Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-24


How the Arsfal Dsdger~ Get Their START
in LsSc.
TALK WITH A DETECTIVE ABOUT PROFESSION Al
fickfocKErs-rHE VARIOUS DEGREES or ExrEKr-
NEss-rRICxs TO WHICH THEY REsoRr-xES VINO
WORK WITH NOR"
HOW 90 professional pickpockets make astart:-
asked STAR reporter OF a detective the other day
HE begins" answered the detective by rob
pihg small stores or candy shops: oy sneaking
INTO the stores ana roboing. attempting 70 rob.
the I'LL Before he becomes an expert he Is usu-
ally picked up by the officers for petty ofenses.
The nrst time he Is arrested he probably gets on
by paying small rne. The next time ne is sent
10 jail. and he then becomes hardened. While In
prison his associates. or many OF them. are old
onenuers, ana from them he receives advice and
learns a great deal about professional work.
When he Is released nom Jail he THINKS he knows
fession, and he then makes a start toward the
penitentiary. Then he viii follow ladies about
he viii PICK out those who carelessW carry their
purses III tneir outer pockets or on their arm.
JOINING A aLNG.
"in short time the detective went on. che
joins yang or mob These gangs usually are
composed OF four or five men known as stalls and
wires or .tooiS The stall Is the man VINO gets
the marx OF victim IN position lie Is usually tue
heaviest man In the gang When his work Is
finished and the victim IS In position the wire
or
the stall In nlnety-nine eases out on every hun
dred where the victim discovers thar he mas been
robbed he siezes the stall and hands him over 60
the police. or course when the stall is searchei
nothing is found on him. for he has never had the
'swag In his possession. The victim grabs the
stall because he cannot see the wire AFTER the
| robbery Is committed the proceeds are turned
over to confederate. VINO goes 10 A
convenient place, cleans or einpties the
only such portions OF its contents as cannot H.
easily Identified fayorte thing with the pick
POCKETS Is 70 take gang OF i've or six and Start
out on The day OF some celebration 10 90 through
street cars. Two OF them viii enter a car at dts-
ignated point and pick out mark Then as the
car passes along the street the Others enter H.
the f1rst two give the signal and stem on the car
When the marx attempts to gel on the car hr Is
hustled at the door by members OF the gang while
tne wire goes through him. II they have chance
several pocketbo books are secured before tbey leave
the car, and In this way they frequently make a
good haul.
AT A RAILROAD JUNCTION.
another favorite place for a mob TO work. s.
continued the detective .is at railroad junction.
swell mob OF flrst-class men viii meet lay :hetr
plans. and then go 10 the junction. Each will 20
alone and take his position. When the car arrives
rush IL made and passengers are prevented for
minute or two from getting on the car. While
pressing past each other the wire gets In his
WORK. and when the car on the crossing road
moves on one or more OF IT'S passengers discovers
the loss OF pocketbook. The man who got IL T.
on a car going In another direction, and the
chances Tor catching him are very slim Some first
class workers prefer 10 travel alone and work
with newspaper or light oyercoat They viii
carry an overcoat on their left arm and when
doing a job Will throw IL across their right arm
hiding heir hand. These fellows can easily take
a prop, as pin Is sometimes called. such a lob
takes but an instant and In very few cases the
thieves caught
AT COUNTRY FAIR.
"rhe pickpocket," continued the detective, ais
In his glory al the country fair. There is usually
large crowd at such places. A member OF the
moo viii get into crowd and cry: Lookout for
- In In
man has his hand on his pocketbook. THIS gives
the mob chance to locate the pocketbooks. and
saves them the time and trouble OF tanning or
teeiing about TO locate them. III an attempt Is
made TO get pocketDook and the pocket, as
countryInen have them, Is too Deep one Of the
gang Will either accidentally knock the Intended
victims hat on or pull it down over hts ears. In
either case he r. surprised and while recovering
himself his money Is taken He calls thief. hut
not being able TO pick out the right man from the
crowd. and fearing that he VIII pick the wrong one
he walks quietly away, and afterward looks TO the
falr committee Tor his money.
