A Real life ‘Man with the twisted lip’

by Yorkshire post (June, 1913)

£6 A WEEK BY Begging

A story, which is so astonishing that it reads almost like fiction, was told at the Guildhall the other day.
It had reference to Cecil Brown Smith, a well-dressed man, who described himself as an electrical engineer, living at Bramah House, Beardell Street, Upper Norwood, and who was charged with begging.
A detective saw the prisoner standing outside the Bank of Scotland, and in his left hand he held a cigar hox containing matches. He was apparently paralysed, his head drooping on one side, and his right hand banging limp.

He was shaking all over, and his distressing appearance moved the passers-by to pity. The detective, who had been under observation for several days, described the transformation of the match-seller to a suburbanite renting a villa at £230 a year.
In the evening he changed his coppers  for silver at messers Salmon and Gluckstein's, and, aided by a conductor, got on to an omnibus, riding to London Bridge Station.

There his lameness got much beiter, and his head became erect.
He travelled second-class to the Crystal Palace, and usually ran up the station steps two at a time.Then he adjourned to an oyster shop and had an
oyster repast.
His movements after that became so brisk that the detective had some difficulty in keeping pace with him. Meeting a lady, he raised his hat, and with his "paralysed" hand shook hers vigorously.
Smith is said to have made £6 a week in the City, and up to Tuesday was drawing weekly pay from the Hearts of Oak Society. He was remanded.