The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 98: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MYSTERIES OF THE CUUR‘. Another of the delectable company present was a jovial good-humoured looking man, with the crown of his white hat hanging half off. He was a But- toner, or thimble-rig professional, and was remark- ably ready with all that coarse. wit and slang humour which fellows of his class deal in so glibly for the purpose of attracting dupes at fairs and races, and keeping them amused when they are once so attracted. The women were young—coarse in appearance, and disgusting alikein conduct apd speech. Their persons were very much exposed, and they encour- aged the freedoms which their male companions took with them. They belonged to the lowest class of unfortunate women who-infest the vilest neigh- bourhoods of the metropolis. As a matter of course, all these persons were thieves, with the exception of the marine-store dealer, who was only the recipient of stolen goods and a sort of agent for old Jeremy Humpage. The “old soldier” was one of the sturdiest and most obtrusive beggars in the metropolis; and while following a gentleman or lady with his importunities,. he was remarkably dexterous in easing the former of a snuff-box or handkerchief, and the latter of a reticule —or either of them of a purse. The umbrella-men- der was wont to knock at front-doors and induce the servants to go and inquire “if anything was wanting to be done in his little way "—and while left alone for a moment, he would walk off with a hat, cloak, or uinbrella from the hall. Or else he would go down area-stepa, or round to back doors, and frequently find opportunities of decamping with the plate that might be left about on kitchen-tables or dressers. The same system was practised by the beggipg-let~ ter impostor, who was even enabled at times to intro- duce himself into the parlours of charitable people and secrete a watch, a mantel-ornament, or other article of value about his person. The thimble-rigger was accustomed to “work with mobs,” or accomplices, who hustled and robbed the unfortunate dupes attracted to the itinerant gambling table; and it generally fell to his lot to dispose of the “frisked swag,” or booty. Hence his presence at the dark crib on the nights when old Jeremy was wont to visit it. The women not only pursued their loathsome trade in the usual manner, but also enticed drunken and unwary persons to the dark crib or other infamous houses at Folly’s Bridges; and there the victims were plundered of all they had about them worth taking. Sometimes they were cruelly maltreated :—and from time to time that dreadful neighbourbood became the scene of deeds of still blacker dye and more appalling magni- tude. The knife-grinder was seated on a three-legged stool; and with his soot-begrimed countenance, his ragged hair, his dirty garments, and the short pipe in his mouth, he looked a character perfectly fitted to be in such a place and in such company. Mr. Bencull’s bull-dog— a savage brute, answering to the name of Throtler—sate under the table ;— and every time a foot accidentally kicked against him, or trod on his tail, he sent forth a ferocious growl that rumbled through the crazy building. But let us now listen to some of the discourse which took place in that room where the guests were assembied. “I say, Bob,” exclaimed the begging-letter im- 85 postor, addressing himself to the Durrynacker, “what's become of Teddy Limber again?” “Teddy Limber was like to get into trouble other day, and so he’s speeled from his old crib,” was the reply. “Tl tell you how it was. He’d tied up prigging and taken to faking the sinkers. Larry Sampson found him out, and went to his crib up in the Holy Land. Larry enters the place with a couple of ranners, and insists on making a search. But for a long time it was no go; and Teddy Lim- ber stood by laughing. At length Larry moves the bedstead and examines the floor. Then Teddy's face begins to darken; and Larry sees he’s on the right scent. So he pokes about; and in the corner, just under where one of the legs of the bedstead had stood, he takes up a bit of the flooring, about a couple of inches square—jast big enough to put the hand in. Then he feels a string, and he draws up a worsted stocking containing a lot of gammy cases, half-cases, cooters, pegs, and snids. So when Teddy sees that he’s twicged, he rushes to the door—gives a right-hauder to one of Larry's men, aud a left-hander to t’other—knocks ’em both down—rushes out—and bolts the door on ‘em. Larry was betwixt the bedstead and the wall at the time, and couldn’t get out quick enough to help his chaps or seize hold of Teddy. So Teddy gets clear off as cocum as you please.”* “ And what's become of Teddy now? inquired one of the women, who laughed more heartily than their male companions at this anecdote. * Not knowing, can’t say,” was the Durrynacker’s fesponse. “ But I was going to tell you how Larry Sampson went on to find that Teddy had a false mantel-piece in his crib ; and when the mantel was taken away, a lot of Teddy’s traps was discovered in a great recess in the wall—such as the dies, the metal, the melting-pots, and other things used in faking the sinkers. And in the stocking that con- tained the sinkers, was a bit of paper with Teddy's own written instructions how to make the bright coin look dull and silvery-like: so it’s quite clear that Teddy had an order for the sinkers and was going to deliver them just about the time Larry Sampson pounced down upon him.” “And what did the receipt say?” asked the woman who had before spoken. “Why, the process sceins quite a new ‘un: but I saw it tried yesterday by Watty Sparkes, and it answers capital. You must put the coin on a hot iron; and when the colour begins to change, qlap it in a bag of bran and shake it well: then pass it through a bit of cheese, and wipe it clean with a coarse towel, But it musn’t be rabbed much.” “‘ Well, that’s simple enow,” observed the knife. grinder, refilling his pipe. “And so Watty Sparkes is in that line, eh? I thought he was out in the country crocusing along with Patty Finks who does the dookin.” f¢ “So he was,” answered the ‘Durrynacker: “ but he’s come back, along with Patty—and now they're in business as sinker-fakers somewhere over in Shadwell. But I say, old Swag Chovey Bloak,” ® Speeled—cut and run. Tied up prigging—given up thieving. Faking the sinkers—making basemoney. Holy Land—St Giles’s. Gammy—srpurious. Cases—crowns. Walf-cases—half-crownsa. Cooters—sovereigns: Pegs— shillings. Snids—sixpences. Cocum-—clever. + —travelling about the country selling soap and quack-medicines, Dooking—fortune-telling. COMuicooOolkxs.conrn