The London Guide and Stranger's Safeguard/Chapter 4
HOUSE-BREAKERS
Abound most in dark winter nights; on which account we seldom hear of the commission of burglary in the line of streets where the newly invented gas-lights are put up. This shows the advantage of burning a light in your house all night; the thieves drawing a conclusion from that circumstance (unless they have previous confidential communication) that part of the family are stirring.
Like all other forceful robbers, they are prone to commit murder, if resisted; and it must be in every one's recollection who reads, the "police examinations," or attend to the disclosures of the "Old Bailey Sessions" that they never go unarmed,—mostly with fire arms.
We will not pretend to enumerate all the various methods of entering the premises of others, which the law ever presumes to be "with intent to steal." Was it possible this could be done, and a complete exposition made of every manœuvre that has been tried up to the present day, new, and yet unheard of, inventions would immediately be resorted to. Even on the day we are writing, the last sad sentence of the law has been carried into execution upon Attel, a Shoreditch lad, who had found out a new method of safely and securely robbing the next-door premises to his own for many months, and to a ruinous amount for the poor sufferer. He removed a stair, both the front and tread of it, in such a manner, as that each piece should slide out of, and into its groove at pleasure. Through this aperture he let himself down, and conveyed away the goods when the family were asleep. His detection was attended with the singular atrocity of attempting uselessly to murder the victims of his robberies; but in which he was foiled by the more humane interposition of his accomplice!—thus, no longer leaving to the mere invention of fable, "The story of the two hired villains, the one insatiate of blood, the other relenting, &c." The children in the Wood, a tale and play.
There will be no reason, however, why we should not describe those means which have been hitherto in use for house-breaking; that so, the yet tininformed reader may know how to guard aoainst a repetition of the same, nor have to reproach himself for neglecting to take all the possible precautions for securing his bouse and premises against ordinary thieves.
Next to keeping a light burning all night, is the affixing a large bell tor an alarum on the outside of the house, having a communication with two or more chambers. This is more especially essential out of town (or around town). Your next neighbours should be made acquainted with its sound, possibly by tolling it at some given hour; the same of watchmen, and patrols, horse as well as foot; and the attention to the tones of the latter would be wonderfully improved, if the thing were to be done over a jug of ale. Having, in the next place, furnished yourself with a good strong house-dog, and some well kept fire arms, you may go to sleep in peace, provided you know how to use the latter, and to manage the former. But servants are very likely to spoil both the one and the other: the dog by too much attention, the fire arms by too little. What is the object of firing off a charge of powder every night at dusk? As soon as the dog is put upon his station, this might be done, and it would be a signal to him to be upon the "qui vive?" "Now mind, Cæsar! Look out," say you, and fire!
Whilst we are upon precautions, we may as well make a finish of the general ones.
Should you at any time lose your dog, mysteriously, by death or subtraction, do not go to bed that night or the next: something bad is intended; possibly nothing less than breaking the dwelling-house; more probably the robbing your out-houses, hen roosts, gardens, orchards, sheep folds, &c. &c.
If a servant leaves you in dudgeon, for some are very vindictive, or if one soon afterwards falls into bad habits, never suffer them to come near the premises, but look well to the dog, the state of the bell-pulls, and the condition of the fire arms. Should any thing be amiss with either of them, through negligence, suspect that some evil is designed; should they appear to be deranged by design, be assured a robbery is in comtemplation.
The symptoms we have described, indicate that your domestics (one or the other of them) are leagued with thieves to break into the house. Then burn lights diligently, look to the dog, and the bell-pulls yourself; and fire off your pistols, shotted, at some boarded place which will retain the shot to next day. This sort of league, or information from within, is called, "a put up robbery;" although 'tis no less so, where mechanics or others have come at the secrets of "good booty, and the means of the easiest entiy," to which they put up (as it is called) their palls, or else speak of those circumstances ill-advisedly. However the facts may come out, the effects are the same, whether negligently or criminally mentioned abroad, that much property is in a house that is ill-pvotecfed. The robbery at the Countess of Morton's, a few years ago, was owing to a very slight cause, like this we have alluded to.
