, 1885-06-27
POCKET PICKING.
HOW THIEVES GET AT THE POCKETS
OF THEIR VICTIMS.
The wire" aud the Front aud Hack
"stA,s"-DeserIption of a Number
~ the Trick. OF LIght-EIn
Eered Gentry.



Pocket picking is one Of the principal
arts in thicyedom. 1 ccaslorally II Is
done single handed. but only the cleyerest
thieves can thus work alone. For pocket
picking they nearly always go two To-
gether-olten three. occasionally four.
Whatever the number may b., whether
three or four, the person who really does
the work is called the wire. Suppose
three. one is the wire and the other Two
are the front aud back stalls. Stalls is
almost always praciiced in pocket pick
ing. The stall acts as though he did not
belong to the thief, aud yet does all he
eau 10 ass Il the wire. The stalis-walk
before or behind-any way so thai they
can divcIl the victim 5 attention from the
wire AID cover his work from any one
who happens 10 pass by. The wire will
not keep tho treasure In his hands long.
but passes IL into the hands Of one of the
stalls. who thus becomes tie swagsman or
banker.
Pocketbooks, when emptied Of their
contents, are thrown away the first op-
%portunity. to avoid Identification. In
picking pockets they are guided to their
victim by his general appearance and
tanner. Thieves become very expert in
judging what position persons hold in
life, and whether they are likely to have
MY lAOAlG1 uVhhN AAbltONtI. AuCN
watch people in public places, paying or
receiving money, and they will follow
them very long distan es IL the victim
wears a gold watch then the thieves are
reconciled TO the risk at once; money or
M money, they make sure OF a watch
Absence of mind makes many a victim
for the pickpocket And when the per
son is not ~preoccupied and absorbed in
his own thoughts the stalls always divert
the victims attention from the wire by
running against the victim, as If by acct
dent, asking him the way 10 somewhere,
or the hour Of the day, or by creating
some disturbance.
10th male and female thieves are very
clever at what they call flaming peck
cts. " which is done by suddenly. Qs II by
accident, passing one hand quickly and
lightly over the pocket. and thus they can
tell in a m which pocket contains
the treasure. The wire always uses the
thumb and two forefingers. generally of
the right hand When they get their vic.
tim 10 rights the pocket is picked in a mo
ment n the gang at once disperses. If
the wire gets into trouble by being do
tccted or suspected. then the stalls come
forward. and. acting as II they did not
know the thief. do their uttermost TO get
him out Of the scrape. and clear of.
When money is loose in the pocket the
thieves call 1t wedding " people coca.
sionaily think that they have lost or mis-
laid their loose money in going from store
TO store; it may be SO. but often the wire
has been wedding. When ladies' pock.
cts are so long that the wires fingers
won't reach the bottom. he puts his left
hand to the bottom Of the pocket outside
the lad S dress and very dexterously and
almost imperce publy. lifts the pocket up
toward the right hand; and this is called
punching it up"
The only instruments used In pocket
picking are II sharp penkaifo or 4 pair Of
scissors and n pair Of pliers-the former
for ripping pockets and ladies dresses.
the latter for cutting watch guards
Watches are taken from the pocket much
tile same as pocket books or purses. A
thief will a ways maze II venture or throw
"A chance away. rs he calls il. when he
sees Il gold cha n. No matter where the
watch Of the lady or gentleman Is worn.
the thief runs his finger along the guard.
which at once guides him to the watch.
II he finds It TO be n silver watch. he will
frequently put 1t back in disgust. but he
will run risks for a gold watch. II
be is detected either by the a%lertness of his
victim or his own awkwardness he will
put the watch back II possible. or say the
chain has got entang,ed with his buttons,
or stumble up against his victim, beg his
pardon, and so cover his own retreat
Most thieves break the watch from the
guard by the following quick and easy
method The watch is tightly grasped by
the LETT hand. the powerful and tleshy
part OF the thumb resting on the part Of
the watch where the stud and ring are at
tacled The ring to which the chain is
fastened Is held tightly between the thumt
and finger Of the r ght hand. This posi-
ton gives the thief considerable power
over the watch. and by sudden wrenchine
his hands in opposite directions. the ring
either breaks or the stud is twisted off. or,
as more commonly happens. the small pin
which asses through the ring to fasten il
Is torn out Occasionally the thieves
have not timo to put the watch back in
case Of alarm at other times they cannot
from the difficulty Of the circumstances,
wrench II from the guard. and when q
gentleman finds his watch out of his
pocket aud dangling by the chain he may
know that something Of the kind ha'
occurred