The Somerset reporter., 1890-11-13
EXPERT PICKPOCKETS,
LONDON SEEMS TO BE THE TRAIN
ING SCHOOL FOR THEM.

Also-They Belong 10 Clubs and Have
Savings Banks of Their Own.
About century ago Paris had only
abcrut fifty pickpockets, now the police
reports show that their number has
reached four thousand in the metropolis
alone, and about ten thousand in the
rest of France. These figures are nearly
doubled at times of reviews, races,
popular fetes, and exhibitions by re-
cruits from abroad. But, singularly
enough, they all come or have been
trained in Great Britain. England is
the cradle and hotbed of pickpockets.
1t is profession as firmly established as
carpentering or bricklaying; it has its
apprentices, graduates, professors, ex-
perts. and commercial agents. Novices
are taught to distinguish Frenchman
from native, n Russian from a Ger
man, a South American from an Italian;
they are made acquainted with the
slight but all important differences in
each nationality in the cut of the
clothes, the place of the pockets, the
mode of carrying jewelry, watches,
purses, or loose cash.
When the pupils are supposed to have
profited sufficiently by their education,
they are dispatched at Christmas time to
n certain suburb of London, where they
are farlncd out. The agent, who has
come to select a trio, puts them through
their PAGES, and if they acquit them
Tlves crclitably he engages them, gives
them clothes, board and special instruc-
tions, and takes them abroad to ply their
trade under his management. AS soon,
however, as their personality has become
inconveniently familiar to the police of
the locality, they are returned and ex-
changed for a fresh set. under the same
conditions.
The community numbers 100, 900 in
London, including women and children:
their headquarters are in the obscure
purlieus of st. Giles, Whitechapel, the
Minories and the low lying wharves of
the Thames. 1t is there that they hold
their meetings, organize their detach-
ments, deliberate on future movements,
have their savings banks and clubs, and
settle on the way of assisting those of
their pals who are i'll, Swallowed or in
prison. They form regular associa-
lion lilo the bonsabraal,ors md ebon-
liftors from whom bowavar tbov ore
nuite distinct
Ar WORK IN pAp,s
n,,,.;n,, ,,oir ,.;s;+, :, pn,.;, o,4hau,,
,,or.,;,,1, l., l,,,,,n, tl,o,, ,,1,t I'll
tayethnr bnt arn ecattercd al nver tho
city meeting only to share the spoils Mt
-. -, ,,a,f ,yira' s,,ors s,t,,,+od
IN fho n,i,,hhorhaoJ 81 tba Cha,n,,,
Ei,.eons ma tba Gr,,5 Own ~
$50, -, ,,,,11 ~, .1,a Era,,,,L r,ouuta,.,
h,vo thei,. roceiy;ng bonsos ca11ad j.,
po,.;o ,,a,,,,,,r t,,,i1lo,., ,,l,aro ~. Al,
noso Of thcir clnnnin~s and II ia = 30.
m,rl,ab,e fentnre of tboso trons,ctinn,
tbot thnv nre c,rr;oa ON an hnth si1ns
wifi s,r,,,,,,l,,,,, f,;.r,,.., al bo,,a.,.,.
A sb.r,, ,r1 o1,,ar,,.,,t ,,nrs,,,, ,,,;,,h+
detect the nicl,noclet who shadows him
with evil intent Nv tha necnliar rowing
restlessncss Of the eve. of which even
the most experienced ones cannot on
tirclv divest themselves Tho habit 10
contracted Mt the onset of their coreers
imperative then If becomes invetor,te
Tho niclnoclnt embraces inf n ylance tha
particular article in n sbop window cal.
culatod to attract the paseerbv. tbe con-
formation of the victims noclets tho
foot nassenoers around him and tbe
quarter from which his buebear. the
@Bohbv" is likely to annear The En-
rlish pickpocket rarely offers anv onno-
sition if cnuoht in the act. he snbnits
silently 70 he led off Inv his cantor. only
the women howl thrash sob scratch
and frht II il tho characteristic ma.
tional GOODNESS and lack of emotional
irritabilitv that contribnte moro than
,nv nbvsical antitpde to mako the Rr;t-
ish nicjipocket facile nrincens in his art
and An object of envy and admiration to
members of tho professions in other
countries.
THE FRENCH WAY.
In each country the profession retains
its own particular methods. The Span-
lard. like the South American. does not
.A..u...A 4. 1910 l. - !,