In English legal history, a thief-taker was a private individual hired to capture criminals. The widespread establishment of professional police in England did not occur until the 19th century. With the rising crime rate and newspapers to bring this to the attention of the public, thief-takers arose to partially fill the void in bringing criminals...
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thief-taker
a person who profited from arresting thieves or arranging the return of stolen goods. A number of scandals involving criminal thief-takers caused considerable concern during the eighteenth century
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http://www.encyclo.co.uk/local/21814
Man who profited from rewards obtained from arresting and convicting a criminal and/or arranging for the return of stolen goods.
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http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Glossary.jsp
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