thieves in the low Whitechapel lodging-houses, varying in age from
thirteen to fifteen, who live by thieving eatables and other easily
obtained goods from shop fronts. In addition to the Embankment,
al fresco lodgings are found in the seats outside Spitalfields Church,
and many homeless wanderers have their own little nooks and corners of
resort in many sheltered yards, vans, etc., all over London.
Two poor women I observed making their home in a shop door-way in
Liverpool Street. Thus they manage in the summer; what it's like in
winter time is terrible to think of. In many cases it means the
pauper's grave, as in the case of a young woman who was wont to sleep
in a van in Bedfordbury. Some men who were aware of her practice
surprised her by dashing a bucket of water on her. The blow to her
weak system caused illness, and the inevitable sequel--a coroner's
jury came to the conclusion that the water only hastened her death,
which was due, in plain English, to starvation.

The following are some statements taken down by the same Officer from
twelve men whom he found sleeping on the Embankment on the nights of
June 13th and 14th, 1890:-

No. 1. "I've slept here two nights; I'm a confectioner by trade;
I come from Dartford. I got turned off because I'm getting elderly.
They can get young men cheaper, and I have the rheumatism so bad.
I've earned nothing these two days; I thought I could get a job at
Woolwich, so I walked there, but could get nothing. I found a bit of
bread in the road wrapped up in a bit of newspaper. That did me for
yesterday. I had a bit of bread and butter to-day. I'm 54 years old.
When it's wet we stand about all night under the arches.'

No. 2. "Been sleeping out three weeks all but one night; do odd jobs,