“From that it was argued that Peace had been living in that town, but the man never left the country excepting once—when sent to Gibraltar. He gave the letters to a captain to post in Hamburg, and his instructions were faithfully carried out.
“That Peace had committed a great number of burglaries and impudent feats of housebreaking there can be no doubt, but his most daring ones have certainly been completed in the metropolis, and during recent years.
“Three-fourths of the thefts which he has committed in this way have been between six and eight o’clock in the evening, and but very few of them after midnight.
“Now that he has been found out to have been the sole perpetrator of some of the robberies, reference to the police books proves the statement as to the hours when these were done to be correct.
“One night Peace repaired to a house in Greenwich, his object being to ‘borrow’ some jewellery which he knew to be in one of the bedrooms. It was the dwelling of a rich man, and when he reached the second story window at the back he for the first time in his life became acquainted with the use of a patent window fastener. When he had raised the sash about two inches he found it was prevented from going any further upwards by two brass nobs which protruded from the woodwork.
“In addition to that there was another apparatus which prevented him from moving the sash back again—it was locked. He was very much annoyed with this contrivance, but being of a resolute turn of mind he repaired to the same house in a night or two afterwards and took another course, certainly an extraordinarily bold one.
“He took the window frames out bodily, in the same manner as is often done for the removal of furniture in and out of the houses, and entered the house that way. The booty he secured on that occasion was exceedingly valuable.
“There is no doubt that Peace was well prepared for anyone should they endeavour to effect his capture, and there can be no more ample proof of this than the reception he gave Police-constable Robinson. It is believed, however, that had he known there were other members of the police force about besides Robinson, the latter would have had a sorry time of it.
“Whatever is stated to the contrary, Peace was undoubtedly a ‘dead shot’ when he meant it. He has fired over the heads of many people who have disturbed him in his operations.
“On one occasion, in London, he broken into a gentleman’s house, and had gathered together a number of valuables.