The Shadow of Great Britain

91: Chapter 51: The Counterfeit Merchant 91: Chapter 51: The Counterfeit Merchant Scotland Yard, as a newly established police organization, not only lacked professional detectives but was even struggling to maintain routine patrols.

Their main task was merely to uphold the daily order of the streets, arresting criminals involved in theft and robbery.

Unless there was a major case that attracted societal attention, such as a murder or body snatching, cases with less social impact were typically overlooked.

If this case had been handled in another jurisdiction, it might have been swept under the rug carelessly.

But for Arthur, who was dedicated to solving major cases to enhance his influence, the kind of case where success brings credit but failure incurs no blame, he obviously would not let it pass by easily.

And for such missing person cases, the best approach was, of course, to find the local bigwig.

As for the notable figures active above ground in Greenwich District, Arthur may not know them like the back of his hand, but he was at least well-informed about them.

At that time, there were no highly organized criminal groups like the mafia; the early 19th-century London saw more of groups with the nature of trade associations.

Although the business they conducted could not be considered illegal, if pursued strictly, it was not necessarily legal either.

If one were to speak of being well-informed, Judd Martin, a merchant specializing in counterfeit products, was definitely one of the most connected people in the Greenwich area.

This was because the local street vendors in Greenwich almost wholly relied on Judd Martin’s fake goods store for their supplies.

The products he sold included, but were not limited to, pickles dyed green with copper,

cream made by mixing spoiled milk with rice flour and tapioca flour,

colorful candies made from sugar, starch, and kaolin,

lemon soda concocted with tartaric acid,

Gloucester cheese colored with red lead and annatto seeds,

vegetable sauce made from the residues of distilled spirits and vinegar mixed with walnut shells, various spices, chili powder, bell peppers, salt, and unsellable rotten mushrooms,

and various fake medicines that had a small chance of curing illnesses but a high likelihood of worsening conditions.

If judged by future standards, Judd Martin was an outright criminal.

But in 19th-century Britain, Mr.

Martin’s business could not be considered illegal, as Parliament mostly turned a blind eye to the forgery and sale of counterfeit items because many of the factories supplying fake goods were major taxpayers across Britain.

Moreover, both the Whig Party and the Tory Party upheld the stance of economic liberalism, with some members even advocating for these counterfeit factories and merchants.

They argued that these counterfeiting activities effectively reduced the price of goods, allowing the poor to improve their quality of life.

Others claimed that it was the Government’s greedy tax policy that caused the rampant counterfeiting.

Britain imposed high protective tariffs on most foreign imported goods.

Consumables like tea even faced protective tariffs that at one point reached up to 100%.

Drinking tea was an essential pastime in Britons’ daily lives, from nobles and merchants to ordinary workers, each of whom had to drink sweet tea at least once a day.

However, facing such high tariffs and the costly expenses brought by long-distance transportation, the price of tea was inevitably high.

These counterfeit merchants claimed that in order to meet the tea-drinking needs of the lower classes, they had no choice but to fry the leaves of blackthorn bushes as tea substitutes and then sell them.

So, making and selling counterfeit goods can essentially be considered a common societal behavior.

Although there are occasional social activists who stand up and criticize the safety of food and drugs, they generally don’t stir up much trouble.

Years ago, the chemist Frederick Accum, who exposed Britain’s food safety issues, was continuously framed because he touched the interests of these adulterators, and was ultimately driven out of Britain.

Arthur, of course, had no interest and temporarily lacked the capability to fight against those big factory owners who produced fakes.

But if he just wanted to pinch Judd Martin, it would be easy, since the man was just a distributor and junior manufacturer at the lower end of the fake product industry, and most importantly, Mr.

Martin had quite a few vulnerabilities that Arthur held in his grasp.

Arthur, with Tom and Tony, walked into a small alley on Christmas Road, where at the dirty end of the alley was an open courtyard, from which a thick, sour, and sticky dairy scent could be smelled from afar.

Upon reaching the courtyard, there was a large pot boiling with milk outside.

Two workers, wearing coats full of pockets, were constantly stirring the milk with sticks as tall as themselves, occasionally reaching into their coat pockets to throw a handful of colorful powder into the pot.

With the stirring of the sticks and the addition of various ingredients, the sour smell lessened quite a bit, and the flowing milk started to thicken, beginning to show a dark reddish sheen.

Dressed in a blue work uniform and tied with a dirty apron, Mr.

Martin was also not idle.

He first poured out bags filled with kaolin and black pepper onto the ground beside him, then meticulously mixed them together.

While he was fervently mixing on the ground, he suddenly saw a pair of riding boots appear before him.

Looking up, Martin immediately put on a smile.

He wiped his hands, which were covered with black pepper and kaolin, on his apron, then stood up and bowed, saying, “Officer Arthur?

What brings you here today?

How about coming in for a cup of tea?

It’s the genuine stuff, not like what I sell.”

Arthur didn’t want to waste words with him and directly took out a notebook from his pocket.

“Mr.

Martin, we have received a report that guests at an inn who consumed Gloucester cheese purchased from you were all vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, and were consequently sent to the hospital for treatment.

I am preparing to arrest you on charges of poisoning; if it’s convenient, please come with us,” he said.

Upon hearing this, Martin’s face changed, and he said, “Sir, it’s true I sold the Gloucester cheese, but I procured that product from another factory; I didn’t make it!”

“Is that so?

I’ll change the charge then.”

Arthur turned to the next page of his notebook: “A lady has complained to us that after she served her guests with cream purchased from you, all the guests developed high fevers, and we suspect that you…”

Before he could finish, Martin quickly raised his hand to stop Arthur, rummaged in his pocket for a while, and then reluctantly took out a stack of bills, trembling as he handed it over.

He said with a smile, “Officer, I admit my wrongdoing.

It’s been so long since you took office, and I hadn’t even congratulated you yet.

Please, consider these and let’s not dwell on this matter anymore.

After all, you know how it is these days, what isn’t adulterated a bit for a bit of extra kick?

As long as it doesn’t kill, there’s no problem.

If it does kill, that means there was something wrong with their bodies.

You are an upright officer, the newspapers all praise your youth and capability.

A poor, humble merchant like me isn’t worth so much effort from you, is he?

Instead of wasting your energy on me, why not focus on those thieves and murderers?

Isn’t that right?

If you need my help with anything, just say the word, no need to be polite with me.”

Arthur stared at Martin for a while, a slight smile appearing on his lips: “Mr.

Martin, you certainly know how to adapt to the times.

Since that’s the case, I won’t be polite either.”

He pulled out a portrait from his pocket, pointing to the curly-haired, chubby man in the picture, and said, “The police station just received a report that this gentleman has gone missing.

Could you help me ask around the street vendors if anyone has seen him somewhere?”

No sooner had Arthur finished speaking, Martin forced a smile: “I could ask around for you, but if it’s this kind of matter, you might find it more effective to ask directly at the docks about the Cambridge crew, as they seem to handle these sorts of dealings.”

“Cambridge?” Arthur frowned and asked, “What do they do?”