False keys, and pick-locks, with the addition of a crow bar, are favourite modes of getting into houses, or of making their way through them when the entry is once made. Servant girls, who go of errands at evening, with their keys, should be careful not to leave such a dangerous instrument of robbery behind them; nor to suffer such to be purloined from off the counter of a shop, nor to be snatched from their fingers, in a sort of sport. She who should be thus served would find it but ill sport to be tied to the bed post half the night, whilst her former play fellows are handing off all the portable articles they can find. When one rogue had got possession of the key, another would watch her home; and the thief obstacle being thus removed from the front-door, the prey would be easy and certain,—as would the loss of her life be, were she to recognize any one among the thieves, and say so. Young women should be most careful with what men they contract an acquaintance, for housebreakers frequently pretend love to servant girls, for the purpose of robbing the premises; sometimes with the more shabby intention of robbing the girl herself of a little money, and a little clothes, together with all her virtue and peace of mind.
A house destined to be robbed, is first surveyed by the parties; for, it is too much to suppose half a dozen men would walk about with the proper tools in search of a job! If an empty, or half finished house, be near,—or one is under repair,—whence the parapets, roofs or gutters are accessible to each other, this is chosen as the medium of communication; and one of the party or two) makes his way into that which is to be robbed, by way of the garret. Descending, according to circumstances, he seizes and binds, or gags, the only domestic (a female perhaps) who has care of the house. He lets in his companions at his leisure; and they as leisurely bring carts if that be necessary, to strip the house, and carry away, even to the bare walls (we have seen it) as completely as if the king's tax-gatherer had come in, three quarters in arrear.
Should the kitchen windows towards the area be deemed the most vulnerable place, one of the party descends, and breaks a pane of glass, which enables him to push back the bolt, and he slides up the window, the shutter whereof he forces with a small crow-bar, and if the house be not fully inhabited, he leisurely walks upstairs, and admits his accomplices at the front door. In any other case they go down the same way he has done; and in both cases it has happened, that the bold rogues have struck a light, drawn a cork or two, and smoked their pipes, while stowing away the valuables in a portable form! Undoubtedly, obstruction in any possible case, within the house, would be attended with blood-shed; but before getting in, the tingling of a chamber bell, the barking of a puppy, or the snoring of a servant on the ground floor, would scare away the boldest attempt that was ever made.
One of the most unblushing methods is, at once to burst open the front door. A small jack, of great powers, was known to have been used in several cases, a few years ago. It has not been heard of lately, and I am thence inclined to believe, there was but one of them made adapted to this purpose. "With a purchase of one eighth of an inch, you might heave St. Paul's with it," was a phrase used concerning the Jack; and as that purchase could be found at the interstices of all pavements, it might be made the instrument of a great deal of mischief. Window shutters, as well as doors, may be wrenched open, or burst asunder by force; but the noise this makes renders it too unsafe for the perpetrators, who do not choose to "give a chance away," when any other method remains to be tried. Many men can climb the front of a house as easily as others can go up a pair of stairs: I have seen Mn, the binder, go it in this manner, so as to astonish even the knowing ones; but as he is only an occasional thief, much evil cannot be expected from his acquirements in this way, for some length of time, at least, a parcel of cutlery, or a till-box being his highest aim yet awhile.
Another plan is, with the old fashioned fastening of a pin through the shutter, to cut the woodwork all round the head of the pin, by which means the shutter opens, leaving the pin in its original position. This is effected by boring gimblet holes, so as to admit the saw (made of watch spring); and afterwards breaking a pane of glass so as to come at the window fastening, then lifting it up, the room in the first instance, and the whole house ultimately, is at their disposal.
