The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-02-11

gether, each one having his particular
duty. We go into a crowd-any large
crowd, but prefer a still crowd, such as
| you find listening to political speech
elections are rich times with us-and to
suppose case in such closely crowded
thrOng, we single out a man who is
| promising and whose money we want;
| one of Us works his way in front of him
50 as to crowd against his left arm,
another gets himself behind him, and the
| operator stands at his right, partly back.
In this particular case it is supposed that
our game is stranger having considera-
BILE money about him. He is careful of
pocket-book which is in his right hand
pocket. When the proper time comes
the man behind tips up or smashes down
the hat of the countryman, whose first
| impulse is to restore it, and as he can't
raise his left arm he takes his hand from
his right pocket, when the operator dives
and seizes the money. This action the
poor devil does not feel nine times out of
ten; he is generally mad at having his hat
knocked over his eyes and turns to see
who did it. The one who did the act,
seizes the first fiat" near him and shoves
him ahead, then dives and rushes
through the crowd; this we all do and
meet at some appointed place to divide
the profits. Generally the man whose
money we have got has a Jaw with the
one he finds behind him, and by the time
he has missed his money we are dividing
it. Of course, we conform to circum
stances in the way of operating, but this
is fair illustration. Sometimes, however
when it is safe, we adopt the way of lifting
the lining of the pocket and so extracting
| ~, h.
the same manner Of getting away is
adopted"
| "We1, George, as to operations on
street,cars and railroads."
ain respect to the former, they are gen.
orally nothing but forcible robberies we
| get together on the platform, and, by Gre
ating row, take mans money by force
before he knows it. And there is not
much difference in our way of doing things
on the railroads. We pick out our man,
! and at some stopping place, where he gets
out for lunch or any other purpose, one or
two of US manage to get ahead of him, the
other behind him, and by jostling and
causing confusion we have no difficulty.
Why alone made $4,000 in following
the Prince of Wales when he was here,
and could have made more than that in
| following Lincoln from Springfield to
| Washington if some of US hadn't been
fools. You see, suspicion was strong on
us, and we stayed over in Buffalo to
gamble, and were caught and convicted
| They could not find anything against me,
but one of the party had some money
which was identified, and the Buffalo
judges never let man go if there is q
shadow of a chance of holding him, and
when he is found guilty they pile it on
awful. A New York Judge wouldn't haye
given me half as much as got from the
Buffalo man, and believe should have
got clear away"
Toa question, 90, yes there are women
picking pockets, and men who pick
women's pockets. They usually go alone,
and frequent horse-ca stages, and
churches-sometimes theatres, concerts,
and lectures. 1t is risky business, for
when a woman fastens on you she sticks
But the way Of doing it is easy For in
stance, sit alongside Of woman and
manage to get my hand or finger into her
pocket (she can't feel it as a man could)
| and get out her pocketbook; then 1 open
| it Understand though that this never was
| my line-I'm only telling you how It's
done) and extract the money and then re-
place the pocketbook. That is wedding"
| If she discovers her loss, she is almost sure
| to think that she has lost her money or left
| it where she was last shopping, and so we
get off easy enough. The stories about
throwing bullet which is shut into the
| pockbook and is fastened to slender cord
is humbug, and any person Of sense
ought to know it."
CHOW, as to getting watches and jew
elry;?"
1--WE don't do it-that is, the best of us
don't-unless we are hard up. Some poor
sticks make a business of stealing watch
es, but they are inferior. f We want a
| mans watch we manage pretty much the
same way as if we were after his money.
No; we don't cut the chain. We get the
watch out of his pocket easy enough, and
twist the ring out of it. Some of the old
fashioned ones have the ring riveted, and
make a loud snap, but the whole thing
is easy. Then we get new rings put in
and have the numbers altered christen-
ing we call it-and sell them to the
fences For q watch worth 5000 we get
from $40 to $50. Silver watches we don't
bother with. Chains we rarely get except
by force, and they amt worth much I'M
less solid; then we have them melted
down, as we also sometimes have the
cases."
las to diamond pins and studs ?"
"That's trick that requires boldness
and skill. The usual manner of doing it
is for the operator, carrying cloak or
coat on his arm, to meet the victim, be-
hind whom come the confederates. AS if
by accident, he runs plump against his
| man, ahd thrusts the coat into his face
with one arm, while with the hand of the
other he catches the pin. If there is any
row the confederates pitch in, and all get
| away in the confusion"
But can you take money from a mans
inside coat or vest pocket?' L
"Of course !; the same plan is adopted
o. fhn 10 e0v,
| the cars and watch him get some dis.
lance forward of him and my two pals
| behind; when he starts to leave the car
| hurry forward and they hurry back get
out ahead of him and turn around to meet
| him, while my confederates have come out
and got close behind him I rush against
him in front and they do SO behind l
shove the coat in his face with one hand
and dive for his money with the other.
Sometimes we follow man two or three
days, and when we are sure he has good
pile with him we are bound to get it, and
unless he is protected we do get it in one
way or another"
"But how do you know man has
good pile."
"Oh, that's easy enough. In the first
place, we spot merchants from theco
try who are in the city to buy goods, and
then there is no difficulty in finding out
where they keep their money. The prin-
ciple of the whole thing is, that q man
having an unusually large amount of
money on his person will be so careful of
it that he will often feel to see whether it
it is safe. Besides knowing these men we
watch them, and so learn which ones are
the most promising. Sometimes, too,
those operators who stay in New York or
other large cities are informed by brokers
clerks and others-they get small share,
| about five per cent. of the gains-of GER
tain merchant or banker having in his pos
session large sum; if this is known, the
man very likely loses his money"
| "Well, George, what is the average