Charles Speckman

“ I was put to board with a worthy clergyman, by my father, at thirty pounds a year, in order to inure me to what was good, and improve me in learning; but my delight was riding of horses at livery-stables, ran away from school; the wicked disobedient child, soon finds out evil courses. The first injury I plunged myself into, was robbing my parents of a suit of cloaths, and pawning them to go to Sadler’s-wells. Now every fraud that my fertile brain could device, I put in practice in my father’s name, and got various sums of money, which answered my present purpose very well ”

“ Sir, I know you not; but trust and hope you are an honest man: my intentions in the publication, is much against the inclination of my relations; I do it to make all the satisfaction in my power, for the numberless injuries I have done to mankind, and to pay my funeral expences, the executioner, the servants and others, to whom I am indebted. ”

“ I have no interest at all in this, only to warn the unwary, how they shall in general avoid the falling a prey to thieves and sharpers, and make those who tread in my wretched paths, be sensible and be warned in time to sly evil courses, as too truly will they find verified, that the wages of sin is death; besides that of undergoing in their wicked career, what is worse than death, the stings and daggers of a guilty mind: so that let their race be as long as it will, and their illicit practices attended with continual success, yet not one hour of true and solid happiness is the consequence. ”

“ On searching my pockets in London, I found myself possessed of more than one hundred pounds; but thought of having another push at the treasure, which was expected in town every hour; I went to the inn in Friday-street, told the book-keeper all the circumstances relating to the money, and where I had left them on the road, with other descriptions that gave him satisfaction; and that my concern in the cash was considerable; he told me, I should be heartily welcome to all the money he had, accordingly he brought me eight guineas ”

“ I run in debt with many other people upon the island, to a considerable amount: I sold all the goods to the Jew, who lent me the note for fifty pounds. Mrs. Pembruge and I made off for Spanish-town, in order to settle with her husband, and get her own slaves from him. At this time, the person who let me have the chest full of cambricks and lawns, followed us; she told him how great a fool he was to follow one who he knew full well had not the least regard for him, though he had lavished away all his own honest gains, and robbed others to support her ”

“ I won more than one hundred and fifty pounds; with part of this money I bought a race horse, intending to run him as opportunity offered, on our journey to the south, which I did several times, and always won. My servant and I agreed very well, he was a trusty fellow, a good servant, kept my secrets inviolable, and without any fear. Before we reached Charles Town, we had got six or seven horses, and sold them about thirty miles from the places they were taken from. I used often to make a halt for necessaries for myself, and to the prejudice of the public. ”

“ I accordingly went, and all things were ready for my reception; many pieces of lace were shewn me, all of them very fine indeed; I fixed my eye on a genteel and well fancied piece, began to examine my handkerchief, according to art; but two pair of eyes being too many for me, under pretence of my wanting some lace for a cravat, Mrs. Dixon sent her maid out for them ”

“ VII. Watch-makers should be extremely careful of strangers in their shops; as many watches are always lying on the work-board, and others hanging up, they should never have their eyes off the person: the handkerchief is here made use of to great advantage; if the watch is hung up, it damps any sound or tattling that might be made, and screens it intirely from the sight of the owner. ”

“ I am a shocking instance that my face was the most deceitful in the world. Of this kind of fraud and robberies, I believe I have not perpetrated less than two hundred.
I went one day to Mr. Brogden, in Long-lane, West-smithfield, who lent out wearing apparel, of him I hired a suit fit for any little master in London; bought at the same time a satchel to put some books in, thus equipped, I went to Mr. Greg, a watch-maker in St. James’s street; on going into the shop, I perceived there was but one man therein ”

“ I know from experience, he continually has his eyes fixed on the shopkeeper, or person he has to deal with; has his body always in motion, whether standing or sitting. The eye of a thief continually follows the person he intends to deal upon.
IX. Dyers, scourers, and other persons, who have the property of many in their possession, should not let the appearance of a sharper, be it as genteel as it will, ever be parted with, but first by enquiring the name, and looking in their books for it ”

“ I never was fond of even conversing with thieves and robbers, though at accidental meetings I have met with several, who guessing I was of their profession, would set forth the advantage of associates, or appearing in company to rob and plunder the honest and unwary part of mankind. ”

“ Whether through pride or negligence, I cannot say, but if people will go with their coats loose, a good handkerchief hanging half way out of their pocket, or the pocket flap thrust within, so that the contents, as pocket-books, &c. may easily be seen, and as easily taken away. The fob made so wide, and the chain and seals hanging down so long, that the watch will draw out as easy as water run through a pipe. People who go into crowds, or frequent the publick offices, should have their pockets open on the inside of the coat, which can easily be done ”

“ I bought me a regimental suit of cloaths, and visited the milliners as an officer; at one shop I desired them to put up a box of the best sorts of their lace to shew a lady, and send the servant with me, with which the milliner most readily complied; we went directly to my lodgings, where I directly ordered her to go and fetch me some handkerchiefs; in the interval I pushed off with the laces, and sold them all the next morning. I was immediately advertised, and taken by a thief catcher, but at the earnest intercession of his wife, he let me go ”

“ A pawnbroker is a most villainous employment: they not only exist by griping and grinding the faces of the poor, but are places of refuge for things stolen, few of them ever making enquiry how the party came by what they offer in pledge, and the less sum of money is demanded, the less is their desire to have it redeemed, or take notice of any advertisement ”

