The seven curses of London

by James Greenwood

Transcribed from the [1869] edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

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THE
SEVEN CURSES OF LONDON.

By JAMES GREENWOOD,
The “Amateur Casual.”

LONDON:
STANLEY RIVERS AND CO.

CONTENTS.

I. Neglected Children.
CHAPTER I. STARTLING FACTS.
The Pauper Population.—PauperChildren.—Opinions concerning their properTreatment.—A Hundred Thousand Children loose in LondonStreets.—Neglected Babies.—Juvenile “MarketProwlers”	page [1]
CHAPTER II. RESPECTING THE PARENTAGE OF SOME OF OURGUTTER POPULATION.
Who are the Mothers?—The InfantLabour-Market.—Watch London and BlackfriarsBridges.—The Melancholy Types.—The Flashy, Flaunting“Infant.”—KeepingCompany.—Marriage.—The Upshot	p. [13]
CHAPTER III. BABY-FARMING.
“Baby-Farmers” and Advertising“Child-Adopters.”—“F. X.” ofStepney.—The Author’s Interview with FarmerOxleek.—The Case of Baby Frederick Wood	p. [29]
CHAPTER IV. WORKING BOYS.
The London Errand-Boy.—His Drudgery andPrivations.—His Temptations.—The London Boy afterDark.—The Amusements provided for him	p. [58]
CHAPTER V. THE PROBLEM OF DELIVERANCE.
Curious Problem.—The best Method ofTreatment.—The “Child of the Gutter” not to beentirely abolished.—The genuine Alley-bred Arab.—ThePoor Lambs of the Ragged Flock.—The Tree of Evil in ourmidst.—The Breeding Places of Disease and Vice	p. [76]
II. Professional Thieves.
CHAPTER VI. THEIR NUMBER AND DIFFICULTIES.
Twenty Thousand Thieves in London.—What itmeans.—The Language of“Weeds.”—Cleverness of the PilferingFraternity.—A Protest against a barbarousSuggestion.—The Prisoner’s greatDifficulty.—The Moment of Leaving Prison.—BadFriends.—What becomes of Good Resolutions and theChaplain’s Counsel?—The Criminal’s Scepticismof Human Goodness.—Life in “LittleHell.”—The Cow-Cross Mission.	p. [85]
CHAPTER VII. HOMES AND HAUNTS OF THE BRITISHTHIEF.
The Three Classes of Thieving Society.—PopularMisapprehensions.—A True Picture of the LondonThief.—A Fancy Sketch of the “Under-groundCellar.”—In Disguise at a Thieves’Raffle.—The Puzzle of “Black Maria.”—Mr.Mullins’s Speech and his Song	p. [108]
CHAPTER VIII. JUVENILE THIEVES.
The Beginning of the Downhill Journey.—Candidatesfor Newgate Honours.—Black Spots of London.—Life fromthe Young Robber’s Point of View.—The SeedlingRecruits the most difficult to reform.—A dolefulSumming-up.—A Phase of the Criminal Question leftunnoticed.—Budding Burglars.—Streams which keep atfull flood the Black Sea of Crime.—The Promotersof “Gallows Literature.”—Another Shot at aFortress of theDevil.—“Poison-Literature.”—“StarlightSall.”—“Panther Bill”	p. [124]
CHAPTER IX. THE THIEF NON-PROFESSIONAL.
The Registered and the Unregistered Thieves of the LondonHunting-ground.—The Certainty of the Crop ofVice.—Omnibus Drivers and Conductors.—The“Watchers.”—The London General OmnibusCompany.—The Scandal of their System.—The ShopkeeperThief.—False Weights and Measures.—Adulteration ofFood and Drink.—Our Old Law, “I am as honest as I canafford to be!”—Rudimentary Exercises in the Art ofPillage	p. [144]
CHAPTER X. CRIMINAL SUPPRESSION ANDPUNISHMENT.
Lord Romilly’s Suggestion concerning the Educationof the Children of Criminals.—DesperateCriminals.—The Alleys of the Borough.—The worstQuarters not, as a rule, the most noisy.—The Evil Exampleof “Gallows Heroes,” “Dick Turpin,”“Blueskin,” &c.—The Talent for“Gammoning Lady Green.”—A worthyGovernor’s Opinion as to the best way of“Breaking” a Bad Boy.—Affection for“Mother.”—The Dark Cell and itsInmate.—An Affecting Interview	p. [173]
CHAPTER XI. ADULT CRIMINALS AND THE NEW LAW FOR THEIRBETTER GOVERNMENT.
Recent Legislation.—Statistics.—LordKimberley’s “Habitual Criminals”Bill.—The Present System of License-Holders.—ColonelHenderson’s Report.—Social Enemies of SuspectedMen.—The Wrong-headed Policeman and the Mischief he maycause.—Looking out for a Chance.—The last Resource ofdesperate Honesty.—A Brotherly Appeal.—“Gingerwill settle her.”—Ruffians who should be shut up	p. [183]
