The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-12

Y NAAHf hf
Thieves Mho Are Expert Divers and
q who Arc Able 30 Iiude tho Police.
selling the Loot.
A great city Ike New York contains
n many people who live by violating our
\ laws, and these people are divided into
4 odd groups, each having a distinctive pur-
pose II is own. One Of these groups in
tests the water front Of New York, and
nowhere la our civilization can be f0Unda
more degraded class Of criminals. The
members are know. TO The police and 10
the watchmcu on the ships as wharf
rats" Tho title Is certainly we'll chosen.
The wharf rats are expert swimmers aud
divers aud are a. agile IN avoiding the po-
lice az f. any intelligent r0deut In escaping
from the clutches OF u cat. These men
and rOWn up boys live rs criminals from
choice. They extract more happiness
from the theft Of a bag OF coffee or a coil
OF rope than the average person would
from q Christmas present. IL shot ut
while stealing from a ships cargo they
Jump into the river, sink out Of sight aud
come 10 the surface under the protecting
shade Of % wharf. II not wounded they
take their experience as a joyful advent
ufc. IL wounded they rest On the ratter5
under the pier until night comes along,
when COnfedcrates take them away.
The most conspicuous OF all the wharf
rats of New York Is BuckshOt Taylor.
lie has carried several loads Of buckshot
iu MS legs and back and one side Of his
face IS also dishgured because Of his un-
expected acquaintance with n shotgun.
TAYLOR never steals rope or coffee unless
he is bard mp. His specially is the theft
OF bars of lend. lie Is as wideawake ~ a
lynx al,era snowfall, and always knows
where 10 look for his plumber. Taylor
viii dive under "A wharf and tasten an end
of thin W.ge rope 10 one u the rniters.
Then. VITA the other end ln his hand. he
VIII snell. on board a lead lalen schooner
and fs-teu tac wire 10 his plumber. An
other wharf at keeps watch while this IS
being aoue u the coast IS clear the loot
}. dropped into the water, where 1t sinks
out 81 s.eb5 Then the thief, who is rs
much at home iB the water as on the
land dives out u sight, coming up, Of
course. under the wharf whore the wire is
fastened 20 the raf,ers. One Of the heavy
bars o. ie1d viii net from S. to a at any
one OF the Junk shops which abound along
IAt AANNA NI|NlN. II bANh9iiRN lNfAOA 9ANR41
two or three bars a week during the
spring, summer and autumn months he
feels luppy. for an be cares for is a little
food. plenty OF whisky aud a constant
supply Of tobacco
CRIMINALS OF Low TYPE.
PuckshOt Taylor is the best known Of
tie wharf rats, but there are hundreds
who follow in his footsteps. As a rule
.. .... r. .r.sf.4s lrtr4a & I.ft r.affv I
larceny The majority Of the wharf rats
do their work at night and move about on
the water 30 TOW boats. Their speciality
IS the stealing Of rope. which is an article
easy % dispose of 90 junkmen who do
business with shipmaster4. ii chased by
tAa harbor police they abandon their boat
aud swim, under cover Of the darkness, TO
places of refuge under the whQrvos. Some
of these fellows makes = speciality of using
giant au-crs. and boring through the
flooring Of the docks and into the sugar
barrels That have been unlOaded from
ships Incy empty the sugar into bags,
and then dispose OF it when the Opportu'
nifty offers.
All iAcse wharf rats DO not carry their
plumber 10 The stores along South and
West streets. IN some cases the plumber is
too bulky. and Ia other cases the wharf
rats are TOO well known to risk discovery
by carrying the stolen goods IN the street
Friendly junkmen fill this deficiency.
There Is a band Of iunkmen that goes
from wharf 10 wharf In boats and buys old
.tufls from The captains VI ships. some
zine these junkmen have something to
sell ia the way Of rope, anchor chains and
pulley blocks. The wharf rats await the
coming of these junkmen, and ia their
lairs under the wh8rves make their sales
OF stolen property. One shipmaster buys
the rope and other stuff stolen from
another ship. and 50 there Is Il constant
demand by juukmen tor the plumber OBJ
tanned by the wharf rats. These degraded
specimens Of our civilization have very
little courage aud are Of q snesSy dis
position Once In Il while they Go an
honest days work in unloading boats, but
1t d. only when luck goes against them
aud when they must work or starye.
THEIR METHOD OF LIVING.
In the summer months the wharf rats
sleep I'm row bAlts under the wharves, or
IN the daytime upOu the docks. Not "a
few of them who steal at night sneak
upon the summer excursions OF local So
cial clubs and when they are stupid from
drinking beer sleep under the benches TO
he found on all excursion barges. When
they find themselves penniless they sweep
out the ginmills that line the river front,
and with the dime they get for their labor
buy coffee and cakes. Others fish from
the ends OF the piers, and II they catch a
etring of fish have no trouble IN obtaining
a quarter from the liquor store proprie-
t0r3. who offer fine hsh chowder" free
az ana inducemeut for longshoremen TO
spend lyc cents for beer or ten cents for
whisDg. A quarter Of "a dollar goes a
long way with "a river crook, for next TO
the satisfaction OF stealing he finds his
greatest comfort IN chewing the cheapest
Kind of tobacco. The wharf rats who
have good fortune divide with their com
panions who nave i'll luck. In this way
the proceeds Of q days plumber will make
y LARGO number of the thieves happy.
The hundreds that sleep on the piers In
Summer have to find ten cent lodging
houses IN winter. such Of these as have
not courage TO pick pockets or steal from
the stands outside Of stores get "a little
money 30 The winter by begging II IL
not easy 90 steal from the docks in the
winter. md so 90 per cent. Of the wharf
rats have 10 exist as best they can until
the severity Of the weather passes away
owl y.rp,fta fhnp 70 uca the water and