“ Such a wretched paper as the public is drenched with every execution, it is hoped they will be no more bothered with, but if that should be the case, it is confounded hard to pay six-pence for two sheets of whited brown paper rubbed over in a very slovenly manner, but the writing itself is truly inimitable, none but himself can be his parallel ”

“ I looked upon the ground, there were none down, but all right before me; then he was for taking it to show some other watch-maker, I said I must not take it to pieces and put it together again for nothing, he said, I will take and shew it to another man, and if he says there is nothing lost, I will bring it again; he took it not put together, also two new wheels, a third and contrite wheel away with him, which lay before me; when he stayed longer than I expected, I began to suspect him, and looking about saw a hook was empty, where a new watch hung just before he came in. ”

“ I instantly grasped my prize, slid it into my pocket, and went away, without buying any thing. Undoubtedly Mrs. Dixon was heartily vexed, to see herself so dexterously slung; but however, her prudence now began to rouze itself; for she made use of the most [Pg 40] probable means either to regain the lace, discover the thief, or both. Upon some occasions, it is certainly not amiss to set a thief to catch a thief; but be that as it may, I am pretty certain, had not Mrs. Dixon taken the expedient of having her lace advertised at a pawnbroker’s, she would never have seen thief or lace more. ”

“ I went into Leicester-fields to take lodgings, and the gentlewoman of the house dealt very largely in lace, which I did not know of before; I told her I was just come from the West Indies; she took me for a gentleman of distinction, as I had a servant in livery along with me. I told her, I should be glad to see some of her lace to make me ruffles; she shewed me some point, at four pounds ten shillings: I stole one piece, containing twelve yards ”

“ There is not perhaps in the world a more agreeable study than that of Biography; nor any thing sought after and read with greater avidity, than the lives of unfortunate men, and those who suffer under the hands of the executioner more than any. ”

“ If children did but properly consider, the very fear of bringing their innocent parents to disgrace and shame, would prevent them from pursuing those wicked practices which end in being publickly exposed to a censorious world, and suffering an ignominious death. ”

“ V. It is very easy to discover a thief or sharper from an honest person; for the sharper asks for fifty things, none of which will do, tosses them backwards and forwards, shuffles what can conveniently be done aside, and moves off with the prize, promising to come again.
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VI. Watch-makers and silver-smiths are imposed on principally thus; in a morning or evening the sharper, well dressed, as a sea-officer, will go to their shops, look at watches, buckles, rings, &c. ”

“ Dixon’s lace, I took a chair, and went to Strand-Lane, not with any intention to dispose of what I had got, but falling into conversation with Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Rogers, asked them if I might dine there, and was answered in the affirmative, discharged the chair, and dined with them on Pig; they both to me were utterly unknown before. After dinner I pulled out the lace, shewed it to them, then pretended to be short of Money, and but just come from Jamaica; I prevailed on Mrs. Rogers to go and pledge part of it, but not to take notice to Davis, what she was gone about. ”

“ I hired a horse in Portsmouth for London: within four miles of Kingston, I came up with two seamen, stopp’d, and demanded their money and watches, they gave me four guineas, and a silver watch; I left them, wishing them safety to London. Between Wandsworth and Vaux-Hall, I stopped a gentleman and lady in a post-chaise, robbed them of thirteen guineas, the post-boy got off his horse and ran away ”

“ I have sometimes, for the sake of variety, gone to dyers and scourers shops, in the character of a gentleman; on seeing none but a woman there, I asked for my servant, who came there for my cloaths; being told there had been none, then on asking if my cloaths were done, (they not knowing but that I had some there) shewed me several suits, clean, and not clean, but I never took a cleaned suit, always pretending they should be wore once more before cleaned, desiring my servant might be sent home as soon as ever he came ”

“ I stole; the robberies of this kind are so numerous, that I cannot particularize them, but I made bold to borrow something from every silver-smith and jeweller in the bills of mortality, [Pg 6] and not only in all these attempts had the good fortune to escape, but on many occasions, had the most lavish encomiums passed on me, for the honesty of my looks, and the humanity expressed in the lineaments of the countenance. Alas! how seldom is it, that the outward appearance corresponds with the inward disposition. ”

“ One day I and two other boys, went into a grocer’s shop in Drury-lane, for some sugar-candy, the grocer told me, he sold not small quantities, on which asking him, if he was above his business, and perceiving a watch hang up in the parlour, I rolled a halfpenny as by accident into the parlour before me, I got the poor grocer’s watch ”

“ I waited on a mercer on Ludgate-hill to cheapen some silks for waistcoats, with sattins, and some for gowns; I requested of the mercer to make a bill of parcels, put them up, and send his servant with me to my lodgings in Pall-mall; which being done and come there, on opening the bundle, told the servant there wanted a piece of sattin, and sent him immediately home for it: The bill amounted to forty-three pounds, and the parcel heavy, yet I easily (in the interval of the servant’s departure and return) found means to walk off with all. ”

“ At this time, and with this money, I went down to Reading in Berkshire, where I took great delight in going out with my gun; at length money falling short, I went to a milliner’s shop, under pretence of buying some lace, to go round a cap and handkerchief, for my sister; the milliner asked [Pg 7] if I was not too young a man to be a judge of lace? ”