The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-19
TERMsr
A FAMOUS THIEF.
Jonathan Wild, One Of tho Deepest
Dyed Rogues london Ever Saw.

lBms III us 'luI6 frontic0, fOikOWB
step by step the progress OF such a
thief as we can imagine Mr.. Wild visit
ing within an hour or 30 after then
OF tine robbery OF gold watch or
snuff-box had been brought to him.
We can imagine him entering such .
room In which we see the terrified
prentice lying IN the bed, whilst his
mistress oloats over the stolen watch.
A knock falls upon the door. En-
ter the respectable Mr.. Wild, who.
without being invited, seats himself
upon the rickety chair at the bedside.
"Come," says he TO the trembling
wretch, "you have been ct your tricks
again. have you? Nay, never snake
your head. know all about it thAt
10 worth knowing. The watch Was
taken from the gentleman at the up-
per end OF Moorfields. Come, let ua
hear your own account OF the matter.
IL ia best to make clean breast Of
It, and / may be able 20 help You.
What you hesitate? Very well; then
all ] can do ia to lodge information
against you. / came here as your
friend; perhaps these who follow will
not be so tender of you as l."
Such an address an this very rarely
failed to draw forth q full disclosure
of all the ins and outs OF the business.
The result was that it added one
more slave to Jonathan Wild's gang,
tor henceiorth the poor thief belonged
to him, body and soul; tine ex-buckle.
maker could hang him up at Tyburn
with the turn Of q finger.
"Well," says Jonathan. perhaps
after q full confession had beer made,
"'ris bad business Tor certain, and
q hanging matter INTO the bargain.
Were to act, as by rights / should
do, would 90 straight TO Bow street
with this matter. However, / have
no wish to do injury to any one, and
will ever stand your friend. / don't
want to touch the watch, or have
ANYTHING TO do with il, but / will seek
out the owner, and may be he will be
willing to give trifie and ask no ques-
tions for it's safe return"
For the three or tour guineas that
the loser would in most cases be glad
enough to give for the return OF his
property, Jonathan would probably
keep one-third for bis own trouble in
the matter.
The profits in those transactions
were good, and he himself ran no risks.
for in most cases he neither saw.
touched nor handled the stolen prop
erty.
Gradually his clientaee 30 increased.
both among the criminal CLASSES and
their victims, that he was forced to
empty first one and then two and then
q corps OF assistants, the greater pOr-
tion OF whom were detailed TO thor
oughly investigate every crime COM
mitted in the city and it's urround-
ings. Jonathan himself, the spider at
the center OF this great web, lay quiet
ly with all the vibrating threadR CEN
tered in himself, ready at any in mt
to pounce upon the victim. He was
called "the prince OF robbers the
emperor or czar OF thieves would per.
haps have fitted him better, for be
ruled those n Death him with rod OF
iron. With Eh as obeyed and tol.
lowed his biddings he was oil smooth
ness, gentleness, generosity and beney-
olence; to such 40 resisted he was
hard, cruel, inexorable as iate.
Amongst the thieves OF his kingdom
one question ne to his authority, one
sign of resistance was enough; the
doom OF the wretch was sealed; moth
ing human could save him from his
fate. In Jonathan's book was record.
ed every crime he had ever commit
ted, with circumstances, witnesses
and all matter connected with it.
Probably any one OF such records
would in that day be considesed a
hanging matter. Within an hour Jon.
athan's beagies would be upon his
track; within two or three hours at
furthest he would be lodged In St.
Giles, or In st. AIMS Round house, or
In Newgate. Nothing could save him
then from the fate In store. When ne
came to trial there were witnesses I'm
plenty, most likely the criminals own
friends and acquaintance and even
relatives, Tor when Janathan's man
date came to them TO appear In thc
witness box not one oE them dared to
refuse, lest q like fate should fall up
on them at the first sign OF disobedi-
ence or OF rebellion. A score OF such
examples have been handed down to
u In his fine new heuse in the NAa Bai-
ley, Jonathan set mp regular office,
where be received visits ard gave pro-
iessional advice TO any such as had
goods rtolen, and who wished to
make arrangements for their recovery.
The routine observed wac IN ell cases
the same; as q preliminary step lee
OF one crown was to be paid. Then a
great show was made OF entering IN
an official looking book the name ct
the applicant, o minute description
of the goods stolen, any circumstanc-
es connected with the robbers, etc.,
etc. "But," saya one ot theveracious
hist ories, ''at bottom this was ell
grimace; Wild had not the least oc-
casion for these queries but Co amuse
the persons he asked, Tor he knew be-
foIehand all the circumstances Of the
robbery much better than they did;
nay, perhaps had the very goods in,
his house when the folks came first TO-
inquire about them, though Tor rea-
sons not hard TO be guessed he made
use OF all this formality."
The applicant wae generally ap.
pointed 60 second meeting upon the
next day, or the next day but one.
when, II his offer had been liberal, the
goods were returned TO him. More
often. however, Mr.. Wild would pnll .
long face. He had made dilligent m
quiries. and thought that he pcrhaps
knew the thief that had taken the
goods; he was sorry to say, ho xever,
that the fellow was bold. impudent
rascal. and either could or pretended
he could sell goods at double the price.
However,-f II he could but come TO
speech OF the rogue be had no doubt
oil bringing him TO reason.
This formula generally had the sf-
feet OF causing the loser Co increase his
offer. Another viHit or two followed, !,
and then u positive answer Was gwen.
II the gentleman or lady would ank
no questions, and would give tho
money offered TO the porter who
brought them, heImight have bis goods
&C such and such an hour. They were