Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) one who specializes in stealing trunks and boxes from the back of stage-coaches or carts.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 209: Bite the Peeter, i.e. to whip off the Cloak-Bag. Biter of Peeters, i.e. one that makes a Trade of stealing Trunks and Boxes from behind a Coach, out of a Waggon, or off a Horse’s Back.
1785		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: A biter of peeters, one that makes it a trade to steal boxes and trunks from behind stage coaches or out of wagons.
1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (3rd edn) n.p.: Biter of peters.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.