The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-04-19
! am on the police force.

/ am on the police force.
He promised, aud kept bis word
He died few yenrs later 10 Joliet.
But coming back to the thieves
and the money they make, you may
put IL down as rule that no mat.
tor how successful, they either die in
the penitentiary or the poorhouse
All this stuff about thieves leading O
double life, one OF crime aud the
other in good society, of their wives
supposing that they are engaged ia
reputable business, is good material
for novels and plays like Jim The
Penmau,' hut there are no suci cas-.
%. The professional thief does n,
aspire 10 any such life. His origin
is always low. He commenced 4
stealing when boy, and bis educa-
tiou was perfected in tho house oI
refuge Jail, workhouse, and reniten-
tiary. Up to the time that he ID
sent to the penitentisry he is apt tc
be desperate and reckless, aud un
dertakes jobs that an older hand
would hesitate about engaging in
When he comes out be is moro eau
tious. He comes from the slums
and is brave and shre wd, just as
the women from bis own class are
Often Of surprising beauty and
seeming refuem ent; beautiful green
and golden flies born in the muck
heap. Men Of position very rfrely
sink to life of crime. II they dc
they become forgers aud swindlers,
out in nine cases out Of ten even
this class Of criminals bave worked
their way mp to their exalted position
in the fraternity.
AN all-round crook is hard to
find. Thieves are given to cultivat-
ing specialties. One man robs ho-
tells, another sneaks banks, another
is given to burglary OF wholesale
dry goods or fur houses, another
makes house burglary his particular
business, another will make daring
dashes upon jewelry stores, another
will cultivate the art of picking
pockets. These fellows that Jump
on a train and beat him nearly to
death on the chance that he may
have something Of value about him
are not classed as professional Grim
inals. They are thugs and of the
same class who burglarize bar-r ooms
and grocery stores, and kill any one
who detects them. lhe professional
thief takes pride in his business
But how do they liver inquired
tho reporter.
Every large city in the country
has its headquarters for thieves.
The word is passed around. II a
man is given hours to leave st. Lou.
Is aud he starts for Chicago, the Of
icers know exactly where to locate
him there. The hang up as they
call it is generally saloon, perhaps
: fashionable resort on q popular
thoroughfare. Here they get their
mail and meet and talk over their
business. Every town has its one
fence, sometimes more. The fence
8 the man who acts as quartermas
'er for thieves who are in hiding and
'lso attends to the secretion and ul..
innate disposal OF stolen goods. A
New York thief on his way West no.
ifies his immediate friends, through
whom he can be reached in Chicago,
Cincinnati, St. Louis and Kansas
Jity. Should he get in trouble 10
my OF these towns his friends COM
nunicate with the fence and have
lin SEQ what car be done, Every
rook endeavors to keep at least one
own in the country open. He must
ave a place in Which to spend his
money, and to secure it, he, for in
tance, promises to do nothing
'rong in st. Louis, and 80 long as
70 keeps his word he is allowed to
'alk the streets and spend his mon :
y with bis associates, male and fe-
aale.
New York is headquarters for
hieves. When they get together |
hey talk about their business same
8 other Glasses and when they get
0 another city they know exactly
there to hang out.