The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-07

The detective system which il gen.
orally in vogue in the United States
NAV Justly claim for its father the
celebrated thief taker, Jonathan
Wild, who fl0urished In London
about century and a half ago, and
whose memory was embalmed by
by Fielding In one of the most famous
productions. Wild's exploits have
been chronlcled I'm later days by w.
Harrison Ainsworth, In his famous
story Of slack Shepherd" q work
which placed in dramatic form upon
the stage enjoyed unbounded pop
ularity many years ago, and contrib
uted greatly to populate the prisons
of Great. Britain and America.
Jonathan Wild, who was born i'm
1862, began active life as q coiner of
of false money, and afterward es-
tablished a public house I'm dis
reputable quarter of London, which
soon became n favorite resort with
rOgues OF all degrees. 1t struck the
astute mind of Mr.. Wild that his
business connection might be made
profitable, and he thereupOn assumed
the profession of n detective and
and ultimately became very success
full in it. AS fame as thief-taker
extended, his patronage increased,
people of all stations hurrying to en-
gage his services whenever they suf-
tcred by robbery. In order to aug
mcnt his profits made by all the
thieves pay him black mail; kindly
assisted them in planning rObberies,
i'm order that he might share i'm the
plumber and whenever he found it
more profitable he would apprehend
them to the courts, which In those
days was the same thing "a sending
them to the gallOws.
Jonathan Wild was the first man to
combine with tho profession of de-
tective that of general thieves
broker. a large portion of his bust
ness, which he carried to the extent
of advertising freely In the news
papers CT his day, calling loudly for
all sorts of strayed valuables to be
sent to his house In the Old Baily
upon promise Of great rewards "and
no questions asked" Indeed, Mr..
Wild appears to have been the in
ventor OF this kind of advertising,
which Is as popular now as when 1t
was introduced nearly two hundred
years ago. Probably very few of the
detectives, bank officials, and others,
of the present day who have been
concerned traflicking with the thieves
for the purchase of stolen bonds and
similar property ever knew who was
the originator Of this description of
roguery. But after a long and In
famous career Of almost uninterrupt-
ell prosperity, during which he had
apprehended more criminals and
done more to promote crime than
any many In Great Britain, Jonathan
Wild received his deserts. He was
arrested az an abettor, and an en-
courager of felOns and other wicked
persons, and on being brought to trial
charged with numerous crimes of a
capitsd nature, was quickly convicted.
Mr.. Wild's appearance I'm public Is
thus described:
Jonathan, being seated i'm IL cart,
was conveyed from Newgatc to Ty-
burn amid innumerablc spectators,
who went to see the last of one who
was abhorred by the better sort
loathed by the middling, and despised
by the mob, who pelted him with
stones and dirt NIL the way, broke his
head in several places, and reviled
him I'm the most OpprObrious terms,
for having sold more human blood at
forty dollars per head than would
have filled the canal in st. James
Park. When he arrived Mt the place
of execution, being dosed beforehand
with liquors, he made no speech, nor
did he trouble himself to make any
confession of his sins to the ordinary,
as he could not think of them at all ;
but requested tho hangman to adorn
his neck with the halter, place the
knot exactly under the left ear, and
put him out of his pain as soon as he
could. The cart then drawing away,
he was, to the universal Joy of nj
who behold his last exit, turned off,
and in the twinkling of an eye sent
out of this world into the next
Mar York san.