The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-12-13
EXPERT PICKPOCKETS.
LONDON SEEMS TO Be THE TRAIN
ING SCHOOL FOR THEM.

There Are 100000 In the Big City-psris
Has Il Pretty Large Crowd of Them,
Also-They Belong to Clubs and Have
Savings Banks Of Their Own.
About a century ago Paris had only
about fifty pic,Spockets, now tho 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 arc 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 a 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 q native, q Russian from a Ger
man, % South American from an Italian;
they are made acquainted with the
slight but all important differences in
each nationality in the cut of jhe
clothes, the place of the pockets, the
mode of carrying jewelry,' watches,
purses, or loose cash.
When the pupils arc supposed to have
profted sufficiently by their education,
they are dispatched at Christmas time to
certain suburb of London, where they
are far1ned out. The agent, who has
come to select q trio, puts them through
their PAGES, and if they acquit them
selves creditably he engages them, gives
them clothes, board and special instruc-
tons, 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 fresh set. under tho Same
conditions.
Tho community numbers 100000 in
London, including women and children:
their headquarters are in the obscure
purlicus of st. Giles, Whitechapel, the
Minories and the low lying wharvcs 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, shadowed or in
prison. They form /. regular associa-
ton, like the holsebrealscrs and shop
Efters, from whc,n. however, they are
quite distinct.
AT VIC t;k IN PARIS.
During their visits i'll z P.Iis, although
operating in con non, thr,' do not dwell
together, but ar9 s,.attcrel all over tho
city, meeting only 10 share the spells at
certain specified moments, i'll dark or
borgne t;.verns and Wine shops situated
in the ncighborhood Of the Champs
Elysees and the Grand Opera. The
foreign, as well as the French, operators
have their receiving houses, called in
Paris meumers (nillers), where they dis
pose of their gleanings, and it is re-
markable feature Of these transactions
that they are carried on on both sides
with scrupulous fairness and honesty.
A sharp and observant person might
detect the pickpocket who shadows him
with evil intent by the peculiar rowing
restlcssness of the eye, Of which even
the most experienced ones cannot en-
tirely divest themselves. The habit is
contracted at the onset of their careers;
imperative then, it becomes invcterate.
Tho pickpoc!et embraces at a glancethe
particular article i'll Il shop window cal
c11lated to attract the passerby, the con-
formation of the victims pockets, the
foot passengers around him and the
quarter from which his bugbear, the
Bobby" is likely to appear. The En-
glish pickpocket rarely offers any oppo-
sition if caught in the act; he submits
silently to be led off by his captor; only
the women howl, thrash, sob, scratch
and fight. 1t is the characteristic ma
tional coolness and lack of emotional
irritability that contribute more than
any physical aptitude to mako the Brit
ish pickpocket facile princeps in his art,
and an object Of envy and admiration to
members of the professions in other
countries.
THE FRENCH WAY.
In each country the profession retains