Seldom are these latter methods adopted that the family, or some of the neighbourhood, are not apprised of them at the moment of perpetration; at the least, I have never gone into an enquiry on one of them, that persons have not been awake to the business, more or less. Is it not very strange, for instance, that an opposite neighbour's servant should discern a man traversing from house to house, along the parapets, or the roofs, at fall of the evening (or indeed any time of the day) but apprise no one of it? But such is the fact with regard to several robberies in Westminster and other parts of that end of town. Again, eight or ten persons heard, or saw, the sawing of the window shutter next to the watchhouse, in Newgate Street, (March, 1815),—even the sufferer himself heard—but no one had the presence of mind, or the activity, to interrupt them; and "although twenty-two watchmen, patrols, or constables passed within two yards of the place while the business was in hand, yet the thieves were not driven from their purpose, but exchanged the time of the morning with the watchmen," (See Times newspaper, and others of March 4) one of whom was apparently upon good terms with them. Whether he was so or not, may be collected from the additional circumstance of his pulling down, repeatedly, the bills that were affixed on the walls with a view to discover the thieves! Indeed, it must have been the feeling, that the watchmen were near, which lulled the suspicions of those inhabitants into an imaginary security.
Although it does not come within our province to notice murders that are committed from sudden gusts of passion, or the dark malignity of oifended pride, yet such as accompany robbery are more certainly within our view. As such we must notice a wide-spreading calamity, in the perpetration of murder by wholesale as the first step to burglary. Ever since the murder of the family of Marr, in Ratcliffe Highway, and that immediately following, of the Williamsons, in Gravel Lane, we have heard of those compound atrocities more frequently than of any other species of coal-black offence. The first mentioned was committed on the master, mistress, and children of a haberdasher, who keeping his shop open until twelve o'clock of a Saturday night, thereby allured the murderer to take their lives, the easier to come at the money, the receiving of which could not fail to be seen from the street through the window. A tolerably good lesson this for people who cautiously make a display of their property.
The second' named crime was committed on the bodies of a public house keeper, his wife and servant, by one of their guests, who had concealed himself in the cellar. When the deceased came to close up finally his bar, and to lock away the money, it is concluded the villain made his appearance, and perpetrated his diabolical purpose, A small degree of circumspection might have prevented this, and indeed the whole catalogue of crimes of the deepest atrocity; whereas, the lesser ones, people in general, take the most precautions to secure theuiselves from being made the tools of, mis-judgingly concluding, that those of blackest hue, are never to fall to their share.
How unreflecting are the robbers as well as the robbed, occasionally! When Mr. Wilkinson's premises in Mooriieldls were broken into about Christmas, 1816, and nearly one hundred and fifty pounds stolen, the gang were so incautious as to regale themselves next nighty at the Punch bowl, Long alley, not one hundred yards off; where they were nosed by an old woman, whose teeth they knocked out, but were themselves taken in consequence. At the same house, just a year after, two officers called out a thief, to give him the information "that he lay under suspicion, and they meant he should go along with them." No sooner was he up to their message, than a shrill whistle raised the attention of his companions in the skittle ground: they were down as a nail in five seconds, and the whole party of thirty or forty interfered to prevent the consequences; and although "the man was got away," yet the officers—now three in number, were dreadfully misused, one of them almost massacreed, and all of them were "spoiled for plum pudding eating" during the holidays which followed, and which they gave to their stomachs—appetite having taken "leave of absence."
The first mentioned was the lot attached to Jack Pettit, whose girl and two companions had the lag for fourteen; the latter case hath yet to undergo investigation, before that awful court whose painful task is to pronounce the harshest sentences of the law.—We therefore forbear to say more at present, for obvious reasons.
"The proof of the pudding is in the eating," says an old saw, (and old saws are good sometimes). We are this moment informed of the attack and defence of a [lone] house by three women against as many men, at the least, which story goes to establish what is said a few pages higher up of the security to be reposed in, when your house is protected by lights, a dog, and fire-arms; and goes to prove also the decisive victory which would have attended one other precaution which we recommended—viz. a bell, hung on the outside of the house — but which was here wanting.
