A dark lanthorn used by housebreakers. Stow the darkee, and bolt, the cove of the crib is fly; hide the dark lanthorn, and run away, the master of the house knows that we are here.
Definition taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose.
Dark Cully * DarkmansNathan Bailey's 1736 Dictionary of canting and thieving slang
John S. Farmer's collection of canting songs and slang rhymes