The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-08-19
AQueer Branch Of Industry--.How Jew
elers are Robbed. ayT ~,

- aszk-sa 3.ass ~ 4
The writer was talking to detective
few days ago, on one of the principal
streets, when suddenly the CONVERSE
tion was interrupted by my companion
exclaiming to passer-by:
"What! You here yet?''s 81. e,t5
"Tll leave in-in-ten minutes, Mr..
Blank-so help mel" and the man ex-
panded into blasphemous oaths, which
are characteristic of his class. a
Time is up" said the detective;
"next time see you will pinch YOU"
The man pressed on. He was little
over medium hight, low browed, thick
set, dark haired, wicked eyed. slightly
marked with smallpox and had scar
on his face. His clothing was good;
but he bore the unmistakable air of a
thief and ruflian. +''' 80
"Who is thatp' was asked Of the de-
tective. a. Ai*s -
The latter looked at his questioner in
pitying surprise and replied:
"Why, that is Irish Mike, alias Day
ton Mike, alias Frank Williams alias
George Williams-right name Mike Jen-
nings, of Dayton, o." 6 a6 ti9:9
"Who is he?'' 81, .fa4,g
Don't you know himp He is PEN
ny-weighter. He had laid plan with
his mol to work the jewelry stores
here. tumbled on it--so have blocked
his game by ordering him to quit the
town." fa3 '7sfnLil Z
AS the reputation of the great Mike T
was not recalled to the questioner by
his name, so his business was not sug-
gested by the term .penny-weighter.,'
"What is a penny -weighterp' was
asked, with feeling that this igno-
rance would not enhance the inquirer
in the esteem Of his detective friend n
''Don't you knowP. Is, it, possible
anybody don't knowP" queried the de-
tective. a IN, asa ff4 g3gn
He assured him that one at least did
not. "T47 10 u
''Well, well, that is strange,'' said
he musingly. elf you don't know I'll
tell you. The racket is simply lifting
chains and jewelry at the stores" :,
Liftingg' was the exclamation.
"Stealing, nreplied he.Ga e3lfiIoq n4
"But howp''
easy enough. Take chap like
that one l just spoke TO. He goes into,
a jewelry store with confederate (usu-
ally his molly, and he and she wants to
look at long ladies or gents vest chains.
The chains are in cloths and spread out
before them. She looks at them and
keeps the attention of the seller. fEfIe
gets one in his hand, pretends to blow
his nose with his finger and thumb and
then puts his hand into his pocket, pulls g
out his handkerchief and wipes his nose.
Now When he pulls that handkerchief
he drops what he has lifted into his =
pocket. That's penny-weighting.
Sometimes he win 90 into a iewelrv
store and pretend to be railroad man.
Then he will pick out an article of Jew
elry, make an advance on it and have it
kept until he calls again. He will some
times make three or four payments, at
as many different calls, and on each oc-
casion he will lift something and gener-
ally gets the article he has paid for be-a
sides. fF -
But how can he do thisp How can
he fool the jewelerp'' }ao.H Ligeeta l3a8
"That beats me,' replied the, de-,
tective. I'm the first place, you saw
what a give-away his looks are. Then
his mol1 is a bad woman Any one can
see it who looks at her. You'd think a
jeweler would send for policeman the
moment such u pair enter his store; but,
he works the best stores. He has
played his racket at Cleveland, Pitts
burgh, Chicago, Dayton, Cincinnati,
everywhere-and on pretty sharp busi-
ness men, too" as5 tsGf.s
..Do you think he'll leaveP'' aa8 ,tft.
'sSure of it! He knows that every
jewelry store in town is up to himsnowg
and he can't do. anything unless he
comes down to clothes lines" '' '''
q But how does tpayp" ~ sL6Wie
"Well, as near, as can get at it, he, ..
lifted in Chicago alone in one year
about $1,000 worth. This he sold for
fifty cents on the dollar. Ofcourse he
was pulled, and had expenses; but he
gets living out of it, A4' ..fta
why dc, you let him 90 nowr'
Because prevention is better than
cure. If he is out of the town he cannot
steal in it. He'll go to Chicago or Pitts
burgh from here. They are his favorite
working grounds; he'll get to work
somewhere, but we will telegraph him
ahead, so that he can't do much if the
police chose to prevent him. w. at4
The writer thanked the detective for
his useful information concerning flre
mysteries of the glorious art of penny-
weighing and left him a wiser man.
Detroit Free Press sil' 81 ''FsfsGf9