Mr. W having occasion to leave home, for some days, the house was left under the protection of his lady and two maid servants: this circumstance was known; and an hour after dark the house was beset by two or three men, who were suspected of no good intentions, so the doors were well fastened by the female inhabitants. The lights were kept in, and all three kept strict watch; so that the first attack did not take place until eleven o'clock, which was commenced with fruitless endeavours to enter by the front door. Mrs. W here shewed that heroism, which sometimes, though seldom, discovers itself in the female character, upon great or paramount occasions. She flew to the door, which they were at that moment forcing with a crow, as is supposed; from the inside she harangued them, with promise of a warm reception for the first that should enter; and ordered down the blunderbuss, &c. for that purpose. "I shall not prevent your coming in," said she, "but be assured I shall take good care that one or two of you shall not go out again alive." The house dog seconded its mistress, with all its sagacity, and seemed to say with her, "come along scoundrels;" while the two affrighted servants did all in their power to infuse that fear, which alone belongs to the base born, and the guilty. They now abandoned the attack on the door.
A very few minutes elapsed when the dog showed symptoms of the enemy being again at work; they had piled up loose bricks which lay about, and ascended to the top of the parlour window. This point Mrs. W thought they would penetrate, for they were visible from the upper part, or aperture; she therefore took her station at a distant part of the room, that the shot might spread, so as to hit the whole of the party that might present themselves on the shutter giving way, which was every moment expected. She called to them again, let go the spring sword of the blunderbuss, and hitting the window with it, gave them the same assurances, as before; then retreated, and took a glass of wine! within their view, as is apprehended. This was too much for their stomachs, and they retreated for the present.
Hours elapsed before a third endeavour was made to get in by the cellar door; in which they so nearly succeeded, that the arm of one was visible from within; but the besieged being on the alert, the villain retired his arm in great haste, to avoid the thrust to which it was thus exposed, and the effects of which he did but just escape. At four o'clock in the morning, the assailants drew off; but their retreat would have been cut off by the timely use of a bell, at any moment of their endeavours to break in.
"A word to the wise is enough," or ought to be so; this descriptive narrative speaking more than volumes can, to persons who are open to practical advice; let the morose and the selfsufficient suffer, if they neglect it.
A very common practice is, to break a pane of glass near the window-fastening, which can be soon displaced by introducing the hand at the aperture thus made. Shop windows are frequently entered by the same means; but the breaking is generally effected with a glazier's diamond: as the shopmen are near at hand and might hear the glass fall, a sucker[1] is employed and placed on the pannel in the first instance; then having cut all round near the frame, the piece is hawled out, and a good booty no longer remains problematical. Phosphorus, in a narrow necked bottle, after being ignited is traced in the line the diamond is meant to take, which renders the glass soft enough for even a common knife to cut out, without making a noise.
N.B. In examining your premises to see whether your doors and shutters are safe, it is proper to feel also; for the house-breakers furnish themselves with coloured papers, near to that of the wood work attacked, with which they cover over an aperture until they can return to finish the job. Like street robbers, these fellows have whistles, and calls, sometimes a word, as "go along. Bob," that is to say,—"proceed vigorously in the robbery;" again, "it won't do," is the sig-nal for desisting, &c.
After all the precautions that are used to keep out the thieves from your house, they prove lamentably ineffectual from the superior cunning or prowess with which their calling endows them. First having found out some of your connexions, they come and induce you to put aside that excellent preventive of sudden intrusion at night—a chain on the door. This is dexterously done by means of a letter, and the bold assumption of a friend's name, from whom they pretend to come. Once inside, all goes to wreck.—Doors, locks, bolts, boxes and safes—even the lives of the inmates, be they more or less, are sacrificed to their vengeance, or their ideas of securing impunity. The murders and robbery of Mr. Bird and his housekeeper at Greenwich, lately, was of this description; and we see how difficult of discovery is the perpetration of the compound villainy, that thus sweeps all before its remorseless fangs. Charles Hy, a footman out of place it seems, residing opposite that ill-fated pair, marked them out for his victims.
