Mullins’s Speech and his Song CHAPTER VIII. JUVENILE THIEVES. The Beginning of the Downhill Journey.—Candidates for p. 124 Newgate Honours.—Black Spots of London.—Life from the Young Robber’s Point of View.—The Seedling Recruits the most difficult to reform.—A doleful Summing-up.—A Phase of the Criminal Question left unnoticed.—Budding Burglars.—Streams which keep at full flood the Black Sea of Crime.—The Promoters of “Gallows Literature.”—Another Shot at a Fortress of the Devil.—“Poison-Literature.”—“Starlight Sall.”—“Panther Bill” CHAPTER IX. THE THIEF NON-PROFESSIONAL. The Registered and the Unregistered Thieves of the London p. 144 Hunting-ground.—The Certainty of the Crop of Vice.—Omnibus Drivers and Conductors.—The “Watchers.”—The London General Omnibus Company.—The Scandal of their System.—The Shopkeeper Thief.—False Weights and Measures.—Adulteration of Food and Drink.—Our Old Law, “I am as honest as I can afford to be!”—Rudimentary Exercises in the Art of Pillage CHAPTER X. CRIMINAL SUPPRESSION AND PUNISHMENT. Lord Romilly’s Suggestion concerning the Education of the p. 173 Children of Criminals.—Desperate Criminals.—The Alleys of the Borough.—The worst Quarters not, as a rule, the most noisy.—The Evil Example of “Gallows Heroes,” “Dick Turpin,” “Blueskin,” &c.—The Talent for “Gammoning Lady Green.”—A worthy Governor’s Opinion as to the best way of “Breaking” a Bad Boy.—Affection for “Mother.”—The Dark Cell and its Inmate.—An Affecting Interview CHAPTER XI. ADULT CRIMINALS AND THE NEW LAW FOR THEIR BETTER GOVERNMENT. Recent Legislation.—Statistics.—Lord Kimberley’s “Habitual p. 183 Criminals” Bill.—The Present System of License-Holders.—Colonel Henderson’s Report.—Social Enemies of Suspected Men.—The Wrong-headed Policeman and the Mischief he may cause.—Looking out for a Chance.—The last Resource of desperate Honesty.—A Brotherly Appeal.—“Ginger will settle her.”—Ruffians who should be shut up III. Professional Beggars. CHAPTER XII. THE BEGGAR OF OLDEN TIME. “Only a Beggar.”—The Fraternity 333 Years ago.—A savage p. 211 Law.—Origin of the Poor-Laws.—Irish Distinction in the Ranks of Beggary.—King Charles’s Proclamation.—Cumberland Discipline CHAPTER XIII. THE WORK OF PUNISHMENT AND RECLAMATION. The Effect of “The Society for the Suppression of p. 221 Mendicity.”—State Business earned out by Individual Enterprise.—“The Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society.”—The quiet Work of these Societies.—Their Mode of Work.—Curious Statistics.—Singular Oscillations.—Diabolical Swindling CHAPTER XIV. BEGGING “DODGES.”