cold wittles

[Mullins, Bill]

 Brooklyn Daily Eagle 20 Oct 1859, p. 3
"A SNEAK THIEF. -- Some daring sneak thief stole an overcoat from the
hall of No. 51 Willoughby street last night.  Keep your basement door
locked and look out for the "cold wittles" gentry."

Neither "cold wittles" nor "wittles" seems to be in the OED.  Any idea
what the meaning of the phrase is?

Perhaps "cold vittles", meaning that the overcoat thief can't afford hot
food? (the only other use of the phrase I can find is in Jack London's
"People of the Abyss", in which this meaning would seem to be
appropriate.)