N.B. When any point is suspected of being vulnerable, or that attempts have been made there, the approach of the villains may be better ascertained by strewing a few coal ashes near the spot, if the ground be not too soft: although they should come without shoes, the crushing is sure to be heard.
SHOP-LIFTING
Defines itself. It is the act of lifting up, in order to carry away, slily, goods from a shop or warehouse; and is carried on to a great extent. We spoke of those who steal from the doors of shops, the goods exposed at them to invite customers, under the head of street robberies. In the next place, the same class, and some carrying their heads much higher in life, enter a a shop which is pretty well beset by customers, some of whom no doubt are of their own stamp and connexions. Those women who are adepts, wear the round-about pockets, of very large dimensions, of which we before spoke under the head of "Prostitutes." These generally go in couples, sometimes more, the better to engage the attention of the shopman, whose attention, being fully occupied in present business, cannot by possibility be paid in two places at the same time. Suppose, as is often the case, ten or dozen pieces of printed cotton lie upon the counter all of a heap; they form a pile nearly as high as your nose, or are shoved together by the thief, the better to form a barrier against the sight of the shopman. Muslin being the favorite object of pursuit, a piece of it is buried underneath the printed goods, or some of its own quality, and she who is to take it, withdraws it quickly, as 80on as the item is given and perceived. If it be a whole piece, the quantity would be too much for any other than a bulky woman: her size would carry off as much as thirty or forty yards without creating much suspicion, though their eagerness is such that the very thinnest would try it on with the most bulky article.
The skirt or upper petticoat is made with a very large pocket hole, or slit half way down; into this the bulky woman thrusts the end of the muslin (or other cloth, when that is not come-at-able) then slides her round about pocket over it, like a case; and after pushing her sides alternately against the counter, or against her accomplice, so as to bend it under the projecting belly, off she marches, under the pretence of going to some other tradesman in order to save time. "Vell, I declares! how long you are a choosing, Mrs. Vatkins! I can't stop no longer here, but vill go to Mr. Proones's over the vay for my tea and my sugar. You come." Outside is another "to take it away," lest there should be an outcry. This is done in a court or narrow passage, but more frequently at the gin-shop; the keepers of which are sometimes made the holders of stolen goods, without knowing it, thinking, to be sure, that they thereby oblige a customer who is to call again. What can amend this facility to the escape of the guilty, but compelling the publican to place the article where it might be open to the view of every one coming in?
Although we have given this insight of shop-lifting in its most bulky form, it is not to be supposed that the ladies confine their speculations and practices to muslin alone, nor to the poor linen draper's shops exclusively. Haberdasher's shops contain equal fascinations for the leading foible of the female mind, unchastened in the school of philosophy—dress! All-powerful dress, and the over adornment of nature's fairest work, leads even ladies to commit crimes which their own sempstresses would shudder to contemplate. Ladies of the highest surface-character have been known to rob shops repeatedly, and require the vigilance of the warehousemen as much as women in the humbler walks of life. Without ripping open old sores, or abrading the film which covers the wounded character of a certain fair one, we must be content with merely making the assertion, and asking credit for it from our readers. As this is almost the only instance in which we have shown any disposition to mealy mouthedness, we demand excuse.
Lace was the object of solicitude in the case just alluded to; and is the favourite article of purloinment with those who follow shop-lifting as a profession: the largest value being contained in the smallest space, admirably fits this article to claim the preference.
The large hairy muff is charmingly adapted to facilitate this species of robbery: it being placed upon one arm, and the attention of the shopman directed to some article contained in a drawer or shelf she is sure is situated just behind, enables the lady to pick up with perfect impunity whatever she chooses, whether that be lace, ribbons, gloves, trinkets, books, or other desirable article.
