New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-08-15
PICKPOCKETS.

With pickpockets, highway robbers, burglars,
thieves, shoulder-hitters and politicians, New-York
city lie cursed to greater extent than any other city on
this continent. Excepting the shoulder hitters and
politicians there class of scoundrels 80 numerous
the pickpockets Old men and women, spruce young
boys and blooming girls, numbered in the ranks of
the profession. They met at all pcinte, in all
sorts of costumes and the most unex cted time and
place, always having eye to business, yet exceed
ngly wary. 1t requires great skill we had almost
said genius, 20 become expert and successful pick
pocket. One who is never at loss for an expedient
loses bis seposession and who generally gets
what he is after, has only acquired his skill and dex-
terty by many years of hard study of human nature
an immense amount of practice, and probably many
months imprisonment. Pckpockets are distinct class
Of thieves, and associate as little with burglars and
other depredators. as would dry-goods merchant
prince with retail dealer in hardware. A skillful
pickpocket exctes the greatest admiration among his
less fortunate companions and is looked up to with
much reverence as is man in respec able society who
has thousands of dollars his fingers ends He fully
appreciates bis position and with an air of the greatest
condescension accepts from his feIow-thieves those
little offerings of brandy punches and cigars which
they freely offer at his shrine Of dexterity aud
impudence
Their modes of obtaining the object Of their am
bition-generally pocker-book gold watch-are
as numerous as the various classes of pckpockets
They all particularly delight in a crowd Let a few
thousand people cOngregate in the street in some
place of amusement and there you will find the pick
pocket in his glory Take street crowd for instance.
Two or three of the lght-fngered gentry there,
working together. They select their victim, and i'm
mediaely sieze every opportunity to hustle aud jostle
him. Suddenly, some one il crushed up against him,
at which both begin TO swear furiously, the victim
striving to get away and the pckpOcket crowdpg still
harder Till he succeeds in getting his hands away from
his pocket In instant dexterous confederate sily
slips his fingers into the victims pocket and they sell
dom come out again without the coveted wallet.
Meanwhile, the plucked pigeon is much absorbed in
crowding hustlng, and swearing that be has no sus-
pcion Of the transfer that ia being made AT all places
of amusement or where any sort of tickets are sold
that will create rush. there look ont for your pockets.
You wait to buy ticket, have taken out your wallet
to get the necessary money, and returned ii to your
pocket. professional has Witnessed the operation,
and is instantly by YOU side rowling and tanning
AZ ferociousy az yourself toward the little hole through
which thetickets are passed. You pass in your money
get ahead of you-you become anxious, and your hand
and his get INTO strife for the coveted pasteboard and
meanwhile bis other hand is exploring the recesses of
your pocket. BY the time you get out of the crowd,
your wallet and your pertinaeious friend have both
disappeared. Pickpockets generally work in schools
Of two three four five, six just ar the exigencies
of the occasion may require. The first object TO be OBJ
tanned is to divert their victims attention from his
pocket and the next is to induce him by some means
Ito put up bis hands," fight, crowd, or some
thing else may accomplish the former but the latter
il more difficult. Some viii take hold of him, or
knock his hat off when up go both hands and ont goes
his wallet or his watch. In stealing Watches the
guard chain forms quite obstacle provided 1t he Sc
curely fastened The most frequent way ofo Tercomng
this difficulty is to perform the operation called
ringing it," That is, the watch is cautiously lifted
from the pocket, and by dexerous movement of the
thumb and forefnger, the ring to which the chain Is
attached is twisted from the watch and left dangling
from the victims vest while the watch has been passed
from one and TO another till il may be several blocks
away tefore it is missed In buying watches II may
be good thing to know that when the guard ring Is
rveted to the watch instead Of being simply sprung
together pickpocket stands little chance Of getting it
away, unless be cuts the guard.
The most expert pickpockets-those at the head OF
the profession rather inclined to avoid NeWl0rh,
as the Detective Police have become too thoroughly
acquainted with them and their modes OF
operation They accordingly turn iheir alien
ton 10 travelling and working railroad cars,
steamboats,, and the inland cities which they
visit on their route Two or three generally travel
together and take advantage OF every crowd 10 prac
tice their arts upon unTary strangers. After sue
cessful tour they return TO NewYork to spend ther
il-goten gains in gambling and riotous living II s
not an unusual thing for expert TO start from Ne"
York with scarcely any funds travel directly through
TO or some Of the Western cities ana I'M
mediaely return with sufficient money to enable MN 10
live in idleness for several months This leaves III the
CITY few beside the comparative noyices the women,
and the Kids" or juvenile pickpockets.
These are particularly afraid OF the Detectives
and " Ill seldom attempt job when they know them
TO be near 1t frequently occurs that at places OF
amusement a thief will present himself TO detective
no NAV be there and beg to be allowed to go inside
He ,rouifes faithfully MT to . work the audience,
apc if the Detective wishes, he will wait u all the
peo,ls are out Of the building before taking hs depart
ure II the officer grants him PERMISSION the thei
pays bis money goes inside and seats himself III au
o,,cp, corner from whence he watches the perform
aree vi,b pleasure. He always keeps his promise
faithfully for he knows that if any Que OF the audi
ence is robbed the Detectives will be sore u arrest
him Immediately. As ian ounce OF prevention Is
worth a pound Of cure it often happens that 'ne
arrearapce OF Detective in a cro~d does more 10
prveur lime than ali the heavy penal nee ever ihncI
ed by Judge Russell. The light fingered gentry al.
WAYS keep weladvied OF all Puoio gatherings and
their frs inquiry is what "coprers policemen VIII
be tbere9 Being satisfied on this Point, they know
vtebr or not it is worth while 10 attend, aad act ae
han. dr.s yC,l. and some OF