Peace trifled with Fate. She had blessed him with worldly goods, though it must be confessed that they were not his own, and his consummate impudence led to his apprehension.
One of the inspectors who had been concerned in his capture, expressed his opinion of Peace’s character in these words:—
“There is not another demon in Europe like him, unless it’s the Czar. What sort of scoundrels they have in Asia I don’t know.”
The words were graphic, but they were spoken with such vehemence as to show that even the London police were surprised at the revelations which were made.
Another said, “He mistook his hunting-ground; there is not sufficient room for brigandage in England; he ought to have gone to Sicily.” The general opinion of the police was one rather of wonder mixed with surprise, but with a certain admiration for the fellow’s cleverness in his profession.
The more inquiries that are made into the past history of Peace, the more does it appear that he was a head and shoulders above the ordinary criminal. He appears to have had ingrained in his nature a cruelty of mind and firmness of purpose which nothing could baffle. He always objected to poverty, and as he did not seem to be over fond of hard work—though at times he certainly did follow his business of a picture-frame maker with something like assiduity—he chose a career of crime as the most fitted to maintain him in luxury.
When eighteen years of age he lived with his mother at Walker-street, Sheffield, and was employed in Millsand’s rolling mill.
At this time he developed a passionate love for music, the instrument on which he most excelled being the violin. He was welcomed at the various public-houses in the vicinity on account of the readiness with which he was always willing to exhibit his accomplishment without direction, and there are many people residing now in Sheffield who can remember with pleasure evenings spent in Peace’s company.
He was at this time known by a little goat-carriage in which he was accustomed to drive the child who was his pupil, and who was introduced to the reader in a previous chapter.
This singular equipage usually attracted great attention, and many no doubt remember him by his goat excursions.