Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-01-16
THE SWELL MOB.
Hop T1sy Operate Upon Unsxspecfimg Pc
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1oU xbky OPGoK OpOu CuSesptctthS TT
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In London the term "swen mob
is In common use to designate mass
of well clad men whose ways of life
are dark and mysterious, and who, il
they are not in all cases actively Grim
inal, are so rear it as to be always
open to suspicion. The operations
of these classes are carried on where
ever the street thronSs are densest,
and the snowy dress is worn to avoid
being readily regarded as criminals.
A gang of these well-dressed rascals
will readily so crowd around victim
that his pockets may be picked with
impunity. Spies hired for vile Pur
poses, pimps, gamblers, confidence
men, swindlers of all grades, and all
classes of thieves, find refuge among
the swell mob. Hence the protection
of pedestrians in the open streets is
the most arduous duty of the London
police, and hence, too, the invariable
order to ''move ON" that is heard at
all points to prevent distractions,
since it is by a swell mob gang stand
ing still on the sidewalk that a crowd
is gathered and chances prepared for
thieving.
In New York the swell mob, though
not so notorious as in London, is an
established nuisance, SO that for
years the police there has been en-
deavoring to enforce the London or
der-'move on" The statues" as
the street loungers were called, were
first attacked, and for a time many
respectable persons were seriously
annoyed by the regulation. But the
perils of the sidewalk gradually be-
came more known, and now the flash
characters are more easily distin-
grished, although an American mob
is totally different from any in Eu-
rope, because an American takes ON a
style and polish that are very apt to
deceive the unwary. 1t is among the
best known things in our police an
mails, that the swell mob in New York
and Philadelphia has embraced very
gentlemanly-looking rascals, extreme
ly careful in dress, manners and con-
versation, who were the worst coun-
terfeiters, forgers, burglars, robbers,
etc.
AS the depredators upon society
are said to number sixty thousand Id
London, and large proportion of
them spend most of their time in the
streets, the extent to which they in
crease the throngs ON the sidewalks
may be understood. The swell mob
had been growing steadily in Phila-
delphia for many years, but the Cen
tennial brought matters to a head,
and now the police have their time
fully occupied in watching them. The
commonest operation of swell mob
gang is to get on the platform of a
street car, or, if the car be very
crowded, to push inside and pluck
the passengers of all their money and
valuables. Another favorite dodge is
for gang to go into some popular
saloon OF resort and clean out all the
pocket-books. But in the midst of
such throngs as have been seen on
Chestnut, Eighth and other streets,
there is evidently a harvest for the
mobiles"
the more wealthy aud respectable
the gathering of people, the more cer-
tain are the gangs to be found among
them, whether 1t be IN promenade, at a
theatre, opera, ball, concert, church or
meeting OF corporation. Among the
flash characters who used formerly to
be seen iouDgiug about Chestnut street
was very respectable looking man,
whose business vas burglary aud bank
robbery on large scale, who lived in
brown stone house In au elegant neigh
borhood, passed for merchant of a
speculative kind, and had family who
lived IN entire ignorance OF his true
character. The s'sweil mob, comprise
many men who keep up their reputation
By working at times at some respecta
bic calling as a cloak to their real bus
mess But one popularity of the
American "moDbies" Is an intense de-
size to avoid low associations. They
are sharps OF every class, bu, they gen
orally have the appearance of gentle
men. Tince the New York police be
gan to press upon them too closely
many OF them have found refuge 10
Philadelphia, and the floating popula
ticn has thus been dangerously increas-
ed. They crowd all our public prom
enades, flourish at all the places of
amusement; are numerous at hotels,
bar rooms and variety shows; ready at
billiards and cards, and are apt at
working off stolen securities With
out asking questions. The numer-
Gus criminal offences, so rapidly re-
pea:ed day after day in our city, are
not, therefore, the natural production
of hard times, as some persons suppose,
nor are they generated by the growing
depravity of our own population. They
are caused by the influx of the swell
mob from London, Paris and New York
and as toe evil is destined to, swell to
much greater proportions our police !
cannot too soon bestow their attention |
upon it, aud make the " mobbies,' feel
the force Of justice. But as the Lon
don police numbers eleven thousand
men and the Philadelphia police has
only force of twelve hundred men,
the task is not an easy one.-.North
.7merlcan.
A Rejected Lovers EXpedient.