The Republican., 1891-11-06

evil class in London, more thieves
than you have honest people in some
of your pretty American cities 1t is
to our shame, of course, but how are
we to help it?
"A large per cent of foreign pick.
pockets have been trained in London.
We have thief training schools mere.
lots of them. Precocious boys, who
have no homes, are picked off of the
streets by the observant pickpocket.
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 secrets of petty
thieving, and, after awhile, graduate
accomplished pickpockets They are
taught, also, to recognize at sight the
different people who flock to London.
They know the Frenchman from the
native, a German from a Russian and
Americans are told at once. low 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 notP"
acknowledged that my garments
lean tailor, at which Sergt. Donny
smiled, and added that he would have
taken me for an American ''on sight
The great headquarters of our Fa-
gins" he continued, ARE the dark and
dismal purlicus 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 | do
not wonder that some tourists get
robbed. They will go down into these
parts of the city without proper es.
cort, and the next day they are at
Scotland Yard, telling story OF woe.
had an amusing experience once with
one of this class. lie was a nice look.
ing man, indeed - was an American pro.
lessor lie came to London, so he sand,
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 boy scarcely
ten years old. The little fellow was a
shrewd pickpocket, and as had had
some experience with him guessed
that he was concerned in the robbery
for it had taken place on hls grounds,
though the professor maintained that
he had been robbed by a man from
whom he was trying to obtain some
statistical Information. Accompanied
by the complainant | went to the dan.
gerous quarter and nabbed little Billy
before he was aware of my presence
You must discharge this child. SIR
said the American. lie had nothing
to do with the theft, Why, sir, he
couldn't take anything
Just as you say, | answered with
an amused smile. at the same time
stealing a 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 square from the scene of the en-.
counter turned suddenly and asked
the professor the time of day. lie
reached for his watch. but, to his sur.
prise, it was gone, whereupon he looked
at me thunderstruck. lie was inclined
to get angry saying that he had been
plundered while under the escort of a
London policeman. The following mo
ment to his amazement, | pulled out
his watch and extended it.
Pray, how did you get hold of it2'
he exclaimed.
THE boy gave it to me. lie
touched" you while he was thanking
you for asking me to discharge him
In short time we shall have your
purse as we'll
"Ihe 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 wav toward
limiting that he might be mistaken.
and when, yet that day. hau the sat,
isfaction of restoring his purse. which
had been brought in and surrendered
by the boy, his wonder knew no
bounds. dare say that your country
Hlni uiNi hoI EcHluIc llIO INC JHleVeS
quarter again without a different opin
ion of the shrewdness of the gamins
who iostlc one on every corner there"
The day after my adventure on the
Strand my advertisement. rs drawn up
by Sergt. Denny appeared in the
Times, and several days passed with.
out any results was beginning to
have 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
ut was brought to the house by a
well-bred gentleman, who begged
leave to say he was sorry he had not
seen your notice sooner" she said IN
explanation. "Ile was very polite, and
when offered him the guinea he said
he could not think of taking it. as you
had been put to SO much expense al,
ready"
Did you ask him for his addressp" |
inquired.
81 thought of doing so, for imag
ined that you would wish to thank him
by post, but he was gone before icould
put the question. touching his hat po.
litely as he went down the steps"
That was the end of the whole mat
fnn n sL-.