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14. Even the police expressed grudging admiration for some women burglars and criminals
Burglary in Victorian London imposed a different set of obstacles compared to those encountered by today’s criminals. Neighborhoods were densely packed, with housefronts near the street. Streets were patrolled by policemen on foot, walking at a pace of 2.5 miles per hour, as required by regulations. Most streets were lighted by gas lamps, today a symbol of Victorian London. Although dingy, the light did allow observation even in the worst of conditions, despite the swirling fogs depicted in film and literature. London was also a busy city, as were those of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and others. In the ports, ships arrived and departed on the tides. Many factories operated around the clock. Some tradesmen earned their living at night, and it was rare for streets to be fully abandoned, even in the earliest hours of the morning.
Ground floor doors and windows were locked and barred against illicit entry, and entering by damaging doors and window frames would easily attract the attention of the night watch or the police. Upper windows were often smaller, narrower, and more difficult to access. Gaining the second floor usually required the agility of an acrobat. Some burglars gained the upper floors by climbing flower trellises. Other shimmied up downspouts. Scaling a nearby tree, followed by a daring leap to a roof or balcony, was not unheard of. When Detective Knott encountered Minnie Pheby in the act of committing a burglary in Shepard’s Bush in 1896, he quickly learned of her dexterity and agility. Pheby had previously burgled another home nearby and carried the loot from that theft. To acquire it, she had entered the house through a window no more than eight inches across.