The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-11-10

pickp0ckets Find business Profitable
at This Period of the Year.
This is the season in which the profes.
sional pickpocket begins his professional
operations in earnest, said one of the police
officers at the Central Office recently
"Of course, said he, they nre generally
on the alert at all times for business them
selves on oil sides. i Ind an interesting
chat with one of our best officers only few
days ago, and he gave me enough informa-
ton about the fraternity of piekpockets to
fill book. You see he is detailed to stroll
up and down Broadway during the busy
hours of the morning and afternoon for nc
other purpose than to keep an eye upon
these individuals He takes in Fourteenth
street, from Broadway to Sixth avenue, and
nearly every day he scoops in two or three
young gentlemen who like to abstract
watches, money, or anything of any value
from the persons of others. At this time
the New Workers who left the city during
the summer months have nearly all return
ell. The drygoods stores and fancy goods
emporiums have their fall stock in. The
windows are filled with attractive articles,
and crowds of shoppers stop to admire OF
criticise what they see. Many ladies are
careful enough to carry their purses inside
The bosom of their dress, but the majority
have it held in their hand or dangling from
their wrist by silk cord or piece of rib
bon. Not a few have their watch pockets
made on the outside of their walking jackets
While the ladies are crowding in front of
the windows it is a simple and easy thing
fol- the pickpocket who knows his business
and can size up his victim to push and
crowd in too as If he was fairly crazy to see
some particular object displayed. But all
the while he is watching for an opportunity
10 work his tingures into some ones pocket,
or snap watch-chain and quietly slir
through the crowd and away before the por-
son who has been relieved is aware of the
loss. 1t is singular thing, too that bui
few visitors to the city are preyed upon by
this class of criminals. The bunco steerer
attends to them, but the New Workers who
think that they can take care of whatever
they have about them are invariably the
victims. The country people, and even
residents Of Jersey City, Staten Island and
Brooklyn, are extra vigilant when they
,hop in New York. They seldom lose any
thing.
q The professional pickpocket is gener-
ally between II and 30 years of age. He
always looks shabby, and a hang-dog ex
preston ornaments his countenance. Hi,
clothing is bought second hand, or els,
stolen from some one. All these storie
about well-dressed, gentlemaniy looking
pickpockets are nonsense. You may occa-
sionally come across an isolated case, but
the pickpocket is generally dirty, shift
less follow, whose capital is his cunning,
coupled with the dexterity with which he
can slip his fingers in some one else's pocl-
ct and abstract therefrom watch or peck.
etbook without attracting the attention o.
the rightful owner. They travel in gangi
of three or four and sometimes as many rs
six or seven work together. When any
one of the gang swipes timepiece or piece
Of iewelry it is taken to the first place
where they know questions are not asked
and disposed of for several times less its
value. Then there Is q division of the
spoils and fresh onslaughts are made. These
criminals generally wind up with a short
turn before they have been many years in
the business. They live in the slums Of the
city, have no ambition except to collar some
thing, and they seldom reform"