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Tag Archives: Theft

Early American Criminals: The Fate of Joseph Atwood, Levi Ames’s Accomplice

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Note: This post continues “Advice from a Condemned Burglar.” Joseph Atwood and Levi Ames both participated in the burglary of Martin Bicker’s house in 1773, although the extent to which each one was involved was a matter of debate. Both said that the other was the mastermind of the burglary, and Atwood claimed that he […]

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The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: artful dodger

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

artful dodger – someone who avoids lodging in the same place twice out of fear of arrest. Fagan, the Artful Dodger, and Oliver Twist. Image via Wikipedia In England, the term also meant either a lodger or an expert thief. The Artful Dodger was, of course, the name of Fagan’s top child-pickpocket in Charles Dickens’s […]

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Early American Criminals: William Linsey and the Telltale Candle

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Even though William Linsey was orphaned at a young age, this rough start did not appear to have any negative impact on him. Linsey was originally born in Palmer, MA in 1746, but at the age of two he went to live with Phinehas Mixture in Dudley, MA. By Linsey’s own account, Mixture raised him […]

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The American Malefactor’s Dictionary: arch-cove and arch gonnof

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

arch-cove – the head of a gang or mob; governor; president. arch gonnof – the head of a gang of thieves. The use of “arch” to signify the leader or head of a gang is still in use today. Action-adventure movies or television shows often use the terms “arch enemy” or “arch villain.” Image via […]

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Early American Criminals: Joseph Cooper and Philadelphia’s Lime and Onion Burglar

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

In May 1744, Elizabeth Robinson was sentenced at the Old Bailey in London to transportation to the American colonies for her involvement in the theft of 104 China oranges from a warehouse. She was loaded onto the Justitia that same month and eventually landed in Virginia. She ended up in Maryland, where she reportedly continued […]

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