The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-12-18

We have thief training schools here,
lots of them Precocious boys, who
have no homes, arc picked off of the
streets by the observant piclzpoclet,
who takes them to the secret schools,
where they are trained by the Fa@ins
in charge of them The little neviccs
ar. taught all the secrets of petty
thieving. and. after awhile, gradual,
accomplished pickpoclSets. They ar
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. 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 Scrgt. 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 puriieus of st Giles. White
chapel and the long. low vharves 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 ont 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 4 story of woe.
had an amusing experience once with
one of this class. He was a nice-lool1-
ing man indeed-was an American pro-
fessor. He came to London, 50 lac said.
for the purpose of making 4 study of
our criminal classes. / did not know
this. of course, until after the expert
ence / am about to relate.
We'll, 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 a
shrewd piclHpocket, and as / had had
some experience with him | guessed
that he was concerned in the robbery.
for ii lad taken place on hIs grounds,
though the professor maintained that
he had been robbed by n 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. He had nothing
to do with the theft. Why, sir, he
couldn't take anything
Just as you say Lanswered with
an amused smile, at the same time
stealing 4 look al Billy.
The boy. who felt that knew he
had committed Jhe robbery. went up 10
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. He
reached for his watch. but, to his sur
prise, ii 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
London policeman. The following mo-
ment. to his amnzement, 1 pulled out
his watch and extended it.
. Pray, how did you get hold of it?'
ne exclaimed.
".The boy gave ii to me. He
touched you while he was thanking
vou for asking me to discharge him.
In a short time we shall have your
purse as well
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 4 long way toward
limiting that ne might be mistaken;
and when, yet that day. / haa 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
man did not venture into the thieves
quarter again without different opin-
ion Of the shrewdness of the gamins
who jostlc one on every corner there"
The day after my adventure on the
Strand my advertisement, a drawn up
by Sergt. Denny. appeared in the
Times. ard several days passed with
out any results. I was beginning to
have . poor opinion of the tender hearts
of London's Fagins, when one after
noon. upon my return from d walk, /
was surprised to have my landlady
hand me the identical souvenir ring.
1T 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. He was very polite. and
when offered him the guinea he said
he could not think of taking il. as you
had been put TO so much expense al
ready"
Did you ask him for his address,"
inquired
Il thought of doing 81. for mag
ined that you would wish to thank him
by post, but he was gone before | could
put the question touching his hat po-
litely as he went down the steps.
That was the end of the whole mat
ter. OF course / had no clew to the
man who had returned the ring. and
when | narrated the incident to Sergt.
Donny he smiled, and. having consult
ed his fat forefinger, like the immortal
Mr.. Bucket said he presumed i would
never forget my little experience with
the light-fngered gentry of London -
I. c. Harbaugh, in Cincinnati Gazette.