II remember, continued the detective sThat nj
a country fair a countryman was seen putting his
hand on MS hp-locket every few minutes. The
thieves thought he had something and one OF
them Knocked his hat on. The counrryman
stopped over To pick IL up and while STOPPING over
two OF the gang found it convenient 20 shake
hands across MS back. When the countryman
started 90 get up he was held down until his
pocketbooG was taken from his hip-pocket.
AsHowER OF rocKETBooKs.
''Some years ago at a country fair In West yfr
convenient place 20 throw the empty pocketbooks
There was a politician speaking from a small
stand, in front of which stood a coul;ryman with
a green cotton umbrella One BY one The EMMY
books were dropped into the OLD mans umbrella
Finally shower came up, and when the Old man
hosted his umbrella there was shower OF pock-
etbooks. Through the fal- ground was a gully
ana after the ram had continued some time iT was
almost impossible 20 cross the small stream. one
OF the thieves procured plank which they placed
across the gully. While one OF them as
sisted persons across the Others robbed as
many as they could, ana many persons who
crossed the stream were relieved OF All the money
they had and were unable TO make any more pur-
chaseS good mob viii never let business get
duh while working "A city, for they are always
ready 10 raise some excitement and cause a rIlsn
which VIII enable them 10 60 through the crowd
They usually reap harvest after some celebration
IS over and persons are making rush for the cars
They are always ready To misinform persons as TO
where the different cars take them. Then when
the train Is ready 10 start one OF them will enter
a car and Inform the passengers OF the mistake
Then there Is a rush To get on the night train
During che rush and excitement persons are un-
able 10 take care OF their pocketbcoks and the
plckpocket takes advantage OF the opportunity.
KIND ATTENTIONS TO A FARMER.
~ remember several years ago." continued the
detective, "when McGlade and Collyer fought az
Goldsborough, Pa. They stopped at different
hotels, and the friends OF the principals In the
fight followed them. Early In the morning a
farmer drove up in front OF one of the hotels Ia a
sleigh. Several young men ran out and kindly
covered the horses with blankets and arranged
ing relieved him OF his pocketbook. Then they In
viIed him into the hotel To take a drink. Several
treats were passed around and when it came the
farmers turn he found he had lost his pocket book.
but instead OF accusing any one OF the theft, he
went OUT 70 his sled and searched IL THOR
oughly. Not finding IL, he started 20 return
TO the hotel smile came upon his
face as he saw his pocketboOk on the ceIlar-doOr.
moment later his couuIenance Tell again. for
when he picked up the lost book lt was empty. IL
is wonderful how expert these fellows become.
They can rob man IN broad daylight so neatly
ami quickly that the victim sometimes Knows
nothing or IL for an hour or more afterward. IL
makes no difference In what pocket a man carries
his pocketbook TO the tAei: II Is only matter OF
getting an opportunity 10 get az It.
TAKING WATCHES
AFTER they have acquired the knack OF taking
pockeubooks," said the detective, sJhey 60 a step
higher in and become members OF the gang who
only wiring or steal watches which are known 20
the profession as white and red .supers.' The
no attention TO pocketbooks, and they are TOO high
In their profession TO tap store-tils. They devote
their entire attention 70 taxing watches. White
supers are seldom taken now, because there are so
many cheap and nickel-plated ones that lt does
not pay 10 run the risk.
PLAYING TIE PART or FAGrS.
"The Older members OF the profession usually
pick up young converts and make them do the
work while they watch and give instructions and
known as Johnny, the Greek He was a good
worker and never had any trouble an securing con-
federates. He once went to a country fair and.
being alone, he employed couple OF cOunIrymen
to assist him, paying them 81 each. All they had
to DO was stand In some passageway and prevent
persons from passing. Tie countrymen thought
they were having lots OF fun, but when they JuIn-
bled TO their employers racket they demanded an