Charles Peace, or The Adventures of a Notorious BurglarAnonymous
General
Charles Peace, or The Adventures of a Notorious Burglar
Anonymous
Burglars -- England -- London -- Biography; Murderers -- England -- London -- Biography; Peace, Charles Frederick, 1832-1879
He made a long stay in the last-named place; he met there a young man
who was a “nigger delineator,” as they term themselves in the
advertisements in a certain theatrical paper. Peace found in this
person a congenial spirit, and they took a commodious room in the town
and gave “nigger” entertainments three nights in the week――namely,
Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. The two first were the most
profitable, the working class being usually more flush of money.
Peace and his brother artist were tolerably successful, playing on
most occasions to a small profit. They would in all probability have
continued these performances had they not been brought to a close by
Peace’s companion signing articles of engagement with a troupe who
visited the town on a provincial tour.
Peace, therefore, left and proceeded to the next town with his wares.
In some of the places he visited he was tolerably successful. He sold
many prints and photos, and realised a fair profit.
Sometimes he put up at a roadside inn, while at others he took
lodgings in a quiet, respectable cottage for a few days.
At this time his life could not be considered in any way
disreputable――he was sober and industrious.
It is true that during his peregrinations he was in no way particular
about disposing of prints and photos of a contraband nature, but he
used a great amount of discretion in his dealing in goods of this
description.
It was towards the close of a bright autumnal day that he arrived
wearied and footsore in sight of a roadside inn, which stood half-way
between two villages in Yorkshire. The sign of this wayside inn was
the “Old Carved Lion.”
Over the facia of the establishment was a wooden effigy of the king of
beasts. Who carved this hideous animal it is not possible to say――it
was about on a par with others one sees in houses of public
entertainment in the metropolis and elsewhere.
About thirty yards off the “Old Carved Lion” stood a handpost, with
its four white arms pointing down the four cross roads.
Some few years before there had been only one handpost within four
miles of this spot, and that so defaced and overgrown with moss that
it was impossible to decipher a letter.
But fortunately, a nobleman who lived in the neighbourhood happened to
lose his way among the dark woods which encircled it, and did not
arrive home till his soup was ice, his fish rags, and his sirloin of
beef a cinder.
An order was consequently passed by the bench that handposts should be
erected in all the parishes under their surveillance at every cross
road and turning――the expenses to be defrayed by the funds of the
respective parishes.
In rural districts, before any improvements are permitted to be made
or nuisances removed, a human being must die or a person of note be
inconvenienced.
In the days of the defaced handpost, before railways were in vogue,
the “Old Carved Lion” had been a large coaching hotel, furnished with
an unbounded amount of accommodation for man and beast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account