Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-10-23
FOREIGN PICKPOCKETs.
THE ENGLISH ARTIST Is REcoG-
NIzED AS AT THE To? OF
THE PROFES-ro~

At no other time Of the YEAR Il
London so safe place TO walk in
or to mix with crowds "a during
August and September. 1t Is then
that large exodus Of the light.
fingered brigade occurs. These
gentry depart in great numbers for
the more profitable hunting grounds
OF seaside and inland watering
places, Tor foreign race courses. and
all the resorts where travellers Of all
nations are wont 10 congregate.
Paris being q favorite rendezvous
for provincials and strangers about
this season, six or seven thousand
British pickpoekets, il has been
estimated, find their way there
singiy or in groups. They are recog-
nized, says a London correspondent
Of the San, by the police as more
expert and dangerous than those OF
any other nationality. They are
Of both sexes and ali ages; as fire.
quently as not n woman Is one of
the trio that almost invariably
unites to carry on operations, the
"nipper," the "blind" and the "re-
ceiver.' Pickpockets dislike work
ing alone, the danger Of being
caught Is so much greater.
AS rule the "blindv jOstles the
selected victim, the "nippern avails
himself of his discontinue or
wrath to extract watch, purse, or
jewels, which he promptly drops
into the hands OF the ''recelver, " q
respectable, well-dressed. careless
spectator OF the incident, who walks
oil leisurely and unsupported with
the "swag," while his more sus-
piciOusly clad accomplice draws
upon himself the attention OF the
police, and even challenges il, In
the security Of having nothing sus-
picious on his person. In Certain
cases where the booty is important
the "nipper" has been known to as
sumo the appearance Of frightened
guilt, to give his pal better chance
and more time TO get away. The
tipsy man who reels into an omni-
| bus and has ''words'' with the con-
ductor, the stout woman, evidently
from the country, who Suddenly dis
covers that she is In the wrong car
rage, ciamOrs 10 be let down, ap.
psaling TO her iellOw-passengers
against the iniquity Of being made
70 pay her fare, the foreigner who
excitedly beglns story In broken
English, are the Recompliees Of the
superciliOus lady and clerical gen.
tleman who, Directing to the I'M
L ss..unIrs stilfftrbap.a -a.,,..f D.. A..
let dOwn-lot, however, before they
havesuccessfully awaited themselves
Of the cOmmOtiOn 10 explore the.
pockets Of their neighba.s while
their attention was diverted.
Since tailOTs have made mems
| 20 ATS Ices lvUse agiI uivssai..a,.
nLidel those Of women In elingiu,
folds, the "nipper" has had to alte
his style. He can no longer inserl
his whole palm through the narrow
aperture, ~ he artiHclally elongates
with delicate pincers, the two flu
gers which alone can be thrust in,
and the rihins process is the sarls.
Those who have neYes been able 10
acquire tho requisite supleness Of
manipulation, o. whose hands are
naturally coarse ami broad, cut the
pocket bodily away or use an inge-
Nous little appliance constructed as
follows: To one central slender cord
are f4s.eBed four stElEgs ending In
leaden balls, coated with glue or
cObbier's wax, which are dropped
into the pocket; anything il contains
adheres 10 the balls ard eau IL,
dragged out with them by pulling
the main cord. u ihe thief notices
any obstruction, or the lining Is
likely 10 come out also, he cuts tie
cord with a sharp knife and walks
Of, leaving the balls behind him.
However, he rarely resorts to this
extremity, and is ashamed Of him.
sell when he does,
J Crowds ar6 an essential condition
TO pickp- eSets. This Is why they
haunt railway stations, landing
stages at the busy hours, music
halls, the waiting halls Of important
links, which they Ecall 'melon
frames" IL is well known that no
mail boat leaves Calais or Dover
without carrying several pickpork-
cts, and that hardly ever is a cross
ing effected during which some pas
sengers are not robbed; yet II = only
at great intervals thai detectives.
constantly on the watch, have teen
able to take thief redhanded.