The Princeton union., 1896-09-24

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OAR, and in other memorials Of IA
nous criminals, shows that though
Jack had no scrupulous objections to
highway robbery, If circumstances
Were convenient, yet his principal oc-
cupation, and that by which he made
mis- living, was the less romantic one
Of burglary or house breaking. Indeed,
his exploits on the highway were not
attended with such brilliant success
or such large profits as to lead him to
follow that line of business exclusively.
For instance, his first attempt pro-
duced only the palry sum of two, shil-
Ings and sixpence! He stopped Il
coach, but a lady's maid was the sole
occupant, and half a crown all her
worldly wealth, and even this trifling
SUM he could obtain only by threaten
Ing the attendant footman with a pis-
tol, and thus putting an end to his gal
liant defense of the lady. His second
essay was not much more prosperous.
He stopped gentleman on the Hamp-
stead road, who was returning in
cheerful and elevated condition from
some eonvivial party, but shillings
was his sole reward. Even a stage
coach which he gallantly assaulted
next day furnished him with only 20
shillings.
The real genius of Jack Sheppard
found NO scope in the commonplace
Money OF your life" method of rob-
berry; it was in burglary that his war
velous skill in breaking bolts and bars
and picking locks had full play. Dur
ing his residence in Wych street, where
he was apprenticed to a carpenter
named Wood, he used often to stay out
till a late hour drinking in neighbor-
ing taverns; but bolts and bars were
nothing to him and, however carefully
ne was shut out at night, he was al
ways found comfortably in bed next
morning. Stepney has the hCnor Of be-
ing his birthplace. His father died
when he was quite child, not, how
ever, in the sudden and ignominious
manner suggested by Harrison Aims
worth, for he was an honest and hard
working carpenter. Jack went to
school for a short time in Bishopgate
street and was apprenticed to Mr..
Wood through the kindness of a friend
of his mother, Mr.. Kneebone, a lin
en- draper of Drury lane There ne
maintained a good character Tor about
six years, but in the last year Of his
apprenticeship he took to frequenting
a disreputable ale house, the Black
Lion in Drury lane. This was favor
ite resort Of the thieving fraternity. no
tably of members of Jonathan Wild S
formidable gang, and there Jack made
acquaintance with such disreputa bic
characters as Joseph Blake, nicknamed
Blueskin and Bowling James Sykes.
more appropriately known as He'll and
Fury. There, too, he made friends
with Edgeworth Bess, who became his
companion in many of his robberies
and assisted him in many of his es-
capes. He soon Initiated his friends in
their business of plundering the public
and took advantage Of his admission
into houses as carpenter to do re-
pairs to carry off any portable Drop-
erty on which he could lay his hands.
The natural result was a quarrel with
MS respectable master, Wood, whom
he finally left ten months before his
apprenticeship was out. He then took
to robbing right and left, but it is not
for his robberies that he is celebrated
but for his marvellous escapes.
He first got into trouble over q burg
larry in Clarke street, which he had IN
dertaken in company with his brother.
Thomas, who combined the occupation
of carpentry and house breaking. Jack.
was captured through the treacherols
devices Of Hell and Fury who Iured
him to an eating house in Seven Dials
/. to play skittles and then sent ont for
q constable. He was promptly impris-
oned in the upper part of the round
house of st. Giles which was two
stories high but the. next day the
watchman found that the bird had
flown. With the assistance OF a razor
he contriyed to break open the top OF
the round house. and twisting his sheet
and blanket into a rope, had descended
IN safety