The ridicule, which in summer supplies the place of the muff, sometimes raises suspicion from its capaciousness, and is no less adapted to receive the hasty acquisitions of its owner. Shopmen would do well to make an end of their bargaining and farcying, respecting one article, before they takedown another; with the additional precaution of couatmg the number of pieces, pairs, &c. of each, that he may place before his customer. This would prevent a great proportion of those shop robberies, which the tradesman feels has been committed, without knowing upon whom to fix the crime, and half distracted at his own suspicions, he robs himself of peace and the people around him of their comfort: and, as prevention shall be better than cure (all to nothing) any time of the day, "such shopmen are guilty (the law ought to say) who are so far derelict in their duty as to hold out the lure to their master's customers—ohmucli confusion in his goods and negligence in shewing them."
If small articles are liable to be thus purloined, no less so are the most ponderous; only these do not occur so often possibly as the former. What will the unknowing reader think of a man running away with a smith's anvil of three hundred weight? He may stare! but it is not a whit the more untrue, because he happens never to have heard of such a thing. I saw it myself, in open day, not in a remote corner of the town, but at the corner of Greek Street and King Street, Soho. The owners names were Jackson and Hartlett; and the anvil stood just inside the door, either to show that they were ironmongers, or to perform odd jobs upon. The facetiousness of the last named gentleman induced him to follow, and compel the thief to walk back with his load! assuring him, ironically, that he was going the wrong way, nnd promising him something for the extra trouble he was giving to him; and he performed his promise: it was no other than a jolly good kick in the which he had for his pains.
What is it to me, or to you, reader! that this happened long ago? Have you not got names for the fact? and the date is a dozen years back at least; but the oddness of the circumstance deserved recording, and I made a note of it, without any date, thinking I should never be called upon to swear every word to its parish, as I have been obliged to do almost concerning the information furnished for this book.
Equally supvising, and much later as to date, was another business that happened while I was in-doors at the Swan on Snow hill. An ale brewer's dray stopped in the street, while the two men took a glass or two of gin at the bar with a friend. Any one who ever took a glass of good max there, knows how short a time this would take; but it was long enough for those who acted outside to carry off three barrels of ale! One would suppose there must have been six men, at least, to perform so much in so short a space of time; I was convinced no more than four were concerned in it, that is to say the friend, who paid for the gin, one of the draymen, and two active lads outside. They had (I dare say) a fine jollification at the holidays, that happened a few days thereafter (Christmas, 1817.) If any one doubts the fact of this robbery, let them go there and ask the landlord; and, although he will hum! and ha! and hey! before he gives an answer, I am persuaded he knows no more of it than what he was told. Thus much I have gone out of the straight path to say, in the way of corroboration of the anvil story, which the printer's devil told me "no one would be so soft as to take in not at any price."
To return to the shop-lifting system of robbery: a most barefaced attack upon a shop took place within a few Saturdays of the last mentioned one. At the top of Bishopsgate Street and Norton Falgate, six or seven thieves were making a bubbery, as they always do thereabouts on Saturday and Sunday evenings;—two of them went into a hosier's shop, and exchanged a word or two of no moment with the master; they were followed to the door by their companions, one of whom handed down a parcel of stockings, and passing through the others, walked off with it. I had enough of them; and not choosing to run any risk by following up, I left them to the dangerous means they had adopted to come at the property of others, and walked doun Worship Street. A sight of the police-office there brought me to think what could have become of their patrol! for it was past eleven o'clock.
