Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-02


the criminals are kept in constant dread and
are impelled to seek other and less carefully
watched fields. 1t is remarkable how little
crime is committed by professional criminals
in New York. The crooks have fled from
the city like rats from a drowning ship
There is plenty OF crime here, but it is more
of the brutal than the professional order.
There are murders, assaults, riotous affravs
and other crimes by desperate men, but
carefully planned and skillfully executed
deeds where blood is not let, are, compara-
lively speaking, not often heard of nova
days.
The confidence operators are about the
only class of talented criminals who flourish
The reason they flourish is because their VIC
tins seldom make complaint. preferring to
suffer their loss rather than let the public
know what fools they have been. Still,
despite this obstacle to detective work, most
OF the confidence operators, especially the
sawdust or green goods men, have been
driven to New Jersey and up the Hudson
river from. Yonkers to Albany. They know
that to he seen in the streets of New York
would subject them to arrest and imprison-
ment as suspicious characters.
WHEELS OF THE MACHINE.
Inspector Byrnes' force consists of 60
trained men, 40 detective sergeants and 20
detectives who are entitled to promotion
upon their merits as vacancies occur.
A museum is one of the inter-
esting sights at headquarters. The
black caps worn by the murderers
hanged at the Tombs, and the nooses which
strangled them are in the collection, and a
gruesome exhibit they make. To accom-
pany them are the weapons with which
their deeds were done. including knives,
pistols and blood-stained clubs. There are,
in the museum, burglars tools of every de-
scription. including those used in the famous
Manhattan Bank robbery, in which So, ,0OO,-
900 was stolen. 1t was the unraveiing of
this great crime that put Inspector Byrnes
at the head of the Detective Bureau. He
was previously the Captain of the Fifteenth
precinct. In talk about his work Inspec-
tor Byrnes said to the correspondent of THE
DISPATCH:
professional criminals pride themselves
quite as much upon their ability as men en-
gagged in legitimate occupations. A thief,
for instance, is as vain of his superiority
over other thieves as lawyer, politician or
clergyman might be whose talents had ele-
waited him to commanding position in the
eyes of the people. And the talented
thief is
AS MUCH CoURTED
,tuQ sought dlIcF as the successful man In
the honest walks of life. But the thief who
has earned reputation is particular about
the company he keeps, and is scornlul in
his demeanor toward another thief whom he
does not consider his professional equal. So
you see caste exists among criminals as well |
as among other classes.
by all odds tle most expert criminals !
are bank sneaks. In four cases out of five |
The bank sneak does his work without de-
lection, much less apprehension. The coun- |
try bank offers the best opportunity for his |
operations. AT the noon hour everybody |
employed in the bank is at dinner except |
he cashier or paying teller. The sneak en-
ers and engages the CASHIER or whoever
may be in charge, IN conversation. Soon
Two confederates drive up in a carriage. |
One alights, goes into the bank and tells the
cashier that gentleman or lady in car
'iage. who is unable to walk on account OF
an injury or some illness, wishes to see him.
The unsuspectlng cashier goes outside and
while he is absent the sneak seizes all the
money he can lay his hands on. Another
rick is for the sneak to hang around bank
lntil someone gets check for u large
Imount cashed. Then, while the man is
counting his money at one OF the desks that
ire always provided in banks for customers,
lie will drop bill on the floor and say very
politely: Excuse, but you have dropped
ome OF your money
TAKES ONLY A PART.
"When the man stoops to pick up the
ill the sueak will quickly and deity
match part of the pile OF bills on the desk.
i he took the entire pile the trick would be
instantly detected. by taking only part he
las time before what is lett TO be counted to
make his escape. Bank sneaks sometimes
rayel with circuses, and when the bank
Jerks rush to the window to see the cavsl-
ade pass they seize the cash.
Probably the boldest piece of work was
lone BY old Chauncy johnson, who il now