To name a few famous rogues, Jonathan Wild comes to mind. He was a gang leader who conducted a "lost property" service in that he sold stolen property back to the owners for a fee. Operating in the 18th century, he would have his gang members hung if they did not follow his orders. He Jonathan was eventually hung at Tyburn in May 1725. He tried unsuccessfully to poison himself before the
. hanging, and on his way there, he was pelted with stones and laughed at. His lifestyle inspired writers such as Henry Fielding and Daniel Defoe. Another such character was Charlie Peace of the Victorian era who carried his tools in a violin case. He was a well dressed man and actually played the violin at concerts when he was not being a burglar. He shot and killed Arthur Dyson in 1876, fled to London and changed his name to Thompson. He continued his burglaries until caught in 1878 by Police Officer Edward Robinson, who managed to contain him although shot five times. Peace was convicted of attempted murder and after being tried and sentenced to death, admitted that he had killed another police officer in Manchester. In the meantime someone else was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment for that crime. Would you believe Peace was at that man's trial? Now comes the famous Robin Hood. Was he really a rogue or a good Samaritan? This has been debated for many years whether he was an outlaw of Sherwood Forrest or a thief. His mission was to rob the rich and give to the poor who during the 13th century, when there was poverty and devastation needed to be fed. He fought against the unjust laws having the Sheriff of Nottingham as his adversary. Was he an invention derived from folklore legends? For more on these famous gentlemen, check the Discovery Channel.