Stealing prayer-books and bibles from churches, was carried on to a great extent four to six years ago, by a tall man about thirty years of age, who went by no other name than "the tall-one." He always had one or two books upon him (as Paddy Byrne used to phrase it,) and I really thhik he was religious in the main; for he never swore at all, nor was he flash to slang, however ordinary. There is a north country saying, that "the silent sow sucks up the most broth; so this tall-one, who had but little to say upon any subject, and nothing upon several, had a happy knack of disposing of his books, so as to make them tell double and treble. It was thus: going into a bookseller's to sell what he might have, he chaffered a good deal about price; and during the interest this would excite in the mind of the buyer, he endeavoured to pocket some other books. Should this not be possible, in consequence of superior vigilance, or of the undivided attention of the people of the shop, he would make some excuse to leave his book, and calling again when the first person was out of the way, or at dinner, would reclaim his book, but send it up stairs, &c. the better for the person to assure himself that the application was all correct and honest. This manœuvre enabled him to pick and cull, or to pocket any article he might have fixed upon. I have known him to sell an article by description, before he stole it. I call that clever; as it is also to live a month genteelly upon an original stock of only four or live prayer-books, with which he rung the changes, at the booksellers: giving those and taking books, and receiving money in return. But he put his foot in it, by overdoing his good luck, as most people do, who know not what it is to rule and govern themselves. He took three volumes of Spectator, to sell by way of sampler the remainder of the set, which he stated to be ten, but the bookseller insisted was complete only in forty-five volumes. He at length agreed for the whole forty-five, which he meant to steal, as he proposed to bring them by piecemeal; but Mr. Gosling of Castle Street, Leicester fields (the right owner) would not let them go in that way, and candidly told him so. The holder of the three volumes, too, supected him; and both these having mentioned their suspicions at a third bookseller's—the tall-one's schemes were blown up, and the books returned to their fellows in the set.
Than the shop-lifter's, there is not a more improvident set of thieves in the whole list. Not content with one or two good things of a day, they will go on from shop to shop, throughout the whole blessed day; so that they get watched by the officers, who know them, from that circumstance, and from walking singly, one after another, occasionally stopping, overtaking, and talking together with apparently great interest: then they divide, and enter the shop just agreed upon, by one or two at a time, as before described. If the shopkeepers were to adopt the precaution we gave a little higher up, they would be able to know in a minute or two what they had lost; and thus contribute to the instant detection of the offenders, by immediately informing the officers what goods had been stolen; for these active men run into the shops as soon as the thieves leave them, to enquire what has been missed? A question which the shopmen seldom answer in the affirmative,—for the stupids really do not know; more shame for them!
In the same way it is the officers find out the
SMASHERS[2]
Or passers of bad money; many of whom are identically the same as the shop-lifters. But the difference in the keenness of the pursuit is most apparent: the reward upon conviction of the latter description being more liberal and more certain; and two or three officers find it worth their while to spend a whole day in thus pursuing them from shop to shop, until they are discovered,—one or the other always keeping them in view, when another is making his hasty enquiries, as above mentioned.
Under this head we must class the passers of bad notes, or forgeries of the Bank of England cash notes; nor do we see why the ruses which rogues have recourse to, the better to get rid of stolen notes (or those which are otherwise improperly come by) should not be considced of the same genus: all three involve their utterers in the same penalty—death; and all require the same management to avoid detection, or even pursuit. For instance, a man received a ten pound note too much for a cheque on a bank (Masterman's)—he affects that he has not received more than the right sum, for aught he knew; or, if he has, that he paid it away again just as he received it. Upon coming to trial, however, it turns out that he goes to a shop in Red Lion Street, Holborn, from which it is sent to the public-house to be changed; and up to this latter place it is traced from the Bank of England. Proving, in this manner, the fellow as dishonest as if he had come at the property by means of burglary or of highway robbery. Hence upwards there ascend gradations of guilt, as variously featured as the actors in them are numerous; but is it not a little extraordinary that the makers of forged notes are never found out? The engraver! the paper-maker! the rolling press! all are buried in the obscurity of night, and bid fair to leave old Patch-Price, the single instance of a combination of the triple talent in one man. Forty-seven prosecutions ayear, upon an average of twelve years, are brought by the Bank against the tools and agents of the forgers, but not one in thirty years against the principals. How! and why is this?
Not one of these forgeries ever met my eye, that I was not convinced I could have discovered of my own accord; but although there were any positively bad in my hands or those of my friends, I have the means of passing them safely, in such a way, that the Bank never prosecute, for they never discover them from their own.
How few give their right name and residence on changing notes at the Bank!