Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-10-01

EEL all his pockets. The "Spotter." as he is
called, passes his hand across the clothes SEEM
ngly in the most accidental manner; sometimes
.wice when he is in doubt. The fact that there
s booty being ascertained, the confederates sur
round him, and wait for the coming off of q race.
Just as the horse is at the winning post there is
, rush forward of the crowd; of this the mobs
men take advantage, while the victim, perhaps
for better security, keeps his hand over his pock
et but in vain. At critical moment the man
behind tips his hat over his eyes, instinctively
he lifts up his hand to set it right, aud the next
moment his pocket is hanging inside out. Few
betting men who attend much at races have es-
capped being thoroughly cleaned out. 1t is rare
" that Londoners are robbed in the streets |;
they are too busy, and move on too fast. Coun-
try people form the chief game Of the light fin
gered gentry as they stare about, they instantly
betray themselves to their watchful enemy, and
in the midst of their admiration at everything
about them, fal. an easy prey. The thief in
search of purses or handkerchiefs always makes
his way trout-like against the stream They
look for temporary stoppage in the stream OF
people. and horse fallen in the highway, an al
tercation between cabman and his fare, a fight,
q crowd ronnd picture shop are all excellent
vantage.
The May-meetings at Exeter-hall, however,
form the must splendid harvests for the pick
pocket. If the members of the various religious
denominations who flock thither escape the hus-
tie on the hall stairs, they are waited upon with
due attention in the omnibus.
Omnibusses are generally worked by man
and woman the woman seats herself on the
IL - oh iTty
female passenger she can see, and the man il
possible takes place opposite the individual to
be operated upon. If she be young person, the
man stares her out of countenance, and whilst
confused by his impertnence, the pal by the
aid of a cloak thrown over her arm, or if a man,
by passing his hand through the pocket of his
cloak, made open ON the inside for the purpose,
is able to rifle her pockets at leisure. ii the vic
tim be q middle-aged or elderly lady, her atten-
ton is engaged IN conversation whilst the clear
ng ont process is going on. The trick done, the
coniederates get out at the first convenient op-
portunity. 1t is very rarely that pickpocket
pursues his avocation alone but case has been
reported lately i'll the newspapers which proves
that clever artist can work sngle-handed a
man named William Henry Barberwas charged
at the Worship street court with robbing lady
of her portmonnaie in Stoke Newington omnl-
bus; he was well known to the police, but had
generally escaped by his adroitneSs. His ma
neuvres were thus described BY a lady, resi-
dent OF Stoke Newington, who had been robbed
by him on a previous occasion:
''She had got into an omnibus" she said, "at
Kingsland, several weeks back, to convey her to
town, and found herself next to a gentlemanly
looking stout man who was dressed in sober
black, with white neckerchief, and apparently
dissenting minister The gentleman gradually
encroached upon her, and pressed upon her, but
she thought nothing OF it, as ne was very Intent
upon reading a newspaper the whole way-so
intent indeed that she did not see his face, and
he did not seem to notice that his newspaper
several times partially covered her dress. The
stranger shortly after got out, and she did so al
so in q few minutes, and upon then placing her
hand in her pocket to make some purchase she
found that her purse had been stolen, and with
it seven sovereigns and quantity of silver"
Most burglaries OF any Importance, especially
those in which much plate is stolen, are what is
termed "put up"-that is the thieves are in cor
respondence with servants in the house, or with
those that have been discarded. Many robbie
ries, that appear to have been accomplished in a
most wonderful manner from without are conf
mitted from within, In put up" robberies,
however, the thieves seldom allow the confede-
rate in the house to know when the robbery is
to come off, for fear OF what is termed double
plant" that is, lest the person who originally
''put up" the robbery should, from the stings OF
conscience or for other reasons, have officers III
waiting to apprehend them. 1t is quite sutfi-
cient for adroit burglars to know where the yal-
uables are kept, and the general arrangements OF
the house. The most ingenious pilitering OF the
"put up" kind we ever heard of occurred many
wears ago in u large town in Hampshire. A
gang of first-rate cracksmen having heard that q
certain banker in a country town was in the
habit of keeping large sums Of money in the
strong-box of the banking-house in which he
himself dwelt, determined to carry it off. For
this purpose the most astute and respectable
looking niddle-aged man of the gang was des-
patched to the town, to reconnoitre the premises
and get an insight into the character OF their
victim. The banker, he ascertained, belonged
to the sect of Primitive Methodists, and held
what is termed "love-feasts" The crackSnan
accordingly got himself up as preacher, studied
the peculiar method Of holding forth in favor
with the Sect wore q white neckhandkerchlef,
the nasal whine. and laid in II powerful
stock OF Scripture phrases. Thus armed, he took
to hold forth, and that 80 knowingly
thnt the rumor of his ''discourSeS" soon came to
the ears of the banker, and he was admitted asa
guest. His foot once inside the doors, le rapid
" improved the occasion" in his own peculiar
manner. The intimacy grew, and he was speed
ily on such terms of friendship with every one in
the house that he caneand went without notice
lie acquainted himself with the position of the
strong box, and took impressions i'll wax of the
wares of the locks. These he sent up to his pals
in town, and in due course was supplied with
false keys. With these he opened the strong
box, made exact notes Of the value and nature
of It's contents, and replaced everything as he
found it. A plan of the street, the house, and
of the particular chamber in which the treasure
was kept, was tn, prepared and forwarded to
the coEfederates in London. He persuaded his
kind friend the banker to hold love-feast on
the evening fixed for the final stroke. few
minutes before the time appointed for the rob
berry, he proposed that the whole assembly
should join with him in raising their voices to
the glory of the Lord. The cracksnan labored
hard and long to keep up the hymn, and noise
enough was made tn cover the designs of less
adroit confederates than his own. The pseudo
preacher, to disarm suspicion, remained with his
friend fortnight after the theft. and ON his de-
parture. all the women of the persuasion" wept
that so good a man should go away from among
theml
In large number of cases the servants are
only the unconscious instruments in the hands
Of the house-breaker. We will venture to say
that tmore house robberies are committed through
the vanity of servant girls than from any other
cause. A smart young fellow, having heard that
plunder is to be obtained in certain house,
manages to pick up an acquaintance with one of
the female domestics, and makes violent love to
her. We all know how communicative young
women are to their sweethearts, and the conse-
luence is that in short time he gets from her
every particular that he requires, the habits of
.he family, the times of their going out, the po-
'ition of the plate-chest, and the fastenings of
he lnnrs Whara only q snrrnnt of II ,,,',l- :;