Saturday, March 22, 2008

"Expert and Traveling Criminals" 1920 Wanted by Scotland Yard



"Expert and Traveling Criminals." Scotland Yard. 8pp., 7.5x11, Vol. VII, No. 21, Oct. 15, 1920. Removed from ledger but complete; edges frayed. With official annotations in black and red ink. Confidential supplement to Police Gazette. Consists of coversheet of mug-shots of 6 bad guys followed by 4 pages describing their m.o.'s and 2 pages of short notes on other criminals. Bad Guy 338, for example, "engaged lodging with working class people by representing ... that he was a discharged wounded soldier, ... remained the night and absconded with cash, etc." Female Bad Guy 340 defrauded merchants, aided by such attributes as "lady-like deportment, refined, Scotch accent; fond of dress, the society of men of good position and theatrical people." These confidential supplements, which portray not only criminal methods but the subtleties of the British class system, rarely come to market. w174 $35 at http://www.patterson-smith.com/wanted.htm

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