, 1888-04-26
MEXICO'S THIEVES.
TALES OF TRlckERY AND LIGHT
FINGERED INGENUITY.

Points could probably be given to the
'slickest" of London pickpockets by his
ragged, miserable looking c~onfrere of
Mexico. At fairs, in churches, at the
markets, wherever throngs do c~ongregate,
it is most prudent to divest ones self of
watch, eyeglasses, etc, and, in the case
of ladies, of floating ends of ribbon or
bows which may readily be detached. The
wife of a prominent Mexican general,
while kneeling at mass not long ago, had
the pocket cut from her dress so skillfully
that she had not the faintost sense of
it, losing a considerable quantity of money
and two diamond rings. A pretty little
American bride keeping house here was
particularly unfortunate. Every time she
went to market she would surely be caught
in a crowd of the lower orders, who
would close in around her in such fashion
as to press her arms down at her sides,
and when she was released she would find
her handbag open and empty. No vio-
lence was employed; it was apparently
only one of the jams natural to such
places.
Sometimes, though, Sir Rogue meets his
match. Out ut Guadalupe, where the eel
ebration of Dec. 10 brings together pill
grims by hundreds from all over the re-
public, the throng is simply appalling,
and pickpockets are in clover. A young
lady from Sonora, visiting the place for
the first time, happened to glance down
just in time to see a brown and dirty hand
retiring, closed on a watch that had cost
her $3.50. La Nina Josefina promptly
seized those dexterous fingers. The fellow
struggled and fought, aided by his COM
rades, but the girl held fast, calling for
help, and delivered him over to the police.
The extent to which sneak thieving or,
as it is called here, rat thieving, is car
ried on is astonishing. Cushions or rugs
left for a moment in a window seat disap-
pear as if by magic. 1 have known the
same fate befall a cup of medicine set in a
window by a sick child's attendant.
Americans who take rooms in mesones-
the taverns of interior towns-often
awake in the morning to find themselves
minus all the articles of apparel which
they left on lying down, but which nave
been literally hooked by means of a
long pole, and dragged through the win
dow.
L say Americans, because Mexicans
would know better than to take such
chances. Street show cases, the metallic
sign boards used by physicians, etc, are
all made fast with staples and padlocks.
The black draperies hung over windows
as a sign of mourning in som Mexican
cities are carefully removed at the APP
proach of night. Flowers and plants on
graves are often made away with, but this
act of vandalism is not unknown in other
lands. Shoplifting is a great weakness
in this country, and one against which
merchants find it extremely hard to pro-
tect themselves, even by such devices as
chaining down grindstones, etc. Pilfering
by servants may be set down as universal;
housewives here keep all the domestic
stores closely locked away, and deal out
the allotted quantities of each article to
meet the needs of the day; so much sugar,
so many ounces of rice, coffee for so many,
etc, after the most approved fashion of
counting noses" Sometimes servants
are in collision with outside robbers, but
often they themselves are victims. Some
cunning fellow neatly despoiled the cook
in the house of an English friend of mini
not long since.
The man came rushing up stairs to say
that a child of the FORTRESS had been Sc
riously injured in the street at some dis
lance from the house, and the grief
stricken mother, her W rebozo, or head
scarf, being in wash, had sent this mes
senger to borrow that of Justa, that she
might go to the child. The kind hearted
cook at once handed over her 81 rebozo-
it was quite a new one, as the marauder
probably knew, having perhaps Swallowed
her home from the shop where it was
purchased. Of course she never saw IL
again.
An English gentleman was strolling
through one CT the portales where congre-
gate little traders in certain varieties of
merchandise, such as old books, candy,
etc. Owing to the crowds which throng
them, these arcades are f~avorite resorts
for people who live by their wits and
light fingers. On the occasion in question
the Englishman was suddenly seized by
the arms by two men who came up on
either side of him, while a third calmly
Invested him of a handsome cloak which
he wore in the Spanish fashion. His two
supporters on the right and left hands at
the same moment intimated that it might
not be perfectly convenient or safe for
him to make an outcry or call attention
to his loss; and partly through intimida-
ton, partly through surprise, he did keep
| silence.
Aho Nv "hlhtu vi III lOI VI ltSD
sweet accord. and shortly were joined by
the third ro'Dber, who announced to his
comrades with every semblance of salts
faction, ut is done" Then he handed
the Englishman a pawn ticket, remarking,
'Senor, you will, L am sure, pardon the
inconvenien nee we have caused you by the
temporary absence of YOU cap. To be
perfectly frank, we three had need-the
most urgent need, l beg to assure you-of
$50, and to obtain it we nave taken the
liberty to borrow your cloak, feeling that
you would be glad to oblige us in SO small
a matter, and fearing you might not have
the ready money with you. You will find
the garment in pawn at the address in
Dictated on this card, on the presentation
of which and the payment of $S0it will be
delivered to you unimpaired. You will
observe that we nave manifested the
utmost consideration for you in this mat
ter; we have saved you $40. The cloak is
a handsome cloak, and we could have OBJ
tanned for 1t easily 100 good pesos; bat we
are men of the strictest sense of honor,
and we have pawned it for only the exact
amount of our absolute need. Senior, q
thousand thanks We have the honor to