Sharp County record., 1885-06-11
LIGHT-FINGERED GENTRY
characteristics of the Profession
al Pickpockets.
A Weakness for Fine Clothes-They Pre-
fer to Do Their Work in the Midst
of Large Crowds-Young Girls
in the Business.


"The most dangerous of all criminals
is the professional pickpockct," said a
detective to Daily NeUS reporter the
other day. "He comes upon you in
such unexpected places, under such a
pleasant guise and has such insinuating
ways that you fall victim to his artistic
skill while gazing upon the beauty of his
face and figure, or admiring the elegant
twirl of his iet-died mustache. AS they
are the most dangerous, so are they the
most numerous of our public depreda-
tors, and although we have done, and
are doing, our best to drive them out of
Chicago, yet they increase almost as
fast as we catch them and send them
off. They are mostly young men, their
ages varying from fifteen to twenty-five
years; many of them have been street
vagrants from their infancy, uncared
for by parent or friend, forced from
babyhood to supply their own wants,
early acquire knowledge of the world,
of men and things, and degree of
'smartness' and deXterity which renders
them expert thieves and dangerous
neighbors in mixed assembly.
They are by nature and educa-
ton opposed to honest labor,
and would reject with scorn any
offer calculated to subject them to toll.
There are others who, well educated
and reared, have become tempted be-
yond their strength. But, having once
become members of the profession, they
sink to the level of their companions,
adopting their manners and habits,
their superior advantages having no
other effect upon them than to make
them more hardened and depraved than
their fellows. Iknew of a remarkable
instance of this kind once. 1t was in the
person of son of respectable, well-tO-
do parents, and eight years ago he was
book-keeper in this city. He was a
handsome young man, of good address,
and enjoyed the utmost confidence of
his employer. Fast companions by de-
grees introduced him to their vices, and
he soon became frequenter of billiard
saloons, gambling-houses and places
where he was required to spend more
money than his salary warranted Then
came the old, old story. Getting into
debt, he yielded to temptation and stole
$4,000 from his employer. He was de-
tected, but, in consideration of his
parents and his evidently sincere re-
pentance, he was not prosecuted. He
went to New Orleans and obtained an
excellent situation, and hal resolved
to lead an honest life in future. One
day he met on the street an ac-
Guaintance who knew of his fall. He
was one of those Internal busybodies
who are never happy unless they
are interfering with other peoples
business, so he Immediately informed
the employer of the young man of the
affair, and the consequence was that he
was discharged. Turned friendless into
the street, his reputation blasted, he
became reckless, and Immediately
adopted the profession of pickpock-
ct, and is now known as one of the
most expert. He speaks with great bit
terness of the acquaintance who gave
him away in New Orleans, and says
that but for him he would have re-
deemed himself and lived an honest life,
instead of being a candidate for State
prison.
professional pickpockets," ," contin-
,ued the detective, ''have weakness for
fine clothes, but their taste leads them
to adopt rather the loud and flash
STYLES of dress than the quiet and re-
spectacle. They rejoice in neatly-ft-
ting suits of varied hues, spotless linen,
gdudy neck-ties, sparkling pins and or
naments, and often wear plug hats.
Numbers of them may be seen any day
gathered in little knots at their faYOrite
ger. 5, aaaiHfie, ssa: Il he OK tef ffsf d=
pearance of the professional picKpocket
is similar to that of the professional
gambler, and they are often seen to-
gether in familiar conversation. Time
was when our most skillful pickpocketS
were Englishmen; and those individu-
ais. fresh from European cities, used to
look with scorn and contempt on our
native born bunglers; but it is different
now.