Negotiation With Thieves.
The Times, 1824-12-11T00:00:00

It will be recollected that a report was given in last Mon- | day's Tivies of the trial of Bridger Lidbetter, who was on I Saturday convicted at the-Old Bailey of taking moneey lunder pcetence of effectinlg the recovery of a large quantity of silk goods vwhich had been stolen from a wvarehouse in Wood-street. Withoult giving any opinion on the merits of this case, which is left for the decision of the Judges, it is to be hoped that the prosecution will have the effiect of de- terring police-officers and others from interfering between the thief and the party robbed, as has been too much the case of late years, particularly in inzcances of bankers' parcels stolen from coaches, some of which having con- tained notes to very large amounts, the bankers have con- sented to sacrifice a part in order to get back the remainder; and it is saidl, that recently as mluch as 1,0001. were given for the purpose of obtaining a valuable packet of cotntry notes. It is time that a practice so comparatively safe for the thieves, and so shamefully profitable to the officers, should be suppressed. It was enacted by statute of the 4th Geo. I.a. 11, " that whoever shall take a reward under the pretence of helping any cne to stolen goods, shall suiiTer as the felon who stole them, unlless he cause such principal felon to be appre- hended and brought to trial, and shall also give evidence against him." It was upon this evidence that Lidbetter vas indicted, and it is remarkable, that although the act was passed above 100 years back, it is not known that there has been a single instance of an indictment upon it since the days of the famous Jonathani Wild, on account of whose practices this law was maade, whieh ultimately was the means of terminating hiis career of crime on the scaffold. Althoughl the name of this celebrated character is very familiar to every reader, it mnay not, perhaps, be alto- gether uninteresting to give a few particulars respecting one who in the commission of crime adopted a course of so mueh artifice and novelty, as placed him beyond the reach of the then existing laws. I Wild was born at Wolverhamnpto i n Kl2. Being of profligate and e).travagant habits, he repaired to London, deserting his wife and child: having been thrown into the Wood-street Compter for debt, lie there became acquainted with some of the most notorious thieves of the day, who initiated him into the mysteries of their profession. On his enlargement from prison, he opened a little public house in conjunction with an infamous woman who was his associate irn gaol: this heuse becamte the resort of felons, for the purpose of their disposing of their booty. Wild had the faculty of gainiing the confidence of these people, of penetrating into their secrets, and having once become acquainted with their proceedings, they were con- scious that their lives were in his power, and they looked upon him with a kind of awe. Wild having been put to some difficulty, in consequence of an act that wvas passed for the punishimnt by transpor- I tation of the receivers of stolen goods, originated a me- thod for facilitating the disposal of plunder, which was, in fict, to sell the stolen property to the party who had lost it. His plan was to apply to persons who had been robbed, affecting to be much 'concerned tar their mis- fortulie, and stating that suspected property had becn stopped by an honest broker, his acquaintance, amid that he thought there was some probability of their restitution being effected ; but he failel net to plead for some reward beinig given to the broker for his trouble and dtisiniterestedncss, at the same time exacting a promise that no lisagreeable conisequences should ensue to his friend, who had imprudently neglected to apprehend the supposed thieves. People were in general pleased with the prospect of regaining any part of thleir property, without the trou- ble and expense of prosecutions. Wild received nio gratuity from the owners of stolen goods, but deducted his profit from the monev which was to be paid to the imaginary broker: in this way he went oil for a considerable time, and amassed a good deal of money without danger of prosecution. His business increasing, instead of applying to persons who had been robbed, he opened an office, to which numbers resorted in hopes of re- covering their effects. When persons made application, they were informed that a fee of half a crown was required in consideration of the advice that wouldl be given to them; and the particulars of the robbery, and the reward that would be given in the event of the goods being recovered, having been duly registered in a book, the arties were de- sired to call in a few days, vhen they miglit expect agree- able information being affbrded. Upon their so calling to know the success of his inquiries, it was ofteen intimated to them that some trace of the goods had been discovered, but that the robbers declared that more money could be raised by pawning them' than by re. turning them for the proposed reward, and it was artfully hinted that the most safe and expeditious method would be to make some addition to the reward. lVhen it was ascertained how much would actually be given, the party was desired to call in a few days, when the property was usually ready for delivery. Wild derive(d much advantage from examining persona who had been robbed, thereby be- coming acquainted with particulars which the thieves had concealed from him, and was enabled to detect them if they kept back any part of the spoil: being in possession of the secrets of the most notorious rogues, thley were under the necessity of complying with any terms which he might choose to exact. In consequence of the new mode adopted by this infa- mous wretch, articles which had been previously consider- ad as of no use to any but the real owner, now became ob- jects of importance to the thieves. Pocket-books contain- ing memoranda, books of account, deeds, &c., were valua- ble to the pilferer, altiough of no intrinsic worth. Wild accumulated money so fast, that he began to as sumne an air of digniity, dressing in laced clothes and wear- ing a sword. So mnuch did his business increase, that he found it necessary to open an additional office, in the management of which he employed a Jew named Abraham, who served him with great industry and fidelity. At these places property to an immense amount was from time to time recovered which had been stolen. Wild wasextremelyindig- nant if the thieves presumed to conceal a robbery from him, or if they did not make him acquainted with the whole amount stolen ; and he frequently carried his resentment so faras to be the means ot bringing them to justice. At length the time arrived when the long career of iniquity which Jonathan had run was to terminate ; he was arrested for assisting in the rescue of a thief, and committed to New- gate; and being detained by several warrants, he was ultimately indicted and convicted upon the statute before-mentioned for an offence which he corrmmit- ted during his confinement in Newgate. After sentence of death had been passed upon him, he was desirous of committing suicide, and actually found means to procure a quantity of laudanum, which he took at about two o'clock on the morning of his execution ; but means having been taken to remove the effects of the poison, he was conveyed to ryburii, and suffered death on the 24th of May, 1725. _ * NEGOTIATION WITHf TIEBRS.