Then came a lull—Peace, the single-handed perpetrator of all these daring robberies, had taken time to consider, and had decided to again change his residence.
But he had grown in riches, the result of his six months’ robberies, and he decided upon taking a better house—one with a more substantial look of respectability about it, and hence it was that he deemed it advisable to remove to the residence which we have already described—namely, the habitation in the Evalina-road.
It is not easy to calculate with anything like exactness the mischief which a scoundrel like Peace has done by his daring exploits.
Man is a creature of imitation, and after the capture and condemnation of our hero, other rogues endeavoured to imitate him.
The evil which Peace did seemed to live after him.
No sooner had the public experienced a sense of relief at having got rid of him than a successor turned up to carry on the business on the same system which he had introduced.
The new candidate for the honours of murder and burglary combined, however, shifted the base of his operations from Blackheath to Hampstead-heath. He was discovered prowling about the grounds of Roselyn House by a constable of the S division.
The policeman on demanding of the man what he wanted there, was answered with a threat, to the effect that if he approached he would blow his brains out.
He, however, did approach, and while attempting to close with the miscreant, received a pistol shot, which would probably have killed him, had it not fortunately struck the bull’s-eye of his lantern.
He was slightly wounded, and in the struggle which followed was struck on the head by his assailant with some blunt instrument.