Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-29
ExIGHTS OF THE STREET CAR.
saT's, ~
for t.srs, Skiing decentralization
lOrs.-5lI-EOrE Cars are Regularly
MIXED Morning, Noon and Night.
New York Correspondence Of the Cincinnati

for t.srs. 3IJng systematIzed-HOW
|, lOTs.--lI-EOrE Cars are Regularly
MIXED Morning, Noon and Night.
New York Correspondence OF the Cincinnati
Gazette.
You have doubtless read of the robbery
in a street car, at midday, early this week
Of a messenger who had been at bank
and was carrying a package Of money un-
der his arm. Comparatively few persons
are aware Of the bOldness of our thieves,
especially those who relieve you Of watch
and pOcket-bOOk. The fellows are divided
into gangs, and each gang has its own field
Of operations.
There is one gang that hOvers around a
restaurant and bar-rOOm opposite Cooper
Institute, and "WOrks" the Third avenue
cars. They get on car at Eighth street,
three or four and sometimes halt a dozen
Of them, and crowd the rear platform so
that a passenger entering or leaving is OBJ
liged to squeeze through them. During
the process some one tips his hat from his
head, and, of course, he raises one hand, or
perhaps both hands to rescue the hat. As
he does 50 another of the gang goes through
him in about two seconds. If he shows
fight, he gets a blow in the eye, but does
not secure the return Of his property.
The robbery ended, the fellows drop
from the car, and if there is no OUtcry they
take the return car and work it in like
manner till they are again at Eighth street.
Sometimes they take in half a dozen
watches and pOCket-bOOks in single Ope-
ration.
One car on Fourth avenue leaves the sta
tiOn, at Forty. second street, about 1l:30 p.
NJ, on the arrival of the Boston train. 1t
is almost always filled with passengers
from the train, and is so regularly worked
by thieves as to be known among drivers
and conductors as the pickpOcket car. The
fellows generally board it about Eighteenth
street, and remain on until they reach
Houston street-twO-thirds of a mile-and
they operate as boldly as though they were
in ali honest and legal occupation. They
stand on the platform, and as each passen-
ger who has come by rail generally carries
a valise or satchel so that his hands are en-
gagged, the operators have an easy chance.
l have seen a dozen men robbed in a sin
gle trip on the piCkpOcket car, and doubt
less some Of them were deprived Of cOnsid-
erable sums.
Why don't the conductors warn the pas
sengers, and stop this business?
There you show your verdancy, my
friend. It is the conductors affair to re-
main neutral. If he should say anything
to warn passengers, he would have a knife
stuck into him within the next twenty-fOur
hours, or would receive a blow in the head
similar TO that which a butcher applies to
an OK he is about converting into beef.
Several imprudent conductors have been
served this way, and their successors have
learned to be wise and prudent. And if a
conductor goes into court to testify against
a thief, he is dOcked by the company for
lost time. These street railway corpora
tiOns can't afford to have their conductors
waiting hours and days around a court
room in the prosecution Of a class of men
who bring a revenue to the concern, as the
pickpOckets always pay their fare as soon
as they board a car.
And why don't inform verdant strangers
when l see the thieves on the car and know
what they are doing?
Bless you, my dear sir, 'tisn't any Of Hy
business. have no more taste for broken
head, or for cutlery in my bosom, than have
the conductors, and l should get the one or
the other if made nuisance Of myself
The people whom warned might possibly
thank me, but they wouldn't pay cent,
and l am not very sure about the thanks
part of it. l don't believe a man should do
a generous deed in behalfOf his fellOw-men
unless he can make something by it. And
furthermore, these rural victims are
strangers to me, and might resent my
speaking to them without an introduction.
Why don't the police break up this open
handed robbery
Well, you see, now, if twere done when
PEMBROKE.
CnI-r,s circns has a rrax-worL, rrnnn of