that he had had no victuals all day. The individual before-mentioned then gave him one penny, and his example was followed by many more, till I think the boy obtained nearly a shilling. I put several questions to the child, but was checked by this fellow, who told me, that as I had given the child nothing, I had no right to ask so many questions; and, after a great deal of abuse, ended by telling me, that if I did not "take myself off," he would "give me something for myself.". Feeling a great desire to sift further into this mystery, I feigned to withdraw, but kept my eye upon the boy, and followed him for nearly two hours, until I saw him join two other boys, one of whom I had not seen before, and who had a bag with something very heavy in it, which, I have every reason to believe, were weights, or something which they had obtained in a similar manner. Wishing to ascertain the fact, I approached the boys, but they no sooner perceived me, than the little fellow who had been principal actor in the affair, called out," Nose, Nose," a signal-word, no doubt, agreed upon amongst them,-when they all ran down some obscure alleys. I followed, but was knocked down, as if by accident, by two ill-looking fellows, who continued to detain me with apologies till the boys had got safely away. I have little doubt that this was an instance of that organized system of depredation of which I have before spoken, and that the man who took so active a part at the first was at the bottom of the business,-was, in fact, the tutor and employer of the predacious urchins. His activity in preventing the boy from being taken back to the shop-his anxiety to promote a subscription for the boy, and lastly, his threat of

personal violence if I interfered in the matter, by questioning the child,-all these circumstances confirm me in this opinion.

It is only by the knowledge of this fact-the association of infant offenders with those of maturer and hardened habits-that we can account for such strange cases as the following. On the 17th of July, 1823, a child only seven years old, was brought before the magistrate at Lambethstreet office, charged with frequently robbing his mother, and was ordered to be locked up all night in the gaol-room. In the evening, however, when his mother returned, he forced his way out of the room, and behaved with such violence that they were obliged to iron both his hands and legs! There can be no doubt that this child had been for a long time under the instruction and evil influence of some old and hardened offender; he must have undergone much training before he could have arrived at such a pitch of hardihood, as to make it necessary to handcuff and fetter a child of so tender an age; and to enable him to hold even the magistrates, officers, and his own parent, in defiance.

The two following cases afford further proof of the same lamentable truth; the first is extracted from a morning paper of the 20th of September, 1824. "A little boy, not more than six years of age, was brought before the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House, on Saturday, the 18th instant, having been found in a warehouse, where he ha‍d secreted himself for the purpose of thieving. At a late hour on Friday night a watchman was going his round, when, on trying a warehouse in which there was much valuable property, to see whether it was safe, he heard the little prisoner

cry. The persons who had the care of the warehouse were roused, and the prisoner was taken out. In his fright he acknowledged that a man had taken him from his mother, and induced him, upon a promise of reward, to steal into the warehouse; upon a concerted signal, he was to act as directed by the fellow on the outside; but becoming terrified at being confined so long in the dark, he had cried out and discovered himself. His mother came forward, and received a good character as the wife of a hard-working man, The Lord Mayor gave her son up to her, with an injunction to act carefully and strictly with him. There was reason to believe that several considerable robberies had been recently committed by means of children like the prisoner, who stole in and remained concealed until midnight, when they gave admission to the robbers. The police should have their eyes upon him."

"William Hart, an urchin seven years of age, was indicted for stealing twenty-two shillings in money, numbered, from the person of Mary Conner. The prosecutrix stated, that on the day named in the indictment, she took twenty-five shillings to get something out of pledge, but as there was a crowd in Mary-le-bone, assembled to witness a fight, she was induced to join the mob. While standing there she felt something move in her pocket, and putting her hand outside her clothes, she laid hold of what proved to be the hand of the prisoner, which she held until she had given him a slap on the face, and then she let him go; but on feeling in her pocket she discovered, that the theft had actually been committed-that only three shillings were left. A constable took the urchin into custody, and ac

cused him of robbing her of twenty-two shillings. The prisoner said, I have twenty-two shillings in my pocket, but it is my mother's money; she gets so drunk she gives me her money to take care of.' The officer stated to the same effect as the prosecutrix, and added, that in a secret pocket in his jacket he found fourteen shillings and sixpence. It was the practice of gangs of pickpockets to have a child like this to commit the robbery, and hand the plunder to them. Witness went to his parents, who said he had been absent seven weeks, and they would have nothing to do with him. Mr. Baron Garrow, in feeling terms, lamented that a child of such tender years should be so depraved. He added, 'I suppose, gentlemen, I need only ask you to deliver your verdict." His lordship then observed, that he would consult with his learned brother as to the best manner of disposing of the prisoner. They at length decided, that although it might seem harsh, the Court would record against him fourteen years' transportation; and, no doubt, government would place him in some school; if he behaved well there, the sentence might not be carried into full effect."

I remember a query being once put to me by a person who visited the Spitalfields Infant School at the time I had it under my management: "How can you account for the fact," said he, "that notwithstanding there are so many old and experienced thieves detected, convicted, and sent out of the country every session, we cannot perceive any diminution of the numbers of such characters; but that others seem always to supply their places?" The foregoing instances of the systematized instruction of young delinquents by old

adepts in the art of pilfering affords, I think, a satisfactory answer to the interrogatory.

The dexterity and aptness of experienced thieves, shews that no small degree of care and attention is bestowed on their tuition. The first task of the novitiate, I have been informed, is to go in companies of threes or fours, through the respectable streets and squares of the metropolis, and with an old knife, or similar instrument, wrench off the brass-work usually placed over the key-holes of the area gates, &c. which they sell at the marine store shops; and they are said sometimes to realize three or four shillings a day, by this means. Wishing to be satisfied whether this was actually the case, I have walked round many of the squares in town, and in more than a solitary instance, have found that not one gate in ten had any brass-work over the key-hole; it had evidently been wrenched off; a small piece of the brass still remaining on many of the gates. Having practised this branch of the profession a considerable time, and become adepts in its execution, the next step, I have been informed, is to take the handles and brass knockers from doors, which is done by taking out the screw with a small screw-driver: these are disposed of in the same manner as the former, till the young pilferers are progressively qualified for stealing brass weights, &c. and, at length, become expert thieves.*

* The following fact will shew what extensive depredations young children are capable of committing. I have inserted the whole, as it appeared in the public papers:" Union Hall; Shop Lifting.-Yesterday, two little girls, sisters, very neatly dressed, one nine, and the other seven years of age, were put to the bar, charged by Mr. Cornell, linendraper, of High-street, Newington, with having stolen a piece of printed calico, from the counter of his shop.