The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-06
King Of Pickpockets.-

Lie tA-hluS VI plehPooheto AZ Aoh
don, Mr.. Joseph VALLEY, has just
died of pneumonia at the age of s3
years, forty Of which he spent from
time to time in Jail. Like grand
old-time monarch he had several
wives; at least seven are known to
have constituted his better half. His
family, of course, was extremely
numerous, but he didn't bother him
self much about looking after them.
He was born at Southampton and COM
menced to practice his profession at
the age of 10. He was then engaged
almost exclusively in the handkerchief
department, but he progressed rapidly,
and was soon promoted to the branch
of jewelry and pocketbooks. When
he was about 19 years old he was
president of the first pickpocket trust
ever formed in England.
Mrs. Waily, his mother, was a good
and religious woman, and when her
bad son Joe was sent to Jail for the
first time she died Of grief. Joe cried
bitterly over the loss Of his mother,
but soon dried his tears and resumed
his old vocation. He became tired Of
Southampton and started for the CAPT.
tai. On his way to London he was
attacked by footpads. He pitched
into them and kill one, but they
finally succeeded in robbing him, and
he arrived in London penniless. Six
months after his arrival there he
found himself as he said, Sin com.
Portable circumstances. He had
now the means of extending his opera
tions. He founded and directed for
several years band of robbers in
different lines, including burglars,
footpads, pickpockets and sneak
thieves, that were the terror OF the
suburbs of London.
Most Of Valleys companions were
captured and sent to Jail, but he for a
long time managed to hide himself
from the police. On one occasion he
Jumped into the Tames, and the
morning papers came out the next day
with an account Of his suicide. But
VALLEY was an all-round athlete, and
swimming was one Of his notable ac-
complishments. So he reappeared at
Gravesend, where he was the most
successful blackmailer on record.
This new branch Of his profession
amused him most, because he did not
know before he took it up that there
were so many fools in the world as
there really are. What he termed his
very simplest tricks brought him large
revenues. The trust was extended
until it had members in all the prin-
cipal cities of England, and VALLEY
was still king, except during the inter
regnum that followed any one of his
numerous convictions. At last, when
he became rich, he began to think of
retiring from business and living
peaceably upon his hard-earned mon
ey. -.
His mind took religious twist,
probably an inheritance from his
mother. One Sunday morning while
wandering through Victoria Park he
noticed a large stand from which a
colorcd man was preaching. The col
ored man was Celestin Edwardy.
With the old-time instinct Of pick
pocket VALLEY at first thought he
would work the crowd, but he simply
worked his way near enough to the
preacher to be able to listen to his
words and he did listen with the
greatest attention. He became moved,
and tears ran down his cheeks. Then
and there he confessed his sins-no
small affair. Without speaking Of his
ephemeral transgressions, such as his
seven or eight marriages, Valley had
amassed a fortune Of about 100000
by active practice in all the various
branches of his profession.
Upon the question Of restitution
linked to his repentance the records
are silent. But at all events he got
religion, and got it bad, as his pals
used to say. He turned preacher,
and was considered one of the most
eloquent among the lurid orators of
the open-air religious meeting in
London. He became as great favor
ate among the good and righteous as he
had been among the bad and ungodly.
A great throng attended his funeral,
and in that throng, by way Of honor
ing the dead, the pickpockets were