The morning call., 1890-07-01
JONATHAN WILD.
An Interesting Sketch of an Old
Time London Thief. Taker.

Hogarth, with almost brutal realism, in
his Idle Prentice" follows step by step
the progress OF such second-rate thief as
we can imagine Mr.. Wild visiting within
an hour or so after the news of the robbery
of gold watch or snuff-box had been
brought to him. We can imagine him en-
tering such room, in which we see the
terrified prentice lying in the bed. while
his mistress gloats over the stolen watch.
A knock falls upon the door. Enter: the
respectable Mr.. Wild, who. without being
invited, seats himself upon the ricKety chair
by the bedside. Come" says lie to the
trembling wretch, "you have been at your
tricks again, have your Nay. never shake
your head. | know all about i. that is
worth knowing. The watch was took from
the gentleman az the upper emu oil Moor.
fields. Come, let us hear your account OF
the matter. 1t is best to make clean breast
of it and may be able to help you. What!
you hesitate? Very well: then all l can
do is to lodge information against you. L
came here as your friend; perhaps those
who follow will not be so tender Of you
as |.
Such an address as this very rarely failed
to draw forth full disclosure of all the ms
and outs of the business.
The result was that it added one more
slave TO Jonathan Wild's gang, for hence
and soul; the eX-bucklemaker could hang
him up at Tyburn with the turn OF finger
WELL" says Jonathan, perhaps after
full confession had been made. tits bad
business, for certain, and hanging matter
into the bargain. We're l to act as by
rights L should do l would go straight to
Bow street with this matter. However, |
have no wish to do injury TO any one, ana
will ever stand your friend. l don't want
to touch the watch or have anything to do
-;.,, 50 I IL tha
maybe he will be willing to give tritie and
ask no questions for its safe return"
For the three or four guineas that the
loser would in most cases be glad enough
to give for the return OF his property. iona
than would probably keep one-thIrd Tor his
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 property.
Gradually his clientage so increased, both
among the criminal classes and their vic
tins, that he was forced to employ first one
and then two and then corps of assistants,
the greater portion of whom were detailed
to thoroughly Investigate every crime COM
mitted in the city and its surroundings.
Jonathan himself. the spider at the center
Of this great web, lay quietly with all the
vibrating threads conferred in himself, ready
at an instant 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 he ruled
those beneath him with rod OF iron. With
such as obeyed and followed his biddings he
was all smoOthness, gentleness, generosity
and beuevOlence; to such as resisted he was
hard, cruel, memorable as fate. Amongst
the thieves of his kingdom one Ques-
tion as to his authority, one sign of resist
ance, was enough; the doom of the
wretch was sealed; nothing human could
save him from his fate. In Jonathan's
book was recorded every crime he had ever
committed, with circumstances, witnesses,
and all matter connected with it. Proba-
bly, any one of such records would
in that day be considered hanging matter.
Within an hour Jonathan'S beagles would
be upon his track; within two or three
hours at fuTthest 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 he came to
trial there were witnesses in plenty, most |
likely the criminals own friends and ac-
quaintaDces, and even relatives. for when
JOnathan's mandate came TO them to ap-
pear in the WitneSs-bOX not one of them |
dared to refuse, lest like fate should fall |
upon them at the FIRST sign of disobedience |
or of rebellion. A score of such examples |
have been handed down TO u.s.
In his fine new house in the Old Bailey |
Jonathan set up regular office, where he |
received visits and gave professional adj |
vice to any such as had goods stolen and |
who wished to make arrangements Tor their |
recovery. The routine observed was in all |
cases the same; as preliminary step fee |
of one crown was to be paid. Then great |
show was made of entering in an official |
looking book the name of the applicant, a |
minute description of the goods stolen, |
any circumstances connected with the |
robbery, etc. But" says one of the We
racious histories, lat bottom this was all |
grimace; Wild had not the least occasion |
for these queries but 10 amuSe the persons |
he asked, for he knew beforehand 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 for them, though for reasons |
not hard to be guessed he made use of all |
this formality."
The applicant was generally appointed to
a second meeting upon the next day, or the |
next day but one, when, If his offer had |
been liberal, the goods were returned TO |
him. More often, however, Mr.. Wild |
would pull long face. He had made dill
gent inquiries. and thought that he perhaps |
knew the thief that had taken the goods;
he was sorry to say, however, that the fell |
could or pretended he could sell the goods |
at double the price. However, if he could |
but come to speech of the rogue he had no |
doubt oil bringing him to reason.
This formula generally had the effect Of |
causing the loser to increase his offer |
Another visit or two followed and then |
positive answer was given. Ii the gentle
man or lady would ask no questions, and |
would give the money offered to tho porter
at such and such an hour They were
always forthcoming precisely at the time
specified From "A Famous Chapbook |
Villain" by Howard Pyle, in Harper's