policeman swore that I stole a purse, and that I had it on
me, as he saw me put it into my pocket. They searched me, but of course
found nothing, and I got off. Determined not to lose the 'poke,' which
had a good many 'quids' in it, I watched the 'copper,' and prigged it
out of his pocket again. It was the same 'bobby' as got me this bit,
and I told him then all about it."

"I once," chimed in Ned, "buzzed a woman on the 'fly,' and got her poke
with eighteen bob in it; she soon missed it, and I saw her go into a
shop, and watched her crying to the shopkeeper and telling him that she
had got all her husband's earnings for the week stolen. Well, I knew
she was a poor woman by that, and I went up and asked her if she had
lost a purse, as I had found one. She said she had, and I gave it to
her again. Now, mind you, I was very hard up at the time, but I don't
hold with stealing from poor people. Men that have more than they know
what to do with in a country where thousands are starving, ought to
have some of it taken from them: that I call 'fairation.' I once
prigged a priest's pocket, and he collared me and said, 'Well, if you
think you have a better right to that purse than I have, you may keep
it.' 'Well, sir,' I said, 'I'm very hard up, and as there are only a
few shillings in it I hope you will allow me to keep them,' and, by
jingo! if the good old fellow didn't let me off, blessings on his head
for it. One of the narrowest escapes I ever had was one time I prigged
a poke with only seven shillings and sixpence in it. The copper saw me,
and chased me like Jehu. Well, I out with the money, pitched the purse
away, so that it could not be easily got again; and, one by one, I
swallowed the coins, and just as I was getting the sixpence down my
throat the 'bobby' had a hold of me by the collar. Of course he was too
late. I hadn't a rap in my pockets, but it was very near a 'legging'
for me. I had another narrow escape not long before I got this bit. I
knew a gentleman's house where they laid out the breakfast dishes on
the table for an hour before they took breakfast. During this hour the
room was left untenanted, and the window left open to let in the air.
Well, I bolted in and 'nicked' a nice silver teapot, cream jug, and one
or two other things, and off I started home, where I 'planted' the
articles, and then went to bed. Shortly afterwards a bobby came to the
door, and although I told them to say I was not at home, to get h