Known to the Police

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holmes, Thomas, 1846-1918

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Known to the Police" by Thomas Holmes is a reflective work that combines personal narrative and social commentary written during the early 20th century. The book explores the underbelly of London society through the author's experiences as a former Police Court Missionary, offering critical insights into the lives of the poor, the nature of crime, and the workings of the judicial system. Central to the work is Holmes himself, who emerges as a compassionate observer and advocate for the marginalized in society, striving for social reform. At the start of the book, the author shares his personal struggle after leaving his position in the Police Courts, feeling a deep sense of loss for the work he cherished and the individuals he helped. He reminisces about the conditions he witnessed in police courts that reflect the harsh realities of poverty and the mismanagement of justice. There is a strong contrast drawn between the past and present, as Holmes outlines changes in societal attitudes, legal reforms, and the alterations in the demeanor and conditions of the prisoners over time. His detailed observations set the stage for broader discussions on issues such as dishonesty, alcoholism, and the overall evolution of London's criminal landscape, foreshadowing the complex narratives and challenges he will delve into throughout the text. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Preface

Memories and contrasts

Some burglars I have met

The black list and inebriates

Police-court marriages

Extraordinary sentences

Discharged prisoners

The last dread penalty

Housing the poor

The hooliganism of the poor

The heroism of the slums

A pennyworth of coal

Old boots and shoes

Jonathan Pinchbeck, the slum Autolycus

People who have "come down."

Credits:

Produced by MWS, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 68.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2017-10-29