Among the strange books I’ve collected over the years is a melancholy volume of photographs, designed as a supplement to the 1944 NSW Police Criminal Register. It’s a sad collection of mugshots of unhappy lawbreakers, accompanied by short descriptions, and some paragraphs about their known misdeeds.
I’ve often thought the book would make a good source document for any novelist trying to create characters to populate the pages of their hard-boiled crime stories. Published in the war years, it reeks of the leftovers of The Great Depression, and features many uniformed service personnel as both perpetrators and victims of crime.
In this post I’ll share a few bits and pieces from the volume, but I’ll leave out names, to reduce possible embarrassment to any living descendants of the people involved.
Photo #73: Shop and factory breaker, thief. In company with another offender, smashed a display window in a city shop one night and stole a number of handbags. When police arrested the two criminals at Pyrmont the next night they confessed to the commission of the offence and assisted in the recovery of several of the stolen bags. By removing a wire grill from a lavatory window at the rear of factory premises in the city one night was able to take out some glass louvres and enter the premises. Some precision instruments, tools, a typewriter and miscellaneous items were removed. The offender is an expert at stealing articles from motor trucks. It is his habit either to leap on the vehicles while they are in motion or to steal up to them while they are stationary and unattended and help himself to whatever they might contain. Another form of theft at which he excels is shoplifting. He does not content himself with stealing articles of trifling value but concentrates on costly clothing and other property. Of somewhat argumentative and aggressive nature Davis has been concerned in several assaults – some against arresting police. Once he severely injured a man by pelting a stone at him connecting with his head. Hoodlum type: associates with criminals and frequents the city.
Photo #74: Shop breaker, thief and armed robber. Attempted to hold up an old shopkeeper at Lidcombe. Entered the shop and asked for a packet of cigarettes and when the man turned to get them an accomplice – masked and armed with a revolver – entered and demanded money. The old man, not intimidated, seized a sword that he kept on the premises and chased them away. The firearm was subsequently found buried in the offender’s backyard. Exerting force against aged people seems to be a characteristic of the offender. Once he accosted an old man, rushed him and rolled him in a muddy pool. At one stage of his career he used to break and enter pharmacies in the suburbs. It was his practice to operate at night and to force doors with a jemmy. Patent medicines that he stole were sold to receivers. Stealing bicycles, the theft of accessories from unattended motor vehicles and similar acts of dishonesty are crimes that the malefactor has seen fit to commit during the intervals between his more serious crimes. One night he entered a yard at Ryde, jacked up a motor vehicle and removed four wheels, tyres and tubes. At the time he was in the company of two other offenders and the stolen property was removed to the home of an acquaintance pending its further disposal.
Photo #273: Receiver and thief. Rented a guesthouse at Burrill Lake on the understanding that one room was to be reserved for the owner whenever the latter desired to use same. This room was locked and the key retained by a friend of the owner. Offender, after residing there for a short time, gained entry to the locked room – apparently by unscrewing the hinges on the door – and packed a suitcase full of articles and decamped. On her departure took with her a number of other articles which were accessible to her as a temporary tenant of the premises. Frequents Glebe, Cronulla and Newtown districts and associates with convicted criminals.
Photo #274: Housebreaker and thief. Travelling to Austinmer with associates, broke into a large dwelling there while others kept watch. After breaking the glass near the catch of the bathroom window the catch was manipulated and the offenders entered. After thoroughly ransacking the dwelling offenders decamped taking with them a large quantity of clothing and jewellery which they converted to their own use. They had previously gained entry to a weekend cottage in the district by way of a broken rear window and made this cottage that temporary residence. Whilst residing there offenders consumed a quantity of foodstuff found on the premises and when arrested were still residing there and had in their possession proceeds of the abovementioned robbery. At the time an escapee from Parramatta girls industrial school, she used an axe to break the glass in the rear door of a dwelling at Canley Vale, a district with which she was familiar, having once resided there. Removed some jewellery, a sum of money and a large quantity of clothing in a suitcase and cardboard box. When apprehended had the major portion of the proceeds still in her possession, having given away only a few articles of clothing. Of the vagrant and immoral type, is to be found associating with Allied servicemen. Has recently dyed her hair a dark colour.
Photo #271: Housebreaker and thief. After ringing the front doorbell of a dwelling at Artarmon one day, walked around the side and forced a sliding window and gained entry. Offender thoroughly ransacked the dwelling and removed articles of jewellery, some of which he gave away. Portion of the remainder was sold to Allied servicemen. On the following day at Lindfield employed similar means to gain entry to a dwelling and stole jewellery and some clothing. Commencing his criminal activities some nine months ago in his native state, South Australia, was committed to Magill reformatory on numerous charges of warehouse breaking. Escaping from that reformatory in March this year, migrated to this state by way of Broken Hill and whilst “jumping the rattler” in that vicinity stole a leather overcoat from a car being transported on a railway truck. Committed to Gosford Farm Home remained there only a few days and earned his most recent conviction at Orange Children’s Court. Will no doubt continue his criminal activities and appears to be developing into a “bird of passage”. Whilst in Sydney was associated with two soldiers absent without leave from their units.
