The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-12-03
IN. Sun, 2sth ult)
Talmage Among Thieves.
INSPECTOR MURRAY TAKING
HIM TO A VERY WICKED
PLACE. #

eeASAAS
MURRAY TAKING
HIM TO A VERY WICKED
PLACE. No.
He Describes the Criminal Glasses
and Ascertains How they do their
WOrk--The Life Of a Woman who
Earns her Bread as a Clerk.
"The fact is that all musical instru
nents are to be hrou sht in for the ser.
vice of the Lord" said Mr.. Talmage yes
.erday morning just before Mr.. Arbuck-
le pealed forth q sonorous Ave Maria,
and Mr.. Morgan executed fantasia that
required allthe organ stops and the bell
chimes. The text was from Luke:
A certain msn went down from Jerusa-
lem to Jericho and fell among thieves,
which stripped him of his raiment, and
wounded him, and departed, leaving him
halt dead.
'Give me two stout detectives for this
nights work" I said to the chief official !;
'men who not only look muscular but
who are muscular" and said to the de-.
tectives, "Have you loaded pistols and
clubs2 Show me crime! Show me
crime! Show me the worst class efpeo-
Pile 10 be saved nv the power of Christ's
Gospel The ollie proposed l should
take disguise lest should be assaulted.
[ answered. "No." am going to take
he risk.
people say to me. "Why do you not
look after the criminal classes of Brook
lyn? Ianswer it was not for lack OF
There is every kind of crime
in Brooklyn, from manslaughler % to a
.chicken 4thief Laughter. l do not
know that there is any place in the land
where You can more easily get your pock-
ct picked, your house burglarized, your
signature counterfeited, or your estate
swindled than in Brooklyn. But the
great depot of crime foe this cluster OF
cities is in New York"
Mr. Talmaee spoke Of the respect
that crime pays to law, and told how In
spector Murray, although q man of COM
psratively slight stature, sometimes sin.
gle handed, arrests four or five despera-
does, all because he is backed up by ON.
nipotent justice!
Mr.. Talmage then described bar
room into which the officers took him.
The officers told him wonderful stories
Of the desperate men at the different ia.
bles. The preacher walked from one
end OF the pulpit to the, ,other pointing out
imaginary tables and, describing the diff
ferent groups Of criminals whispering and
connecting dreadful crimes.
"Here are men talking over last nights
exploits. They drink, but not so as to
become unconscious. They keep the
eyes clear and the hands steady for the
nights work. They tell how they es-
capped by the basement door, or the sec
ond story; how the bullet, grazed their
heads! What is this bsndaged hand ?
That was cut by window glass as the bur-
glar thrust bis baud through the taste,
ming. How did that man lose bis eve
1t was destroyed by the premature fash
Of gunpo wder in the store lock.
2 "What sre those men planning al. the
other table? They are in collision with
q servant cir to leave one of the back
windows unfastened. They know the
time when the wealthy man will leave his
place of dissipation and start for home,
and they intend to lie in wait to bring
him down with q slungshot! Who
knows how many false keys, brass knuck-
les, aud revolvers are herey
"Rum they must have, to prepare them
for murder. Not ordinary rum, but rum
poisoned four times. First, by the man
ufacturer; second, by the Wholesale
dealer; third, by the retail dealer; and
fourth, by the saloon keeper. These
men calculate to the quarter of q glass
how much to take for their work. They
must not take drop too much!
"There are 1900 or 2,400 of these
professional criminals in this cluster OF
cities They are as thoroughly trained
in crime as for good purpose medical
colleges train doctors, law colleges train
lawyers. theological seminaries train cler-
gymen. They have gone through the
freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior
classes, and graduated with a diploma
signed by all the faculty Of darkness -
[ Applause 49, !r..
"These men are no unskilful murder.
ers, plunderers, or blackmailers. Thew
must have something difficult to do
something OF peril; some chance, for
bravado.. There are about sixty profes.
SIGNAL bank robbers, who will get con.
cealed in bank, and spring out" Mr.
Talmage sprang out sat the watchman,
secure him, aud examine the cashiers
books at their leisure, to see whether he
keeps his accounts correctly. Laugh.
ter So
"Here are the men who steal cancelled
checks and practice on mans signature
until they get one as perfect as the for
gerry of C. Vanderbilt's signature in 1870
on which $75. 900 was paid at sight! ~
"Here are the pickpockets, 800 oi
them. They sit beside you ia the stage
and pass your fare. They help you look
over the goods when you are shopping
They weep beside you at the funeral
They sometimes bow their heads beside
you in the house of God! They dc
their work with such adroitness thai
your sffliction at the loss is softened by
your admiration at the skill of the op
Grafton. Laughter The most skill
full of these pickpockets are women
Some of the pickpockets take the gart
of clergymen and look like Doctors o.
Divinity" Mr.. Talmage simulated 6
prim D. d "They dress with white
cravats, and look as though they were
about to pronounce the benediction and
all the while they will be watching where
your portmonnaie is" Laughter.
Mr.. Talmage described the shoplifterl
exquisite ladies dropping goods into
crocodile pockets large enough to swal
low everything, and the description o
the crocodile pockets was so vivid tha
the congregation laughed. Then he de
scribed the thieves who break the win
dows of jewelry stores, run off block
turn around and look innocent, and thel
ljoin in the crowd, crying Justify, "Stol
thief" Laughter.
"Do these men accumulate much P
No, most of 1t goes to the receivers o
the stolen goods. If they get $50,00l