“A Fence-ing Lesson,” Frank Leslie’s Budget of Fun, April 15, 1861.
Stealing only paid when a thief had a reliable and trustworthy outlet for his or her booty. Fences were the middlemen (and -women) who bridged licit and illicit commerce, buying cheap from thieves and selling at a profit to legitimate wholesalers and retailers. Because they were so prevalent and purchased rags, scrap metal, and pieces of rope – no questions asked – junk dealers were under constant police scrutiny. They profited by sorting the various materials by type and grade and then selling them to commodities brokers. The brokers in turn sold the raw materials to industrial concerns such as paper mills, rope makers, and metal foundries. Here, a woman running a junkshop chides her young suppliers for not stealing enough.
