In the morning he returned to Sheffield.
He was ill at ease—restless and fidgetty—everything appeared to be going wrong with him.
Though apparently pursuing at this time the vocation of a picture-frame maker and picture-dealer, he had, as we have already seen, made “overtime” at intervals with varying success. The illustrations which have been given of his career have in many instances shown that he obtained most valuable booty. But the number of occasions on which he failed in his depredations are not so well known; the reader, however, may rest assured that it was not all smooth sailing with him. He had, as it will be our purpose to show, a number of reverses and many narrow escapes.
The course which he generally pursued was to “prospect a district well” and make himself thoroughly acquainted with the general movements of the police in it.
Next to pick out the places which offered at once the chance of a good haul, with the least possible risk, and having done this, gather in the harvest with as little delay as possible and then disappear from the district.
No wonder the police were baffled.
On the night prior to his leaving Sheffield, Peace had an adventure, which at the time taxed his inventive genius.
He had obtained an entrance to the back premises of a fish shop which was situated at the back of the Cemetery-road. This would be between eleven and twelve o’clock at night.
He was “operating” upon the back window of the place, intending as usual to “borrow” something, when very unexpectedly the proprietor of the establishment returned from the theatre in a cab.
Peace heard the vehicle stop and before he had time to get out of the yard the proprietor came into it.