The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-11-07

who takes them to the secret schools,
where they are trained by the Fagins
in charge of them. The little novices
are taught all the secreta of petty
thieving, and, after awhile, graduate
accomplished pickpoclSets. They are
| taught, also, to recognize at sight the
| different people who flock to London.
They know the Frenchman from the
native, German from q Russian, and
| Americans are told OF once. How do
they do this? Sometimes by the cut
OF ones clothes, by the manner of car
| rying jewelry. You brought your
clothes from New York, did you not?"
l acknowledged that my garments
were fresh from the shop of an Amer
lean tailor, at which Sergt Donny
smiled, and added that he would have
taken me for an American ION sight"
'The great headquarters of our Fa-
gins" he continued, "are the dark and
dismal purlieus of st. Giles, White
chapel and the long, low wharves of
the Thames. They are there by thou
sands, young and old and both sexes.
They have societies and even savings
banks and when one of their number
is in our hands the others are willing
to put up money to get him out. l do
not wonder that some tourists get
robbed. They will go down into these
parts of the city without q proper es-
cort, and the next day they are at
Scotland Yard telling a story of woe.
| had an amusing experience once with
one of this class He was nice-loolt-
ing man, indeed-was an American pro-
fessor He came to London, so he said,
for the purpose of making study Of
our criminal classes. | did not know
this, of course, until after the expert
ence ] am about TO relate.
"Well, our professor went down into
St Giles, and while exercising eyes and
ears he was robbed by a boy scarcely
ten years old. The little fellow was u
shrewd picl1pocllet, and as | had had
some experience with him | guessed
that he was concerned in the robbery,
for it had taken place on his grounds,
though the professor maintained that
he had been robbed by man from
whom he was trying to obtain some
statistical information. Accompanied
by the complainant l went to the dam
gerous quarter and nabbed little Billy
before he was aware of my presence.
"'You must discharge this child, SIR
said the American. He had nothing
to do with the theft Why, sir, ho
couldn't take anything
Just as you say l answered with
an amused smile, at the same time
stealing look al Billy.
''The boy, who felt that | knew he
had committed the robbery, went up to
the gentleman and thanked him pro.
fusely for his Kindness, after which he
hurriedly departed and walked on.
Half a square from the scene of the en-
counter ! turned suddenly and asked
the professor the time of day He
reached for his watch, but, to his SUR
prise, it was gone, whereupon he looked
at me thunderstrucll. He was inclined
to get angry, saying that he had been
plundered while under the escort of a
j London policeman. The following mo-
ment, to his amazement, pulled out
his watch and extended it,
Pray, how did you get hold Of it?'
he exclaimed.
"'The boy gave it to me. He
touched" you while he was thanking
you for asking me to discharge him.
In short time we shall have your
purse as we'll
} 1.-THE American could not believe that
the boy Billy was the person who had
taken the purse, but the adroit theft of
the watch went long way toward
limiting that he might be mistaken;
and when, yet that day, I hau the sat
isfaction of restoring his purse, which
had been brought in and surrendered
by the boy, his wonder knew nc
bounds. l dare say that your country
man did not venture into the thieves
quarter again without a different opin
!; ion of the shrewdness of the gamins
, who jostle one on every corner there
Sergt. Donny related many more
incidents connected with his expe
: riences with the light-fngered frater
, nifty of London, and | was not aware
, that the morning had vanished till he
J called my attention to it, He narrated
5 how, when the victims pockets are
tight, the thief will drop into them two
little leaden balls attached to a string.
The balls are coated with shoemaler's
wax and adhere to anything they
touch. in this manner the piclpoclIet
| W dDSGldCb JuC
without the owners knowledge. A
friend of mine once found two such
: balls in his pocket on returning from a
| street ramble in London. The thief
, had simply cut the string when he
found that the pocket was too
| close for the work, and left the balls
with his intended victim. This my
) friend learned when he exhibited the
| balls at the hotel.
, The day after my adventure On the
Strand my advertisement, as drawn up
by Sergt. Denny, appeared in the
4 Times, and several days passed with
out any results. I was beginning &c
have a poor opinion of the tender hearts
, of London's Fagins, when one after
, noon, upon my return from a walk,
was surprised to have my landlady
, hand me the identical souvenir ring
SIT was brought to the house by
well-bred gentleman, who beggcG
leave to say he was sorry he had not
seen your notice sooner" she said IL
explanation. "He was very polite, ant
when offered him the guinea he sale
he could not think of taking it, as yoy
had been put to so much expense al
, ready"
} Ibid you ask him for his address?" ]
inquired.
; 81 thought of doing so, for / imag