Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-04-03

| experienced some difficulty in finding
seats but finally the thief procured one
with gentleman who resided in Port
| land, and the detective occupied the
corresponding seat on the opposite side
| of the aisle. The thief introduced him
self to his neighbar as a detective, and
| informed him, in a consequential tone,
that he was taking the man opposite,
who was a well-known pickpocket, to
| New York to answer for bold robbery
| he had recently committed. He also
| advised his fellow traveller that his pris-
oner was probably the very man who
| had picked so many pockets in that
| neighborhood. ''He likes to play prac-
| teal Jokes" continued the thief. son
the train we have just left he made
several gentlemen believe that I was the
prisoner and he the officer" The real
detective sat watching his prisoner, all
unconscious of the approaching storm.
| The gentleman moved to another part of
the car and communicated the informa-
ton he justsreceivedto several friends.
One of them had been robbed few days
before of over 5000, and he was still
very angry.
A DETECTIVE IN TROUBLE.
He stepped over to the detective, and,
in loud voice, said $50 they have
caught you at last, you miserable cut
throatP You are the rascal who stole
my money. | know you. / saw you
escaped | would have shot you like q
dog. You say you are not thief that
you are a thief-catcher Do you sup
1oooa Will, xyo1,r vi1Io;po,,o fooa Won cor
make me think you are anything but a
the cars and |, for one, will assist in so
doing" A crowd of excited men gath
cred around the unfortunate detective,
and in spite of his protestations, persist
ed in abusing him shamefully, and were
about to hurl him from the platform of
the flying train, when the thief inter-
fered with, Gentlemen, | trust you
will use no violence toward this unfor-
tunate man. | cannot permit it. He is
my prisoner. He is in the hands of the
law, and the law must take its course. y
Fortunately, perhaps, for the detective,
the train reached New York about this
time, and he escaped.
WHERE AND HOW THEY STEAL.
Political meetings, theatres, churches,
cars, stages and other places where
crowds do congregate present favorable
fields for the operations of the light
fingered gentry. A presidential cam
paign yields them a bOuntiful harvest of
greenbacks, Sometimes they resort to
devilish and ingenious expedients to
bring together anumber of people. They
occasionally set fire to building in some
neighbOrhood that promises profitable
crowd of victims At other times two
of their number will engage in a street
fight, while their cOnfederates pick the
pockets of the excited and interested
spectators. One gang of thieves en-
ploys a man who attracts crowd by
falling down in the street, in an appa-
rent fit, and assuming the most frightful
cOntOrtiOns.
AN INGENIOUS ROBBERY.
These men saw a gentleman draw $500
from the bank the other day. The fol
lowed him, without exciting his suspi-
cions, for over a mile When near the
corner of Canal street and Broadway,
one of their number passed on in
advance and fell to the sidewalk,
within a few feet of the gentleman
they had been watching. Within
minute twenty people were pushing
and crOwding about the PROSTATE man
During the commOtion the money was
stolen and the thieves escaped While
the gentleman was eXcitedly informing
the bystanders of his loss, the decoy re-
gained his feet and quietly stole away to
rcjoin his Confederates and receive his
share of the plumber.
HOW POCKETS ARE PICKED.
Many people are robbed on the differ
ent ferry-boats A favOrite mode of
operation among thieves who steal from
the passengers is to select some victim
who gives promise of possessing a wen
filled wallet, and gather around him in
such a way as not to excite his sus-
picions When a rush takes place, as
the boat reaches the slip, he is pushed,
first on one side, and then on the other,
and perhaps his hat is knocked down
over his eyes. During the melee he is
quietly relieved of his pocllet-bool>, and
before he has discovered his loss the
thieves have escaped.
THE CEsAREAN PROCESS.
/ Pockets are sometimes cut In such a
way as to allow the contents to fall out
into the thief's hand. This is done with
sharp, circular-shaped blade, worn on
the finger like a ring, The writer once
received dangerous wound across the
back of his hand from one of these in
struments, while standing with his hands
in his pockets, among a crowd of spec
tatOrs at the Jerome Park races. The
thief probably mistook the unfortunate
member for plcthoric purse.
STEALING on THE CARS.
Travellers in street cars are the great
est sufferers from thieves. Not a day
passes when we are not called on to pub
lish accounts of several robberies COM
mitted in the cars. Pickpockets are
plying their vocation in this direction to
an alarming extent, and until the au-
thorities take active measures to protect
citizens from the depredations of these
rascals, it would be well for those who
ride in street-cars to adopt some way of
carrying their valuables.
HOW To AVOID BEING PLUNBERED.
When it is possible, ladies should
place money inside their gloves, next the
palm, or perhaps the securest receptacle
is in a pocket corresponding to gentle
mans inside vest pocket, but of course
this continuance is open to objections, on
the plea of inconvenience. They will
find it necessary, however, to adopt
some such plan or avoid travelling in
street-cars.