III. Professional Beggars.
CHAPTER XII. THE BEGGAR OF OLDEN TIME.
“Only a Beggar.”—The Fraternity 333Years ago.—A savage Law.—Origin of thePoor-Laws.—Irish Distinction in the Ranks ofBeggary.—King Charles’sProclamation.—Cumberland Discipline	p. [211]
CHAPTER XIII. THE WORK OF PUNISHMENT ANDRECLAMATION.
The Effect of “The Society for the Suppression ofMendicity.”—State Business earned out by IndividualEnterprise.—“The Discharged Prisoners’ AidSociety.”—The quiet Work of theseSocieties.—Their Mode of Work.—CuriousStatistics.—Singular Oscillations.—DiabolicalSwindling	p. [221]
CHAPTER XIV. BEGGING “DODGES.”
The Variety and Quality of the Imposture.—SuperiorAccomplishments of the Modern Practitioner.—The Recipe forSuccess.—The Power of“Cheek.”—“Chanting” and the“Shallow Lay.”—Estimates of their PayingValue.—The Art of touching Women’s Hearts.—TheHalf-resentful Trick.—The Loudon“Cadger.”—The Height of the “FamineSeason.”	p. [242]
CHAPTER XV. GENTEEL ADVERTISING BEGGARS.
The Newspaper Plan and the delicate Process.—Formsof Petition.—Novel Applications ofPhotography.—Personal Attractions of theDistressed.—Help, or I perish!	[259]
IV. Fallen Women.
CHAPTER XVI. THIS CURSE.
The Difficulty in handling it.—The Question of itsRecognition.—The Argyll Rooms.—Mr. Acton’sVisit there.—The Women and their Patrons.—TheFloating Population of Windmill-street.—Cremorne Gardens inthe Season	p. [271]
CHAPTER XVII. THE PLAIN FACTS AND FIGURES OFPROSTITUTION.
Statistics of Westminster, Brompton, andPimlico.—Methods of conducting the nefariousBusiness.—Aristocratic Dens.—The HighTariff.—The Horrors of the Social Evil.—The BrokenBridge behind the Sinner.—“DressLodgers.”—There’s always a“Watcher.”—Soldiers and Sailors.—The“Wrens of the Curragh”	p. [281]
CHAPTER XVIII. THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THEQUESTION.
The Laws applying to Street-walkers.—The Keepers ofthe Haymarket Night-houses.—Present Position of thePolice-magistrates.—Music-hallFrequenters.—Refreshment-bars.—MidnightProfligacy—“Snuggeries.”—Over-zealousBlockheads.	p. [304]
CHAPTER XIX. SUGGESTIONS.
Ignoring the Evil.—Punishment fit for the“Deserter” and the Seducer.—The“Know-nothing” and “Do-nothing”Principle.—The Emigration of Women of Bad Character	p. [324]
V. TheCurse of Drunkenness.
CHAPTER XX. ITS POWER.
The crowning Curse.—No form of sin or sorrow inwhich it does not play a part.—The “SlipperyStone” of Life.—Statistics.—Matters not growingworse.—The Army Returns.—The System ofAdulteration	p. [332]
CHAPTERXXI. ATTEMPTS TO ARREST IT.
The Permissive Liquors Bill.—Its Advocates and theirArguments.—The Drunkenness of the Nation.—TemperanceFacts and Anecdotes.—Why the Advocates of Total Abstinencedo not make more headway.—Moderate Drinking.—HardDrinking.—The Mistake about childish Petitioners	p. [351]
VI. Betting Gamblers.
CHAPTER XXII. “ADVERTISING TIPSTERS” AND“BETTING COMMISSIONERS.”
The Vice of Gambling on the increase among theWorking-classes.—Sporting “Specs.”—A“Modus.”—TurfDiscoveries.—Welshers.—The Vermin of theBetting-field.—Their Tactics.—The Road to Ruin	p. [377]
VII. Wasteof Charity.
CHAPTER XXIII. METROPOLITAN PAUPERISM.
Parochial Statistics.—The Public hold thePurse-strings.—Cannot the Agencies actually at work be madeto yield greater Results?—The need of fairRating.—The Heart and Core of the Poor-lawDifficulty.—My foremost thought when I was a“Casual.”—Who are most liable toslip?—“Crank-work.”—The Utility ofLabour-yards.—Scales of Relief.—What comes ofbreaking-up a Home	p. [421]
CHAPTER XXIV. THE BEST REMEDY.
Emigration.—The various Fields.—Distinguishthe Industrious Worker in need of temporary Relief.—LastWords	p. [455]

I.—Neglected Children.

CHAPTER I.
STARTLING FACTS.