The Osceola times., 1882-11-04
THIEVES AT FUNERALS.
Sedatc strangers who Minglc with the
Throngs Beside q Coffin.

New York sun.
Elegantly dressed but in deep mourn
ing, a woman who was ushcrcd into the
detectives room in the Police Central
Office, a few days ago, aroused the inter
est of Inspector Byrnes. IT was soon
disclosed that she had double occasion
for grief. Her story was an illustration
of phase of crime in the city that has
become well known to the police She
is member of one of the wealthiest
families in the city, and lives near the
Windsor Hotel. After the funeral of
relative, recently, it was learned that the
family had been extensively victimized
by thieves, who had not only picked the
pockets of some of the persons who at
tended the funeral, but had carried off
number Of valued articles from the man
tel-pieces, center tables, and even the
sleeping-rooms of the house. As one
loss after another was developed, and
the relatives who were present spoke of
incidents of the funeral, it soon became
apparent that there were strangers at the
funeral, on whom suspicion might natu-
rally rest. Each inmate of the house
had supposed that same of the other in
mates knew the strangers Ii is such
common occurrence for lOng-forgotten
friends to turn up at a funeral, that little
notice was taken Of the strangers who
pervadcd the house with doleful faces
and proftlse sympathy.
Funeral thieves are generally expert
pick pockets in middle life. They dress
sedatcly, and have general air of
solemnity belitting the mournful occasion
in which they act. One Of the most ex-
pert ever known in New York was called
'the Chief Mourner," and he kept at it
until his description was so widely pub
lished that it was dangerous 70. him TO
go to any funeral. As known by the
police, Mr.. and Mrs. Thayer attend
church and house funerals, and work in
the most advanced style Of pocket.pick-
ing. They generally 90 with two or
three attendants. The victim will be
surrounded by the gang, and crowded
until the opportunc moment for robping
is found, and then the plunder is rapidly
passed from one hand to another, so that
if the theft is suspected and an arrest
made, no property will be found on the
real thief near the person plundered,
Generally the one who actually takes the
property will be so profuse in apologies
for the crowding, and so intensely re-
spectacle in appearance, that suspicion
will be averted.
1t is not unusual now ON the occasion
of large funeral of some noted person
TO send detectives for the purpose Of spot
ting the best-known thieves. At the
funeral of Mr., Garrison Detectives
Rogers and Golden found Walter Brown,
well-known pickpocket, minCling
among the mourners. Walter is burg
lar as well as a pickpocket, and is the
one who helped in the Harrington safe
burglary in Washington. On another
occasion Detective Golden found Mart
Allen. the well-known pickpockct, work
ing in the Cathedral in company with
one of his brothers. Only few weeks
ago a neatly-drcssed woman named Mary
Williams, in deep mourning, was de-
tected picking IA gold watch from the
pocket of woman at the side of a coffin.
There is a considerable collection of
funeral thieves among the portraits OF
"The Rogues' Gallery" Among those
who have been identified with this
branch of crime are "Nosey Mullins"
Ellen Sullivan, alias Howanagh, Marga-
ret Bell, Mary Blake, recently arrested in
Brooklyn and identified by Inspector
Byrnes, John Rooney, Jack Tienan and
his wife Ann Carrigan, Mary Ann Tay-
lor and her consort Funeral Wells" have
been the leaders of number of funeral
robberies. Other wcll-known pickpock-
cts in this line are John Kehoc, Mary
More, Mary Hughes and Annie McGwin.
Their pictures are the most respectable
looking in the gallery. There is little
that is forbidding, and much that is at
tractive in their physiognomies OF
course, when a funeral is going on per-
sons will not be over particular about in
firing concerning those present.
Thieves consult the notices in the news
papers and select houses where, Judging
from the neighborhood, they will find
good picking, and then they go in force
so as to work scientifically. They know
when is the safest time TO push and
crowd. 1t is a safe rule at funeral as
well as in any crowd to look out for ones
valuables.