Photo #272: Storeroom breaker and thief. A half-inch jemmy was employed by offender to force the door of a tobacco store room at Chippendale during the daytime. Having gained entry offender removed a large quantity of loose tobacco in a paper bag. Entered a hotel at Hay one evening and during the temporary absence of the licensee from the office stole a sum of money which he converted to his own use. During a weekend at Adelong while the occupiers were temporarily absent from the premises, offender – who was at the time “on the track” stole a blanket and foodstuffs. During a weekend at Chippendale forced from its hinges the window of a tool shed on a factory premises in the course of construction. Then removed a large quantity of carpenter’s tools in a taxi cab to Rozelle where he disposed of them to a secondhand dealer. Of the vagrant type, was absent without leave from his army unit when the last mentioned robbery was perpetrated.
Photo #79: Sex pervert. Typical of his activities were the circumstances that led to his most recent convictions. Posing as an official of the Australian Air League he contacted a group of lads aged from 9 to 13 and induced them to take an interest in the movement which he falsely claimed to represent. Before long he established a camp at Rosebery and one night when all the boys were sleep he arose and molested them. Of sober habits; does not associate with criminals. Is a definite menace to young boys.
Photo #80: Sex pervert. A ranger in Centennial Park came upon the offender one evening just as he was in the act of committing an action of an indescribably disgusting character upon some young lads. When the ranger attempted to arrest him he commenced to struggle violently and was subdued only by force. At Parramatta sometime ago he was arrested for behaving in an indecent manner towards a six-year-old boy. Frequents Paddington, Randwick and Rockdale. Is quietly spoken and displays great religious fervour.
Photo #111: Assailant and robber. One evening when in Belmore Park became acquainted with a man and later invited him to her home at Surry Hills. After consuming a quantity of liquor, violently assaulted guest and robbed him of a wrist watch and a sum of money, using empty beer bottle as weapon. With accomplice solicited two Allied servicemen and eventually escorted them to a house in East Sydney. Whilst the servicemen were partly disrobed assailant stole the contents of a wallet which had been left in portion of the discarded clothing and decamped. Offender has been arrested on a number of occasions for crimes involving acts of violence but in some instances owing to the non-appearance of the complainant the case has not been proceeded with. Is an associate of prostitutes and frequents low class hotels in and about the city.
Photo #112: House, garage and storeroom breaker, thief. One day at Balgowlah smashed the glass in the side window of a dwelling, released the couch and gained admittance. A wristlet watch, diamond ring and other articles of jewellery and a sum of money within stolen by him. On another occasion entered a dwelling at Seaforth during the temporary absence of the occupants, by way of an unlocked rear window and stole a wristlet watch, diamond rings, various articles of jewellery and a sum of money. Was associated in a venture at Lane Cove where, with a duplicate key, opened the office at Water Board depot, obtained the keys of tool shed and storeroom and removed valuable tools; portion of which were disposed of to secondhand dealers in the city. Has incurred convictions for stealing bicycles, stealing from dwellings and goods in custody. It is his practice to enter dwellings after ascertaining that the occupants are absent or to watch until the occupants leave, then enter and help himself to whatever valuables that he may choose. Usually operates on his own and frequents Manly, Darlinghurst, the Eastern Suburbs and the Auburn districts.
Photo #113: Thief and prostitute. Was sharing a flat at Bondi with another prostitute during his absence offender removed a large quantity of jewellery and clothing from the premises. Portion of the loot was pledged at local porn officers the majority being conveyed to Melbourne and then disposed after pawnbrokers and acquaintances.
Photo #114: Prostitute and thief. This woman carries on her profession in the city and in the Kings Cross Darlinghurst area and on one occasion at Newcastle incurred a penalty for “gingering” at which she is an expert. In some instances she has carried out these thefts alone; in others with the assistance of some of her professional colleagues. On one occasion she and an associate solicited two men in Kings Cross road and conducted them to a house in Darlinghurst. There, from the clothing of the men which had been temporarily removed, a sum of money was stolen. In this theft they were assisted by an accomplice who – when the victims remonstrated with the women – brandished a tomahawk and chased them from the premises. On another occasion at a lodging house Darlinghurst an inmate left to call a taxi cab, meanwhile depositing her luggage in the hallway. During her temporary absence the offender removed portion of the luggage and placed it in her own room where it was located later that day. Has incurred numerous convictions in the pursuit of her profession. Habitually associates with well-known prostitutes and convicted criminals.
