Pictures and Problems from London Police CourtsHolmes, Thomas
History
Pictures and Problems from London Police Courts
Holmes, Thomas
Crime -- England -- London; Poor -- England -- London
Occasionally the drink, acting on some pet belief, brings the
individual into more serious trouble, and ruins his character and
prospects for life. An intelligent artisan that I knew something of,
and upon whose honesty there did not rest a shadow of doubt, got a
reputation as a burglar, and twelve months’ imprisonment beside, owing
to the combination of drink and decided Socialistic views. He was a
tall man with a very long nose. I have heard that men with big noses
have a great deal of character. I can’t say if it is true generally,
but, anyhow, this man had plenty of both. I had seen him at the court
several times when some question about working men’s clubs had to be
settled. Any question of this sort, or of the freedom of speech, or
Socialism, was sure to bring him, and he was an attentive listener.
One day, to my surprise, he stood in the dock on a serious charge of
burglary. A policeman stood on each side of him holding him up, for he
was half asleep, and half insensible from drink. He was remanded for
a week, that he might have time to get sober and to waken up. When he
came up on the remand, I had a long conversation with him, and from
what he told me and from what I gathered from the prosecutor, I offer
the following as a fair account of what took place.
The prosecutor, who lived in a good neighbourhood, went to bed about 1
a.m. As he was last up, he closed and bolted the doors, and fastened
the windows. He was of the opinion that he did not bolt one of the
doors, but he knew it was closed, and it could only be opened from the
outside with a latch-key that fitted it. The prisoner had been at his
club all day on Sunday and Monday, and had been drinking heavily. He
started homeward about half-past one on Tuesday morning. He had some
recollection of opening a house-door with his latch-key; he knew it
was not his own, but he felt somehow that he had a perfect right to
go in, so he went in and lit the gas. He did not remember anything
more till he found himself in Holloway. It was a singular thing that
his latch-key should fit the prosecutor’s door, but it was more
singular that he, in his muddled condition, should walk up to that
one particular house, and that the door of that house should not be
bolted; but so it was. He entered, and lit the gas in the hall. A nice
gray overcoat was hanging in the hall; he put it on. A silk hat was
with it; he threw away his cap and put on the hat. A silk hat demands
a silk umbrella, so he appropriated one. He went into the dining-room
and lit the gas--all four lights on the chandelier. On the mantelpiece
lay a silver cigar-case; that, after he had lit a cigar, went into the
overcoat pocket, and other valuables went in to keep it company. He
then proceeded to explore the house, and found the larder; again he
lit the gas, and discovered cold meat, pickles, etc. These he brought
into the dining-room and invited himself to supper. On the principle
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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