The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-09-25
London Thievcs..TheIr Peculiarfties and
Modes Of Liberation.


London Thievcs..TheIr Peculiarities and
Modes Of Operation.
The London Quarterly Review has An article,
detailing the pecuiiari.ies and modes of operation
of the London thieves, . numerous though not a
respectable portion of the population of the great
metropolis We extract from it some particulars
that will instruct as we'll interest the reader,
The largest Of all the classes Of thieves and
that which employs the most extensive range of
intellect of age and of dress, is the pick pocket
From the irssrate thief, who works about the
banks for six or nine months until he gets good
thing to the miserable urchn who filches pock.
ct handkerchief how vast descent! Although
strung together by the common thread of crime.
and pursuing, as it were, the same line of business
duke could not and certainly would not, look
down upon street-sweeper with half the hauteur
that the leading rogues do upon the Fagin led ur
chin who replenishes with bandanas the stalls of
fieldlane The popular notion of swell mobs-
men Is far wide of the truth. 1t Is supposed that
they may be at once recognised by certain ultra
toppish manner of dressing, and excess of Jew
elry, whereas the aim of professor of the con.
veying art, is to go about his occupation uuobsery
ed for to be known to the police is to be disappoint
ed of his booty. He has his clothes built by the
most correct tailor, and gets himself up as mucb
like gentleman as possible the necessities Of his
art it 10 true, obge him to carry q coat over his
arm in all weathers, but 80 may any yeritable man
OF fashion, without creating suspicion. Still though
he manage to pass free in crowd, and frequent
fashionable assemblies without being suspected hv
the public the professed thiefcatcher is rarely to
be deceived by appearances As the hunter marks
his quarry by peculiar signs known only to his
craft, so the detective can at once ascertain whe.
ther the fine gentleman, walking carelessIy along.
is wrong as the slang term is, or respectable
character
The principal sign by which a thief NAV be dis
tinguisned in any assembly, is the wandering Of
his eye. Whilst those about him are either listen.
ing TO a speaker witnessing spectacle, his or
bits are peering restlessly, not to say anxiously
around When the thieftaker secs this he knows
his man. One of the detective police who attended
at the laying of the foundation stoue of the Duke
of Weliingson's College, thus explained to us the
capture Of a gentlemanly looking person who was
present on that occasion:
'If you ask me to give my reasons why thought
this person thief the moment saw him. could
not tell you: did not even know myself. There
was something about him as about all swell mobs.
men, that Immediately attracted my attention, and
led me to bend my eye upon him. He did not ap
pear TO notice my watching him, but passed on
into the thick of the crowd but then he turned and
looked towards the spot in which l was--this was
enough for me, although had never seen him be-
fore, and he had not to my knowledge ATTEMPTED
any pocket. Immediately made my way towards
him, and tapping him on the shoulder asked him
abruptly, What do you do herel' Without any
hesitation, he said in an under tone, should not
nave come II Q6u Known SLOulQ nave seen
of you l then asked him if he was working with
any companions, and he said, No; upon my word
i am alone; upon this took him eff to the room
which we had provided for the safe keeping of the
swell mobsmen."
That same gathering afforded another example
of the cowardiee OF the swell mob Immediately
they came upon the ground fourteen of them were
netted before they had time to try the lghtness of
their fingers They were confined in single
room with only two policemen TO guard them, yet
they never attempted to escape, although their
apprehension wassillegal, but waited patiently
until the crowd had dispersed. When the doors
were thrown open they Immediately made rush
like so many rats from trap, aud never stopped
until they were well out of the sight of the po-
lice. The rapidity with which they bolted was
caused by their desire to avoid being paraded be
fore the assembled constables, a measure which is
often taken by the police, in order that they may
know their men on another occasion. If, howev.
er, the swell mobsman's eye is forever wandering
in search of his prey, also is that of the detec
tive. and instances may occur when the one may
be mistaken for the other. AT the opening of the
Crystal Palace party of detectives distributed
among the crowd, observed several foreigners
looking about them in manner calculated to
rouse their suspicious. These individuals were
immediately taken into custody, Notwithstanding
their strong and vehement cxpostuatons made in
very good French. When brought before the in
spector it came out that they were Belgium pelce,
sent over at the request of our Government to
nation.
The swell mo5smen proper generally work to-
gether at races in gangs OF from three to seven,
those who "cover," as it is termed, making rush
to create pressure, in order that the pickpocket
may use his hand without being noticed. In taking
watches it is generally supposed that the ring is
cut by pair of wire nippers. This is rarely the
case; thieves have no time in operating to use any
other implement than their own nimbe fingers,
and the ring of the watch wrenched off with the
aasp 3 q the purchaSA IL
a police magistrate, OF large experience suggests
that the way to battle the fraternity would be 10
make the ring aeork upon scaret Inferior classes
of thieves work in smaller !" schools, say OF
couple of women and boy, whose little hand is
capitaly adapted for the work. Whilst one wo-
man pushes, the lad attempts the pocket of the
person nearest him, and the third catches it of"
as il is called if she observes that the youth at
tentions have been noticed she Immediately draws
him back with ''Ha, Johnny, why do You push
the lady so?" Look to your pockets, good reader
WHIT IL you ses ferw ard little J0hnnies about-espe-
cially at railway stations. Such places are the
chief resort of this class Of pickpockets, and we
hear that theatres and churches just as the people
are coming out, are favorite haunts-the women
creating stoppsge at the door, and the children
taking advantage ot 1t.
Women's pockets are much easier picked than
m ems, for the that the opening through the
dress to il is larger, and it hangs by its weight,
free of the person. In a crowd the operation Is
easy enough, as the general pressure masks the
of a depredator's hand; when the victim
is walking a more artistic management Is reqnir-
ed. The hand is inserted the moment the right
leg is thrown forward, because the pocket then
hangs behind the limb, essential condition for
the thief the slightest motion is otherwise felt
upon the leg The trowser pockets of man are
never attempted in the Streets but in crowd rs ats
race, he can be cleaned out by school OF mobsmen
of everything in his possession, with little fear of
detection. Tne first step is to select their victim
to do this demands some caution; and If they can
not see whether he carries purse, and ii they
have had no opportunity of watching him pull it
out, they will feel all his pockets. The "Spotter
as he Is called passes his hand the clothes
seemingly in the most accidental manner some
times twice when he is in doubt The fact that
there is booty being ascertained the confederates
surround him, and wait for the coming off of a
race. Just as the horse is at the winning post
there is q rush forward of the crowd; of this the
mobsmen take advantage, while the victim, per-
haps for better security, keeps his hand over his
pocket, but in vain.
At q critical moment the man behind tips his hat
his eyes, instinotively he lifts up his hand to
set it right, and the next moment his pocket Ia
hanging inside out. Few betting men who attend
much at races, have escaped being thoroughly
cleaned out. II is rarely that Londoners robbed
in the streets; they are too busy, and move too
fast. Country people form the chief game of the
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