The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-11

DETECTIVES AT WEDDINGS.
Gentlemen in Faultless Attire Who Loiter
Near the Presents.
New York Sun.

New York sun
There are in New York hundred or
more weddings in the course OF years
where there is crush of guests in full
dress where ladies who have passed their
youth feel it allowable to wear wealth of
diamonds, and where the display of pres
ents surpass the show cases of fashionable
| jewellers These weddings; and other
social gatherings of the same class of
/ persons, are very paradise OF thieves and
lpickpocketS, when, as occasionally nap
pens, they can gain admission IN the guise
of guest This, as will be imagined, q
few professionals can do without the risk
| of being bowed to the door by the host as
strangers in unwarranted dress coats; yet
many simple and shrewd devices are used
to maintain a footing once obtained IN
such assemblages. Efforts are made to
scrape accquaintanceships References
are boldly made to some previous social
assemblage The thief must have special
gifts and special training
Yet it is not professional thieves that
those who get up fashionable entertain
ments chiefly fear. The most dangerous
class because the most numerous, are in
Guided among the invited guests, and are
called when detected kleptomaniacs.
For almost every large and fashionable
wedding there is a request made upon In
spector Byrnes, in charge of the detective
bureau at the police central Office, for an
officer to watch the array of presents, and
in general to protect the house and its
guests from loss by theft. Among the
central office detectives on whom this duty
frequently falls is George w. Lanther.
He is young man of good address and
appearance, who wears a fine diamond IN
his short front, and whose clothes fit him.
His fellow detective say that when he is
arrayed in a Prince Albert coat, with silk
facings for an afternoon wedding, there is
nothing to be asked for by the most criti-
cal observer, but when he appears attired
in full costume for an evening wedding or
reception, language fails Mr.. Lanther
was sought out yesterday. He said his du-
ties were simple, and for most part agree
able
The first thing do, he said, when I
90 to reception to take look through
the house, up and down stairs. in order to
acquaint myself with the different rooms
as well as with the disposition of valuable
articles. For this reason / usually go a
short time before the guests are expected.
While the guests are arriving. l usually
stand in the hall to watch them as they en-
ter | am very apt to know a professional
thief by his face, Where the presents are
very numerous and valuable, | gen
orally have the smaller ones such
as diamonds and other iewelry,
which person could pocket
and carry away readily, put on a table by
themselves. Then take a seat near them.
am supposed, by the most of those who
see me, to be a guest. If anybody guesses
otherwise, / am contented they should have
their opinion. I inform myself about the
presents, and when guests come up to in
: spect them they naturally fall to talking to
express their admiration. | am able to tel
| them about the presents. One guest, there
: fore, sees me talking with another, and he
: is not likely to remark that remain in one
part of the room the afternoon or evening
If | sat still and said nothing, I would
: soon become an object Of notice"
: 4 have never" continued Mr.. Lanther
s'been compelled to make an arrest at a re
ception, although l have attended man,
e dozens of them, nor have ever seen at at
tempt to steal valuable present If ;
e professional thief gets into an assembly by
t chance, he probably knows what my pres
D ence means, and if anybody else has an!
/ designs on the presents, he discovers afte
n a time that they are never left alone.
n Il have seen many very brilliant array
a of presents; large diamonds and rubies o
e very great value, chests of silverware
e pyramids of the finest cut glass decanters
e antique cups, and costly fans. l neve
! saw a lady in such an assembly whose jew
/; elry was guarded by detective; but hav,
seen some of the middle age AMI
o older, various parts of whose dresses wer
= decorated with great clusters of diamonds
: To these small weddings and reception
come the same set over and over again
. and person who attends them soon learn
u to know their faces and names.
CAS- to personal treatment, the guests a
: the assemblies | have attended have Away
+ addressed me with courtesy, and I do no
t see how they could have done otherwise
even when they knew my business, for
r never sought acquintancship, while | hav
/ always been willing to talk on any subjec
< knew anything about, and / never asl
: questions about matters that don't concern
me-"
Stories are told by by detectives of ladie
whose families are of the highest respecta
: bility, whom they have pointed out to tn
: givers of entertainments as having stolel
> valuable presents. In several cases relate
to the reporter, the valuables were recover
{ ed under Mthreats of arrest, and scandal
resulted. In others, the host was unwill
: ing to make accusations, preferring t
: | avoid the scandal that would follow an ez
posure. In once case a lady tainted whe
: She was accused. She would not confess
Y and she was not searched but 1t was alter
b ward said diamond ring was returned b
J her father, an action which tn
detective who told the story or
V ticised as inexcusably simple 0
/, the latter's part if he had in view merel
o the reputation of his daughter. 1t is sal
/ that several series of thefts have been con
mitted by young men so fascinated wit
r society life that they lived beyond thei
), means, and at last were driven, by whs
q appeared to them necessity, to steal.
l. Two or three years ago a young man {
+ this class purloined several watches an
d other valuable articles from the house {
Chief-Justice Shea of the marine eour
John ID. Townsend and others, at a serie
5 of entertainments running nearly throug
= the season. A warrant was issued, but b
escaped arrest He had formerly moved
" good society of right. but he had introdu,
ed himself at the first of this series of ente
! tainments by sheer impudence. He con
: mitted so many thefts that at last he wa
watched, but even then he escaped with Ii
last booty without being detected, and
a was said that the evidence against him VS.
y largely inferential His flight. howeye