The Springfield herald., 1912-01-26
Copyright By ". @. Ch.pman)

w. ..
ing safety in flight, became a house
holder in the district in which he car
ried on his trade. This. in fact, was
the secret that he had discovered
when he perfected the science Of
burglary. Become respected resi-
dent of some district and steal from
your neighbors, was his simple rule.
But Peace had more potent weapon
of defence than this. He was an adept
at making up"
Even without any disguise he could
elude pursuit. He was able upon the
instant entirely to change his facial
expression. He would shoot out his
lower lip and jaw, produce an effusion
Of blood to the face-and In place of
the venerated churchwarden a mulatto
scowled at his questioner! At Peck
ham he passed as a one-armed man.
strapping his sound member to his
side and replacing 1t with wooden
mechanism terminating in a hook
During period of two years and
more bald-headed, bespectacled Mr..
Robinson resided comfortably among
his costly furnishings In Evelina road.
Peckham, rifling the neighborhood at
leisure during his nocturnal activities.
But Nemesis was on his trial. On
November II. 1878, a constable named
Robinson-oddly enough-was per-
forming night duty upon Blackheath
common when he came upon a burg
lar at work in a house in St. Johns
park, and he proceeded to apprehend
him. Finding his retreat cut of. the
burglar drew his revolver and emptied
It's five chambers at the constable,
severely wounding him in several
places. A desperate hand-to-hand en-
counter followed, but Peace, who was
only five feet four inches in height,
could make no Roadway against his as
sailant. Thrown to the ground. he
whipped out a sheath knife and at
tempted to stab his captor, but the
wounded policeman gained possession
of the weapon and actually succeeded
in conveying the burglar to the police
station. There the man was searched.
A new revolver of American manufac-
ture was found upon him strapped to
his waist. His face was stained with
walnut juice, and at first he was mis-
taken for q mulatto or half-caste. For
some time he resolutely refused to
give his name and address, but at
length, under the stress of cross-exam-
nation, he affected to break down
and stated that he was q half-caste
from the United States, by name John
Ward
For two weeks the further investi-
cations of the police were baffied. But
in the meantime the mysterious disap-
pearance of the respectable Mr.. Rob-
inson had caused great uneasiness in
Peckham, and fear was expressed that
he had been made the victim of the
burglar upon the occasion of one of
his customary evening strolls. Be-
fore many days had elapsed Mr.. Rob
inson's-or rather John Ward's-face
had begun to assume fairer coloring
and investigation now revealed the
identity Of these two gentlemen. Con-
fronted with proofs of his identity,
Mr.. Robinson affected to confess. He
had been, he said, the victim of sud
den and overwhelming temptation.
In the long period that elapsed be-
tween his apprehension and his trial
Peace had allowed his beard to grow.
When at last he was placed upon trial
this gave him SO venerable an appear
ance that the friends who came to see
him, although convinced of his guilt
against their inclination, treated him
with respect and plying affection as
man of position who had unaccount-
ably fallen into evil ways. Mr.. Rob-
inson INDUCED In prayer, both for
himself and for his visitors, pointed
the moral from his own dreadful ex-
ample and reminded his visitors of the
| reprisals that inevitably overtake the
evil-doer. But he made no impress
sion upon the court. He was found
guilty of burglary and of attempted
murder and, was sentenced to serve
life term at penal servitude. Still ex-
! horting. Mr.. Robinson was removed to
| the cells and thence to Pentonville
| prison.
Although the thumb-print system of
Identification had not at that time
been introduced into England, 1t was
soon discovered by the prison authori-
ties that John Ward" alias Mr.. Rob-
inson," was none other than the no
torious criminal. Charles Peace. who
was then wanted" for the murder OF
Mr.. Dyson. He was brought back
from Pentonville and placed upon his
trial for murder. 1t was then that the
public obtained knowledge for the
first time of the marvellous career of
this criminal.
Mention has been made Of Peace's
| resolution to perfect the science of
burglary. After the Dyson murder
had made his native town of Sheffield
an undesirable residence he moved to
Manchester, where he was found
guilty of burglary and sentenced to
serve a long sentence. He was be-
trayed through his accomplices-two
women, one of them his sister. That
taught him one Of the cardinal points
of his perfected science. Hencefor-
ward he would have no accomplices;
he would work alone. He would have
no confederate to betray or to black
mail him. And. except for friendly
fence" whose name he refused to d.
vulge even when at the foot of the
gallows, he kept his resolution thence
forward.
tho theft of a mail bap at prastwick