The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-11
THIEVES AND THIEVING.
The Skirmishers of the Regular Army
of Thieves-AdrOit Tricks of Profess
SIGNALS - Hiding Stolen Property go
KIeptOmania-COmic Incidents,

SIGNALS - Hiding Stolen Property -
KIeptOmania-COmic Incidents.
A large number of thieves are mere
Iy skirmishers, or auXiliaries as it were,
on the TANKS of the regular army
These auHiliaries do not live wholly by
crime, but have some ostensible occu-
patton which they follow. AT the same
time, they never loss good opportu-
nifty of stealing. In all large towns
the cindergatherer may be seen. Late
at night and early in the morning she
goes through the streets and lanes,
probing with long knife the depths
and Swallows of every dust-heap, and
rescuing therefrom every scrap that
will sell. Papers, rags, bones, cinders,
and old boots are transferred with
marvellous celebrity into the depths of
the capacious bag which she carries.
Should stray door-mat be lying handy,
or an unsecured back door give access
to a green where clothes lie bleaching,
her ideas of nleu1H and tuun becomes
straightway rather hazy, and the
chances are that a theft is reported next
morning. A large number of thefts of
umbrellas and great coats from Hobbies
are the work of peddlers. beggarS, or
Old-clothesmen, who loaf around and
watch their chance. A smart ''profes-
siOnaP' of our acquaintance, who is at
present in penal seryitude, was an adept
at stealing great coats. He had a
piece of wire with a sort of hook on
one end, with which he could snatch
them from lobby-pegs without making
his own appearance. Each "profess-
ionaI' has his own particular style of
thieving in which he has graduated.
These soon become known to the de-
tectives, who, on learning the ms0dbs
Oper0Hdj of a theft, are often able to
pounce on the person wanted, even
when no description can be supplied.
One class Of theft was very prevalent
in Glasgow and neighbOrhoOd some
time ago. A man dressed like a trades
man called at a number of houses where
the owners happened to be absent. (Of
course the operator satisfied himself on
that point tirst) He represented that
he had been sent by some well-known
firm of uphOlsterers to measure room
for new carpet, or by joiner to re-
pair the windows. In various instances
he got into houses and generally
found an opportunity to steal. Another
thief well known in Dundee does the
pigeon trick. His method is to look
out for an open window, ring the bell
and say that q pigeon has Just flown
away from him on the street and
tluttered in at the window. Would
they kindly search for it, or permit him
to do so? Once in, ten to one but the
clever thief manages to commit a theft
before he goes out lamenting the loss
of his bird, which, of course, can not be
found.
A decrepit youth used to 90 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 crutches,
he crept along the pavement. He was
a dextrous thief. If a lady stopped 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 few seconds, while the in
significant appearance of the thief dis
armed suspicion.
Thieves sometimes quarrel in their
cups, and if q detective happens to
meet them before the heat of anger has
passed off, sptefulness often induces
them to give him valuable information.
Criminals are almost always prodigal in
spending their ill-gotten gains, and the
old proverb, Lightly come, lightly
CO." seems specially applicable to
them. If in funds, they share freely
with their needy brethren, probably
with an eye to receiving similar help
when out at the knees and elbows
themselves.
Stolen property is often slowed away
in very curious hiding-places. A lame
man was convicted at Leeds assizes
last year of passing base coin. When
apprehended, it was found he had re-
ceptacle in his wooden leg, in which a
considerable stock of the bad money
was cunningly secreted. We have
sometimes seen considerable pile of
coins unearthed from the voluminous
folds of ragged coat, trousers or
vest Bank notes, for obvious reasons,
are capable of being slowed away in
little space; and thieves often hide