New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-09-15

TIE GOLDEN HAND--A FEMALE THIEF The
police, on the 28th of May last, as stated in the
Messenger at the time, arrested notorious
female pickpocket, who, from her extraordinary
skill, had obtained among her fraternity the
title of the Golden Hand'' On Saturday this
woman was tried by the Tribunal of Correctional
Police. 1t was stated that she was sixty seven
years of age; that for half century she had
been a regular professional pickpocket, and that
the total amount of her thefts is estimated at
the enormous sum Of 2o,000000f At the age Of
of fifteen she married a man named Vermousen,
and shortly after began the career of pocket
picking, Her success was so great that she and
her husband lived in grand style, and kept car
riages and horses. In 1918 or IA she and her
husband were condemned at Liege by default to
two years Imprisonment for picking pockets,
and in 1926 she was sentenced at Client to five
years. Imprisonment for the same offence. In
1881 she purchased splendid hotel at Lisle,
but was shortly after arrested for picking pock-
cts at Arras, and was sentenced to four years
Imprisonment About this time her husband,
finding that he had no longer the means of
indulging in luxury. took life in disgust and
destroyed himself After her release from Jail
she went to Belgium, and took up with a man
named Juvenal. With him she committed ex-
tensiye robberies. She has since gone by the
names of Vandenberg, Juyenal, Mareehal, Nou-
CUES, Montague, La Belle, DenGf, Beaugard,
etc., and has practiced her calling in all parts
of France, Belgium, Germany and Italy. She
was always magnifcently dressed, and drove
about in carriages, She frequented all places
of public resort, but principally railway sta
tions and Offices of public vehicles. 5l
Informed in May last that she had arrived in
Paris, the police took measures for arresting her
Having discovered her residence, which was no
easy matter, as she was constantly shifting about
from place to place, they, on the 2Sth of that
| month, set officers to watch her when she went
out She proceeded to the office of the Passy
omnibuses, Place du Paiuis Royale, and there
| they saw her make attempts to pick several
| pockets. At length she succeeded in possessing
herself of the purse of a lady, and thereupon
| they arrested her She loudly asserted that she
was the victim of a mistake. To silence her the
officers searched her pockets, but to their aston
| ishment did not find the purse. When, however,
| they led her away, it fell to the ground. She
had slipped it beneath her petticoats with such
| dexterity that, though they had kept a close
watch on her, they had not observed the act.
| Her lodgings being searched, there were discov-
cred considerable sums in gold and silver, %
pair of earrings, s shirt studs, q watch chain,
8 crosses of different orders, gold buckles, 16
rings, pins, pearl necklace, gold necklace,
and other articles of value. She denied that
she was the Golden Hand, but the sister of her
first husband, woman named Viewer, recog-
nized her, and gave full account of her career.
According to this woman, her proper name is
Beaugard, she having married some time back
a railway enlploye Of that name at Brussels.
Called upon for her defence, she vehemently
protested that she was not the person she was
taken for, and she threw herself on her knees,
implored mercy with clasped hands, and tried
to weep: The Tribunal condemned her to five
years imprisonment, and five years surveillance
i of the police