An old master within London's criminal underworld who snares street children to teach them the art of pickpocketing. He hides and fences stolen goods. Although a criminal, he has always managed to avoid being executed by hanging, often by letting the children get caught by the police instead. He attempts to lure Oliver into his criminal organization through clever games. In the end, his cunning fails him; he is caught red-handed and meets a gruesome end at the gallows.
His past is uncertain, but he has long been at the heart of London's underworld. He took children like Nancy and many others, such as Jack Dawkins, from the brutality of the streets, turning them into thieves to profit from them.
An old, repulsive-looking man with a bony, ugly face, wrapped in tattered and foul-smelling garments. He laughs, displaying his crooked, sinister teeth.
Nensi
A former student whom he thought was a pawn in his game, but who betrayed him.
Bill Sayks
A dangerous accomplice; he fears him to death but cannot stop using him.
Oliver Twist
He wishes to capture him and pull him irrevocably into evil and thievery to claim his share of his potential inheritance (through his deal with Monks).