West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-06-19

by ladies aS faShionahly dressed Ne wnre
the bridal party. Tho various railway
depots, whore crowds Of strangers ar,
constantly arriving and Il, partlnp. mr.,
me fields for pickpock,ts to work, and
abundant are the harv,stS they Gather
therein. The fclonious gang ioins the
bestling crowd, pushing. iostlinc. iam-
ming, one covering the movem, nts of
the other, and all bent on plunder A
Nlcum once selected, he is pushed and
annoyed by two ar thrud of the ,ganO. '
While inc deNterous fingers of another
dip lightly into his pockets and secure
the coveted wallet Instantly il is pass
ed 10y the pickpockef to his cover. and
before the victim has recovered his
equanimity his treasure has flown
should he become immediately con-
scious of his loss, he would moi have
the hardihood TO suspect the well-dress-
CO.. highly perfumed gentleman by his
SIDE of having robbed him. II il a weak
ness OF humanity to look for crime only
IN rags All places Of public amusc-
ment, public meetings, street cars. or
Wherever crowds of people collect.
there Is whore pickpockcts most abound.
III Is IN hustle and confusion that they
are enabled to work most successfully.
III Is IN accordance with our republican
lueaS TO put our trust i'm the masses of
tue people. And hence, an individual
whose suspicious nature would cause
MN 70 watch you as closely aS If YOU
were a thief while engaged I'm private
consultation with him win rush headlong
into buStling and hustling crowd with
out thought of pickpocket or watch. He
sometimes trusts too much 70 the integ-
rity OF the masses, and returns from his
encounter with them shorn of his treas
urcs and also of his confidence The
individual pickpocket who conducts his
operations without the aid of n confed-
crate is similar in manner and appear-
ance TO those who constitute the ganV.
Instead OF working in crowds. however
ana under cover of n rush and lam. he
adopts moro quiet and reserved mode
of accomplishing the same object lie
1t is who insinuates himself into the seat
next 20 you in the street car or the
stage, and with much ostentation pro-
dnces morning paper and appears TO
be cngrosSed in its peruSal. At the
same time the cloak or linen duster he
carries, or even the paper he holds
serves as Il cover TO hide the manjpula-
tions OF his agile fingers. Very often
he Is provided with delicate little
knife with razOr-like blade. with
which he quietly Sits your garments,
until, having reached the desired wal
let, he quietly withd-nws it, The knife
blade is occasionally concealed in
a iinger-ring, and pickpockct,
well dressed and gentlemanly, once
called at a manufacturing Jew.
eler's store and ordered one
of these ring-knivcs made. after
a pattern furnished by himself The
ring was made according TO order, and
when the thief called for il the propric-
tor of the establishment had the curl
osity TO asks it use. The thief candid
ly explained TO the astonished ieweler,
at the same time practically demon
strating how delicate an operation il
was to use the instrument successfully,
for shortly afterward he discovered a
clean, neat slit in his pants pocket, and
further investigation showed him that
his pockct-book had been abstracted.
While explaining the use of the ring the
thief adroitly executed she robbery
thereby alfording convincing proof that
the ring had been satisfactorily made.
"Ihe female pickpockct is the coun-
terpart of the male Of the same species
loud in her dress, i'm her manners
and conversation. She is opposed TO
living a life of single blessedncss. and
usually takes to her heart an expert
thief or shrewd gambler, regardless
of priest or parson. Her mode Of con
ducting operations is similar TO that
adopted by the male pickpockct al
ways seeking a crowd, and always
pushing and intruding She haunts
the fashionable stores, and, being a
woman. she knows whc cabouts in a
lady's dress the pocket should be
"Ihcre are many young girls in the
business. but they can scarcely be
called professional, as they have other
means OF obtaining a livelihood. and
pick pockets for "A pastimc While the
morals Of the female p'ckpOckct arc
not TO be commended on general prin-
cipleS, she still has some womanly
pride left, as also something which she
calls self-rcspcct Like the majority of
her sex, she looks unpityingly upon
what are known as unfortunatc- She
holds herself far superior 10 these. and
looks upon her own shortcomings as
mere ecccntricitics Of genius. Not
withstanding her contempt for those she
calls fallen women the female pick
pocket almost always ends her career
among those she has scornc1 during her
prosperity, and, like them. becomes ad-
dicted - drink and finally dies in some
charitable institution. Professional
pickpOckets Of either sex usually possess
a degree Of sharpness and intelligence
which, if exercised in the channels Of
honest industry. would make them sue
Cessful as honest business men and
women, but ! have never known any Of
them 10 make a competency. and their
gains generally find their way
to the gambling table. ~ Chic0g0 Nous.
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