The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-02-15
ENGLISH CRIMINALS.
Light Thrown Upon the Ways of Burgla
PiclSpockets and Receivers.

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Light Thrown Upon the Ways of Burglars,
Pickpockets and Receivers.
A curious volume has been published
by London book-house 1t is entitled
police" A good deal of light is thrown
upon the enterprising burglar, the pick
pocket, the receiver and other inter-
esting criminals. Wegive some extracts
below:
There is at Scotland Yard a regular
machinery for assisting the police. For
instance, there is tho Information" as
it is called in London. The earliest
edition is also called the Morning
State" An information" is a list of
persons whose apprehension is sought,
| together with the crimes. Details are
given of the property lost and found, OF
! persons missing or recovered and OF
| animals which have strayed. The lists
are compiled and printed at Great Scot
land Yard and issued to every station
in the Metropolitan and City police dis
tricts four times day. The pawn
brokers' list is also printed. To every
pawn-broker and established second
hand goods dealer in the Metropolitan
police district is issued daily list of
all articles stolen or lost.
All burglaries, with few exceptions.
have been "put up" Weeks, and fire.
quently months. have been spent before
the ''attack" has been made. "lf we
had no receivers we should have no
thieves" These coadjutors of thieves
are nearly always aware that large
robbery is contemplated. To him are
quickly handed the diamonds, plate,
watches and other valuables; he incurs
a large amount of risk, and amply COM
pensates himself by the terms on which
he deals with the original thief. 1t has
been calculated that burglar sells for
$500 iewelry which had cost ten times
as much. Once in his hands, jewels are
taken from their settings, which are
melted down, the stones being reset.
Watch-stealers may be either Snatch
ers" or "hookers." Snatchers, who
usually work in gangs of three or four,
are the men who make snatch for the
watch and bolt, leaving their confeder-
ates to impede a chase. The "hooker"
has accomplices to warn him of the APP
proach of "tec." His thefts are usually
committed in church whore there is
fashionable crowd. If in theater, one
man gets into conversation with the in
tended victim, another covers him
and the third keeps lookout" The
hooker, having secured hold of the
watch, detaches it from the chain, termed
slang" and passes it to his colleague,
who hands it on to the third man. A sill
yer watch is called a 'white clock" and
gold one red clock" Common thieves,
called among the criminal classes gun
ners" and ''grasshoppers," sneak about
watching their opportunities to get up
the dancers" (stairs) and to dig them
selves away"-namely, to hide them
selves under the mattress of disused
bed or in the CLOUD" (attic) until all is
quiet. Then they go carefully to work
in smelling is, examining the
rooms while the inmates are asleep. If
the "Peter" (cash-box) can be found
that is at once appropriated, as also are
the mans strides" (trousers) and any
thing that can be easily removed.
SIT is any thing but pleasant" says
one police officer, ''Uo be an officer in
charge of cells where there is a number
of drunken prisoners confined. 1t is
Babel of sounds. Some men are swear
ing, singing, dancing, Rocking or max
ing noisy appeals for liberty; while
others arc in fits, others are suffering
from delirium tremens and others are
snoring fast asleep like pigs. Some
times the cell windows are instantly
smashed and any damage is done that a
drunken mind can suggest. Wore out
by racket and noise, one by one the
prisoners yield to the influence of sleep,
or the doctor may have to inject morphia
to compose the nerves of the sufferer
from delirium tremens.
We give few examples of thieves
slang, which may interest philologists:
A policeman: A fly, Jack, B. d., slop,
crusher, peeler, body-snatcher, raw lob
ster, tin ribs, stalk, danger signal, ter
ror, etc.
A mansion: A high game, baronial
jug.
A woman: A malt, finger, smilto,
stuffy, joiner.
A glass of Irish whisky: A glister of
fish-hooks.
Linen: Snow.
Gin: Blue Ruin.
Rum: Golden cream.
Brandy: Liver destroyer.-PallM Mall
Gazette.