The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-13
A THIEI'S CONFESSION.
SMOLlIE Matches TELLS HOW EAS-
ILY POCKETS ARE PICKED.

w FOSh6 y 6ffc FNrco.
Very Little Danger OF Detection-Mefh-
ods of Getting Bid Of fhe Piunder.
Thieves Never Take Cheap Jeweiry.
Some Clever Work Upon Friends.
Ionce knew pickpoeket who would, on
occasion. unbosom himself as to his work
Il can," he said, "get q thousand peck
etbooks before | am detected once, and
then the discovery Will occur through the
clnmsiness Of enc of my stalls Yes, it
would seem es though my business would
pay, but you mrst recall the fact that
most pocketbooks do not contain much
money We open them frequently and find
no money at all-nothiDg but receipts and
other papers. Those we call readers We
strike 50 many readers that money made
In pocketpieking Is not so great as one
might think.
"Of ell men en- earth pickpocket has TO
possess nerve and have it with him The
man who takes as a rule passes the stuff
out Of his hands as soon as he can. II
thief carries hot heather, that is, some
poketbook just taken, or that there Is
row about, he doesn't put it in his pocket.
He carries it under his vest, so that By
simply drawing in his breath it will fall to
the ground He does this, Of course, and
lets the leather go in event of being taken
He will drop the wallet as he and the officer
are walking along. In the dark its easy.
Just drop the stuff and walk over it. Pvs
walked over hundreds in my time Where
detectives make mistake is in not search
ing men as soon as they grab 'em.
Sometimes thieves get reckless, and will
turn q trick for fun and just TO demon
strate how smart they are. l saw man
once in the seat ahead of me on the train
who put his pocketbook in his hip pocket
after he paid his fare. just TO show what
I could do waited until he sat doing IN
his seat Then began TO push on the back
of the car seat with one knee, and as fast
a. / raised the seat back l held IL by
wedging my other foot in between IL and
the bottom of the seat. | lay back and
pretended to sleep all this time myself. and
/ worked SO slowly and SO steadily that my
friend never awoke at all. When / had the
back of the seat raised so high that could
mako the trip | reached under and took
the pccketbook. 1t took forty-five minutes
to get this pocketbeok, and there wasn't
anything in il then, but the people with
me thought it was great feat.
HOW A POCKET is PICKED.
"Thieves never take a silver watch. 1t
Is not valuable enough In getting watches
the man who does the work stands still
with his back To the parR wanted. This
sort Of work will occur on race tracks and
at any place where crowds are standing.
The stalls get behind the victim, and
commence crowding until one way and an
other they get the gentleman square
against the left shoulder Of the pickpocket-
On his left arm he carries a duster or shawl
as cover and when the victim Is all
placed the pickpocket goes through him
with his right hand, reaching across him
self to do the feat, covering his right arm
and hand from sight with the duster on
his left and looking steadily the other way
all the time
1.-The man who is robbed never sees the
face of the man who takes his watch at all,
and this is great point in case he makes
roar. AS rule | never take the chain.
They are mostly plated, and there's moth
ing in them. 1t is easier and quicker to
take the watch alone The rings are only
sprung into the watch stem, not riyeted,
and as you take the watch you can twist
the ring free from the watch and chain by
an easy effort OF the thumb and fore
finger. You don't drop the ring, you bring
watch and ring both, but separate from
each other.
Sometimes a very ticklish thing 90
ours. | get hold Of a watch that opens
easy and spring it open before know it.
OF course Pve got to let it remain that
way. Shutting the case is clean out Of the
question. Closing a watch case under
those circumstances makes a noise like a
gun
"You cannot protect yourself from a
He can get anything you
have on but a ring from your finger. Your
pin Is his every time; so is your watch, and
q tailor never made pocket he cannot ex-
plore as thoroughly as if he took lantern.
ENTERTAINING FRIENDS.
81 was talking with gentleman one
day as am with you, and he called my at
tention to an emerald stone of great value
which he wore in his scarf.
Valuable, amt it, he asked.
az should Judge it was l said; but I
don't know much about emeralds A pure
one, hear, is worth as much as a diamond.
% II ne lOu hOGiu
like this one | wear. wouldn't you" and at
that he laughed as II he supposed couldn't
look on anything without wanting TO
steal IL.
" No. said, don't want your emer-
aid: they bring bad luck. II / wanted it
I'd take it,
" You couldn't get it. It's fastenings are
harder to get at than you think
I'VE let the matter drop, and talked Of
else. Something, as we talked, |
got into my eye and panied me greatly
syelash, guess. was in great pain, and |
be volunteered to get it out. Ee worked |
about ten seconds. and then | winked and |
declared the eye all right. AS he stepped |
back | handed him his emerald that be |
thought no one could get. He was very |
much astoRished, but didn't say much. / 1
could see that il destroyed his faith In |
hose complex fastenings, though.
Another time Robss A. Davidson and |
Judge Adams had been defending some Of /
The family and got them clear, and we 4
we're giving them little supper among |
,ther things by way OF celebration Talk /
.urued on thieves and their work, and both 4
Davidson and Adams, like every man on |
.arth, thought II impossib bic 70 plumber /
hem You could rob other men, but they 1
we're altogether too ksenly sensitive. They 1
would know the minute thief got within /
/ block Of EN-, 70 hear EN- tell IL. While /
he talk was going ca the boys robbed /
hem Of everything toey had. even their
eyeglasses. OF course we gave the stuff /
pack
Well can't be with you always" be
aid Il must 20.
As he shook hands 81 parting he left my