imprisoned seven times in London and elsewhere, and have
been twice transported. Altogether I have been in prison for about
fourteen years.
“My first wife died broken-hearted the second time I was transported.
Since I came home this last time I have lived an honest, industrious
life with my second wife and family.”
PROSTITUTE THIEVES.
On taking up this subject, although it is treated comprehensively in
another part of this work, we found it impossible to draw an exact
distinction between prostitution and the prostitute thieves. Even at
the risk of a little repetition we now give a short resumé of the whole
subject, dwelling particularly on the part more especially in our
province--the Prostitute Thieves of London.
The prostitution of the metropolis, so widely ramified like a deadly
upas tree over the length and breadth of its districts, may be divided
into four classes, determined generally by the personal qualities,
bodily and mental, of the prostitute, by the wealth and position of the
person who supports her, and by the localities in which she resides and
gains her ignoble livelihood.
The first class consists of those who are supported by gentlemen in
high position in society, wealthy merchants and professional men,
gentry and nobility, and are kept as _seclusives_.
The second class consists of the better educated and more genteel
girls, who live in open prostitution, some of them connected with
respectable middle-class families.
The third class is composed of domestic servants and the daughters of
labourers, mechanics, and others in the humbler walks in life.
The fourth class comprises old worn-out prostitutes sunk in poverty and
debasement.
We may take each class of prostitutes and illustrate it in the order
set down, extending our field of observation over the wide districts
of the metropolis; or we may select several leading districts as
representatives of the whole, and proceed in more minute detail. We
adopt the latter plan, as it presents us with a fuller and more graphic
view of the subject.
The first class consists of young ladies, in many cases well-educated
and well-connected, such as the daughters of professional men,
physicians, lawyers, clergymen, and military officers, as well as
of respectable farmers, merchants, and other middle-class people,
and governesses; also of many persons possessed of high personal
attractions--ballet-girls, milliners, dressmakers and shop-girls,
chambermaids and table-maids in aristocratic families or at first-class
hotels. Many of them are brought from happy homes in the provinces
to London by fashionable villains, military or civilian, and basely
seduced, and kept to minister to their lust. Others are seduced in the
metropolis while residing with their parents, or when pursuing their
avocations in shops, dwelling-houses, or hotels.
Many a young lady from the provinces has been entrapped by wealthy
young men, frequently young military officers, who have met them at
ball-rooms, where they may have shone in all the beauty of health and
innocence, the darlings of their home, the pride of their parents’
hearts, and the “cynosure of every eye,” or these fashionable rakes may
have got introduced to their families, and been shown marked kindness.
But in return they entice the poor girls from their parents, dishonour
them, and destroy the peace of their homes for ever.
Many young ladies possessing fair accomplishments are also entrapped
in the metropolis--at the Argyle Rooms, Holborn Assembly-room, and
other fashionable resorts. In many cases pretty young girls, servants
in noblemen’s families, barmaids, waiting-maids in hotels, and
chambermaids, may have attracted the attention of gay gentlemen who had
induced them to cohabit with them, or to live in apartments provided
for them, where they are kept in grand style. Some are maintained at
the rate of 800_l._ a year, keep a set of servants, drive out in their
brougham, and occasionally ride in Rotten Row. Others are supported at
still greater expense.
As a general rule they do not live in the same house with the
gentleman, though sometimes they do. Such women are often kept by
wealthy merchants, officers in the army, members of the House of
Commons and House of Peers, and others in high life.
As a rule gay ladies keep faithful to the gentlemen who support them.
Many of them ride in Rotten Row with a groom behind them, attend the
theatres and operas, and go to Brighton, Ramsgate, and Margate, and
over to Paris.
When the young women they fancy are not well educated, tutors and
governesses are provided to train them in accomplishments, to enable
them to move with elegance and grace in the drawing-room, or to travel
on the Continent. They are taught French, music, drawing, and the
higher accomplishments.