Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-30
Famous Trials
TRIAL OF CHARLES PEACE

A strange mixture of criminal and
gentleman was the notorious English
burglar and craftsman of the 18th
century, Charles Peace. In England,
at the present time, he is made a hero,
thanks to the boys periodicals, and
thrilling are his escapades and daring
robberies. Perhaps if he had had a bet
ter upbringing his genius would have
been turned in other channels, for,
by his own confession, he started his
career of crime at the age of 10, when
he pretended a spell of fa1nuness in
the street and relieved the benevolent
gentleman who assisted him, of his
watch and chain.
Peace was finally hanged in Armley
Jail, outside Of Leeds, the principal
town of Yorkshire, in England, for the
murder of a Mr.. Dyson, who had been
shot in Bannercross on Nov 80, 1878
1t was two years later that Peace
paid the penalty for the crime. While
robbing a house in Blackheath on Nov
II, 1878, he was apprehended by a con-
stable, at whom he fired six shots,
severely wounding him.
Peace's life, from the time of the
murder, had been a coreer extraordi-
nary. From Sheffield he went in turn
to Nottingham, London, Greenwich
and then to Peckham. At every place
he stayed there were considerable de-
| predations, which were thought to be
/ the work of an extremely clever gang.
| He took nothing but the best of
| things. Musical instruments were his
| choice, for Peace always loved a "bit
of music" He was a clever vioIinist,
and on the night of his arrest gave a
musical at his luxurious home in Peck
/ hor hi 19Io r.
sives" for over an hour on valuable
violin that he had stolen from a house
in Lambeth. When the guests were
/ dispersed he slipped away to follow
his vocation of theft at ST. James
! Park, Blaekheath, where he was
caught.
Peace was first tried for the at
| tempted murder of the constable, for
! the police did not recognize the muir
derer of Mr.. Dyson. Peace having
stained his face with walnut Juice
| saying he was a mulatto from the
United States. At the Central Crini
nal Police Court he was committed
to penal servitude for life on the
charges of burglary and fe1oniously
shooting a constable while in the dis
charge of his duty.
Peace, for his defense, said that hi
had only fired about four shots. an6
that the revolver, the latest patterf
i from America, had accidentally gone
off, it being strapped to his wrist
From this defense he throw himself o.
the mercy of the court and pleade
for his life
/ 81 feel that I have disgraced my
self, I am not fit either to live or t
die. ] am not prepared to meet m
God. my Lord do have mercy O.
me-do give me one chance of repent
ing and of preparing myself to NEE
my God. Do, my Lord, have mere
upon me, and | am sure you viii nev
5 er repent it. 1 pray and be
7 seech you, please do have mercy O
me-
. Notwithstanding his eloquent ap
, peal, he was sentenced. Later a ha
, beas corpus writ having been granite
he was sent to Sheffield to appear be
fore the stipendiary magistrate. Peae
complained that he was hot. and whe
one of the wardens opened the win
s dow he dove head first through i
while the train was going between 4
s and SO miles an hour. Later when til
r train was stopped the wardens fouh
t him two miles back, lying in the blood
q stained snow unconscious.
: 1t was then that Peace was sus
: pected of the murder of Dyson. On tn
4th of February he was tried at til
: Leeds Assizes. He was found guilt
a of the murder of Dyson Bannercros
J. and was sentenced to death.
d On Nov. %, 1878, he was executed &
Armley Jail, Leeds. Before his deaf
he made FIJI confession and died
the odor of sanctity, forgiving all h
i enemies. He also confessed to the mul
der of a policeman at whitley Rang
8 near Manchester, for which crime
man named Habron was sentenced
death but was reprieved later on az
/ count of his youth. Peace said he VIZ
= In the court when the young man We
sentenced.
So Charles Peace, musician, art COZ
noiSseur, gentleman and burglar. VIZ
" hanged by the neck till dead" ar
e it was with sigh of relief that the D,
lice really assured themselves tn
this was a fact, for for 20 years /
ia kept the best sleuths Of England +;
= bay and made the law look like
plaything.