The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-01-04
How PickpOckets Work

our aTtistlc PICK ApOckct is Rentle'
manly looking fellow, wears neat boots
and gloves, always has new looking hat
and is altogether the last man you would
suspect Of any sinister designs on your
pocket He lives in tirst-class hotels and
boarding houses, often frequenting the
same house for years, totally unsupported
and remarkable only for his quiet and
gentemanly demeanor. He carefully
chooses four companions, equally respect
able in appearance, to form what is called
Il mob, each one producing certain sum
to make bank, to be used in case one OF
them falls taken by the police, in order
to provide bail or pay his counsel fees
They the frequent railway stations pub
lie meetings. or any place they can find a
crowd. A victim is quietly selected as a
probable find. Two Of the mob then
place themselves in front of him, and two
pehind. occupying, as it were, the angles
of a square Of which the victim is the
centre. These are called the front and
back stalls. The unfortunate victim is
then famed; that is, his pockets are soft.
ly padded to find out the one in which he
keeps his wallet the sign is passed to
the operator, who Immediately proceeds
to work. He does not place his hand in
the pocket, that is fatal error. but with
the two first fingers he gently draws up
the lining of the pocket to the opening
and with it the wallet, and the trick is
done. This system is called reefng. The
wallet is Immediately passed to one of the
back stalls, who quietly, though quickly
levants. The most dangerous place fol
money is undoubtedly the pocket of tn,
pants. Again one of the front stall,
passes his arm before your face to touch
the other front stall on the shoulder, tc
say "How are your but the wire from
behind has your diamond pin in his pos
session. If possible, they return tn,
empty wallet to the pocket to avoid detec
ton in its possession, or the dangerou,
necessity Of throwing away. For in
stance: two gentlemen sitting at one enc
of car get into an angry alteration, ,higl
words ensue, the attention Of the othe
passengers is attracted to their dispute
and the young lady who sat next to tina
nice looking man at the other end of tn,
car finds on arriving at Stewards that hel
purse is empty. The angry gentleman
and the nice looking man are simply cou
federstes. This they term wedding.
A correspondent ola newspaper latel.
lost $500 in this way while riding in
Fourth avenue car. Pickpockets ar
necessarily very migratory in their hab
its, finding long residence in one plac
inconvenient. This renders it almost i'm
possible to make any estimate of thei
probable numbers in this city. They pre-
fer locality for the scene of their opera
tions that has numerous lines of rail l.
enable them to separate in various direc
tions as soon as they have a good swae
and 30 meet again in some other town.
These men stand by one another in troubl
and are strictly square in their mutua
transactions. A curious instance of"hono
among thieves" is found in the followin
aEecdote The elder Mathews and The
odore Hook, on one occasion, went togethe
to the theater; while ascending the staiI
case Matthews playfully took bundle {
papers from Hooks pocket, when he wa
touched on the shoulder from behind b
gentlemanly looking man who hande
/, him his own pocket book, apologizing fc
taking it by saying-"I did MT know yo
were one of u.s." and pertinently adde
e but what id fool you must be I
carry it there" Pickpockets, howeve
never save money, for they are all bite
with mania for gambling, and stranp
: to say, are generally unsuccessful at H.
Their language is most peculiar, only
be understood by that intelligeut body
y gentlemen who hail from Mulberry stree
!, Their depredations on the public amour
: to very large sum in the course of Il
!. year, considerable portion of which
: never recovered, from the general inabi
! ty of the victims to give any descriptio
:. which might lead to indentifcation, tn,
i never, if possible, allowing You to have
/ full view Of their face.--Nsm Tort IT.
? une.
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