Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-10-01
THIEVES AND THIEvING.


a raid Oh the well stocked farmyards OF
| Northumberland CT when Highland cater
| ans swooped down from Rob Roy's country
to levy "blackmail" or "toom II fauld" in
the Lennox or in the Carse of Stirling, and
departed, leaving burning byres or weeping
widows behind, are forever gone. Gone,
too, are those later days when bold high
| waymen Of the Dick Turpin type-all well
mounted and equipped, five are to credit
the legends that have come down to us
stopped the maicoach or the travelling post
chaise, and made the terrified passengers
hand over their valuables. A large number
of thieves are merely skirmishers or auXii-
aries, as it were, on the fanks of the regu-
lar army. These auXiliaries do not live
wholly by crime, but have some ostensible
occupation which they follow. A thief well
His method is to look out for an open WIN
dow, ring the bell and say that pigeon
has Just flown away from him on the street
and futtered in at the window. Would
they kindly search for it, or permit him to
do so? Once in ten 10 one but the clever
thief manages to commit II theft before he
goes out lamenting the loss of his bird,
which of course cannot be found. Il de-
crepit youth used to go about the city in
which The writer lives. This lads legs were
| useless. so he had flat boards fastened with
straps below his knees, and, assisted by
short crutche-, he crept along the pavement
| He was il dexterous thief. If n lady stop
ped to look in AT shop window, he could
Just reach her handbag or pocket; and if
| she was unwary she was minus her purse
in u few seconds, while the insignificant APP
pearance OF the thief disarmed suspicion.
Stolen property is often slowed in curious
hiding places. A lame man was convicted
at Leeds assizes last year of passing base
coin. When apprehended, it was found he
had u receptacle in his wooden leg, in which
4 considerable stock ofthe bad money was
cunningly secreted. Two detectives were
once searching the house Of II wcll-kuown
thief for some stolen jewelry. The scent
was keen and the examination searching.
High and low they rummaged, but without
success From the air OF the thief the Of
ticers were satisfied the stolen property was
concealed in or about the room. One Of
them observed that the interest Of the 'sus-
pectn got always most intense when they
approached the window. Taking this as
his cue, the officer narrowly examined the
shutters, and even tore oil the straps that
kept in the window sashes; but without re.
suit. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and
lifting the lower sash, he scanned the out
side Of the wall closely. About three or
four feet below the window sill he saw
stone in the wall that appeared to ne
| loose Calling his comradc to hold him by
the legs lie reached down, pulled out Il
small square stone, thrust III his hand, and
| fouad IL nice little hide" containing not
only the articles he was in search OF, but
also other stolen property sufficient TO con-
meet the thief with several Jobs" and to
procure him II long term of quiet contem-
plation. smart female thief once very
| nearly outwitted an officer by wrapping q
crumplcd and dirty five pound note
round candle and stufling it into
Il candestck, which she obligingly handed
to him. He searched considerable time
before discovering that he had the object of
his search in his hand. One morning, a
merchant who had come by rail from his
country residence was hurrying along the
street TO his counting house in a pouring
rain. He had forgotten his umbrella; but
spying, as he thought, q friend with
large one little before him, he has
tened up, and seizing the handle of the
umbrella, joculary observed: "Hilo! is
this mine you've got?" He had just had
time to observe that the man was 4 COM
pete stranger to him, and was about to
apologize in some embarrassment when the
| unknown saved him the trouble, BY saying
coolly: "Oh, it's yours is it? Pardon me ;
did not know" And he hurried off, leav-
ing the astonished merchant in full posses
| ion.-ChamJcrs' Journal
|