Peace stated that he did not steal the picture, nor did he know where it then was.
He had also been seen or written to regarding some valuable lace which was stolen some time before, and very urgent requests have been made to him to say where it now is.
But notorious as Peace is for his many burglaries and his successful way of “working” them, there are other burglars besides himself, and it is not surprising therefore that he knows nothing of the lace.
Peace had no actual accomplices; but he found a ready means of disposing of the booty which fell into his hands. The receivers, however, whoever they are, were not likely to suffer by any confession from Peace as to their whereabouts.
We understand that pressure had been put upon him—we suppose by the authorities—to induce him to say where he disposed of his plunder. But he had steadfastly refused to say.
When pressed on this point, his answer had generally been, that if any man were in prison on his account he would now do his best to get him out, but that he was the last man to be the means of getting anybody else into trouble.
The receivers, therefore, are safe so far as Peace was concerned; but we should have thought that Mrs. Thompson could have told all that the police wanted to know.
It may be, though, that Peace didn’t tell her all, and that there were some things which he considered it wise to keep to himself.
During the course of an interview, Peace gave his relatives some excellent advice as to their future conduct, and expressed an earnest hope that they would all meet in heaven.
One of his relatives thereupon remarked that the Rev. Dr. Potter, of Sheffield, had preached a sermon about him, in which he said that “all hope for his (Peace’s) salvation was gone for ever.”