Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-28
THE Est.R0crrECR pEs GRIN.
CHEFS
4 queer PrafessioH-A New way TO
CirCaMSe9t Thieves

There are great Many curious means OF live
nhood rracticed in Paris, writes a correspon-
dent from that city. The other day. a. was
sitting in the cafe ofthe Grand hotel with an
old Parisian Of my acquaintance, my attention
was called to Father seeJy-look:pg individual
carrying hat in each hand with the remark:
There is something you have not got in Amer
lea. an esbTouffe0r des criHchcs"
An esbroudtur des grinches, ard what lie
that pray;'
III you We're Well up In Parisian argot. you
would not ask the question. Esbroyrtu.. means
to astoash. 20 Brighten off. To iniimdate aud
9i'tftcft' Is thief. rogue. a scamp Of any sort
Accordingly. an esbrGufteur des erinches IL
man who frightenS Off thieves and robbers"
And my friend went on % give some details con-
corning this To me Unknown. trade. which led
ne TO think that lie was irving Ia impose on an
Innocent stranger. some days a.terward how
ever, happened 10 again Meet the sane seedy
individual carrying this time only one hat and
managed 10 enter INFO conversation with him.
| found that had wroaGcd MY Partisan friend.
The following are some "details concerning the
profession az an eenrouffeur tcs ar;nches The
large corporation of thieves and tut-throats in
Paris has numerous eInissafies whose mission
Is 10 prowi about ana search for openings torthe
more daring talents o. their leaders to dlsplay
themselves. The favorite victims of The olrach.S
are Old person.. and especially women living
alone. When the 7rt,a},e discovers such per
son, and he has reason Ia believe that she has a
snug little sum slowed away ABOUT her prem
ises, he calls 10 his assistance q more resolute
scamp then hims who undertakes the job of
getting possession Of tire "magoi." II is hy
protecting such persons that the osbrouffeur
des gr.aches makes his iiviuv AMI The weapons
that he uses in their defense are old hats. He
too. keeps sharp lockout for mddc-aged sin
gle ladies living alone. and offers them his ser
vices and the prot ection of his hats for TIE mod
a. of .p2f, rv-lt ~ 1<cf
His part Of tho contract consists in keeping a
neatly brushed hat in the hall of the apartments
occupied by his customers. ana the sight of this
hat IL usually sufficient 30 fiiChten of any
GrnitIte who may come if:owlng about the prem
ises.- When the GRACE rings at the door and the
single lady opens It for him. the sight Of the
hat leads him to believe that She has Il male
visitor liz her pSricr. and, az he will never run
any unnecessary rsk. be pretcnds that he has
mistaken tie house. or makes some other ex-
cuSc. and goes away. Two ar three DAYS after
ward lie calls again and Is again frightened in
the same way. and as he is generally prudent
fellow. and anxious not 70 attract attention he
docs not return. I remarked TO the estrcre,r
thar. Ingenious az his systenl was, il seemed to
ne that his customers had ouiy TO purchase a
secondhand lat in order 10 dispense with his
services. Not at all, sir was his reply:
III IS an important point that the hat should
be brushed and hung up every day by a man. for
man hangs up hat in very different
way fIoui NDE'll. II Is Important
that the hat should not be too old
fashioned looking, aad what is the most import
ant point OF al. is that il should be changed
every day. II these iirtic details ale not at
tended TO. the qfinrl.e would soon 'hebine lie
true tcaess the trick.( Ny present stock con-
sists CT ,!41 hats and have go customers Every
morning start ont on my round. carrying a hat
which have carefully brushed. This hat ex-
change for tile one at customer No. j. which
brush and carry away 10 customer No. 3. whose
hat passes on TO customer No. 5. and so on
through the whole list. In this way none OF
them have the same hat in their halls two days
in Succession. Ifthere has been suspicious
caller. take the precau'ion 70 leave two hats,
for you can understand. sir. that Ii would hurt
my credit il one o. NY customers was to be
robbed or get murdered Tasked the esIruSttr
If his profession was a profitable one. "Well,
] make ali honest living ny it. was his reply.
las have 200 customers. AMI my terms are a
flame month from each. ] earn something like
$3.50 francs Z year: with economy one can make
both ENDS meet on that SUM-"