“He rented a small detached house called ‘Olave Cottage,’ in Rushford Park, which he had fairly well furnished. He gave his name as ‘Mr. Thompson,’ and he was accompanied by a woman who is supposed to be Mrs. Peace.
“He was never idle and always had some project on foot. He was constantly painting his cottage, and he took such trouble with the work that the neighbours took it for granted that he meant to remain there at least for some years.
“He was very affable and obliging to everybody, and was, until he decamped without paying his accounts, a great favourite with the tradesmen. To ladies he was especially polite and attentive. To every woman he met in a shop, he said, ‘good morning’ in the most agreeable tones, but usually accompanied his attentions by a wink at the shopman. He obtained considerable notoriety by his skill in contorting his features and assuming the appearance of a cripple. Subsequently he was known to have been the ‘Burnage Bogie,’ an apparition that had scared many people in Burnage-lane, and made numerous folks afraid to use that thoroughfare after nightfall.
At the same time it is somewhat novel to learn that he was never suspected of committing any robbery, nor has it been proved that he gave effect to his thieving propensity in the neighbourhood. If he did carry on any ‘business’ of that nature he certainly was never mistrusted on that ground, and even now not the slightest accusation is made against him on that score.
“Ostensibly he earned his livelihood as an acrobat, and was, we are informed, engaged at the Abbey Hey Grounds. In this capacity he was considered to be exceedingly clever, and our informant assures us that he could throw fifty-six pound weights about like pounds of sugar. He likewise performed publicly on the violin, and was regarded by the frequenters of the grounds as an able musician.
“As we have said, he was much esteemed whilst he lived as Levenshulme, owing chiefly to his unbounded spirits and his witticisms. He was respected as an honest, straightforward man, and no one anticipated that he would disappear so suddenly without paying sundry bills, and least of all was it thought that he would turn out to be one of the most remarkable criminals with which this country has become acquainted for many years.”
PEACE’S AGE.
One of the most curious things about the personality of Peace is the conflict between his appearance and his age. He has been almost invariably spoken of as an old man, and no one seeing him could for a moment suppose that the age we have previously given, on the authority of the police notice issued after the Bannercross affair, is the correct one. That notice spoke of him as then forty-six years of age, but as looking ten years older. We have reason to believe that he is even now (two years afterwards) only forty-six, and will not be forty-seven until May next. He was born on the 14th of May, 1832, and it may, perhaps, be a convenience if we give the cardinal points of his career in brief chronological form:—
| 1832. | May 14. | —Born in Nursery-street. |
| 1846. | ” | —Injured at Kelham Mills. |
| ” | to 1848. | —Two years’ illness. |
| 1848 | to 1851. | —Employed by Mr. Edward Smith and in learning to play the violin. |
| 1851. | Oct. 26. | —Robs Mrs. Ward’s house. |
| ” | Dec. 13. | —Sentenced to one month’s imprisonment; age nineteen. |
| ” | to 1854. | —Playing the violin at publichouses, &c. |
| 1854. | Sep. 7. | —Robs Crookesmoor House. |
| ” | Sep. 20. | —Robs Mr. Stuart’s house, Brincliffe, and many similar robberies about the same time. |
| 1854. | Oct. 20 | —Four year’s penal servitude; age 22. |
| to | ||
| 1858. | ||
| 1858 | or 1859. | —Marries Hannah Ward. |
| 1859 | Nov. 29 or 30. | —Daughter, Jane Ann, born. |
| 1859. | Aug. 11, | —Penal servitude; age 27. |
| to | ||
| 1864, | June. | |
| 1864 | to 1866. | —Picture-frame maker in Kenyon-alley and West-street. |
| 1866. | Dec. 3, | —Penal servitude; age 34. |
| to | ||
| 1872, | Aug. 8. | |
| 1872 | to 1875. | —Picture-frame maker, in Brocco and Scotland-street. |
| 1875, | to Aug., 1876. | —Picture-frame maker at Darnall. |
| 1876. | Aug. to Nov. | —Provision shopkeeper, in Hull. |
| 1876. | Nov. 14. | —Leaves Hull suddenly. |
| 1876. | Nov. 29. | —Shoots Mr. Dyson. |
| 1876 | to 1878. | —Committing constant robberies at Nottingham, Hull, Lambeth, Greenwich, and Peckham. |
| 1878. | Oct. 10. | —Captured by Police-constable Robinson while committing a burglary; gives name of John Ward. |
| ” | Nov. 6. | —Identified in Newgate as Charles Peace. |
| ” | Nov. 19. | —Penal servitude for life; age forty-six. |
| 1879. | Jan. 22. | —Attempts to commit suicide by leaping from train. |
| ” | Jan. 24. | —Committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder. |