St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-09
A THIEF TR
How a Pickpocket Was Caught
With FiShhooks.

New York Times.
They were discussing the best way to
bring a prisoner from the place of his
arrest TO headquarters at the central
Office not long ago, and the collar, cuff
and arm grips were instanced as manual
expedients, and handouts, nippers and
pocket bludgeon thong as mechanical
aids.
Il know" said detective who had
been to Europe and passed some time
in the society of London detectives.
chow pickpOcket was once arrested
without his captor seeing his prisoners
face before he got to the lookup, and
without any one putting hand on him.
1t happened this way: A detective
who was often detailed to gatherings,
weddings. the houses of parliament,
Westminster abbey and other public
places. often ran across wiry little
man, who, he discovered, had no bust
ness where he was seen, and did moth
ing for living.
"COincidental with the mans visits to
crowded places were complaints of lar
cenies of articles that were carried in
the pockets of tails of coats, and eSpe-
cially silk handkerchiefs. The detect
tiyeS suspected the little wry man, but
he evidently had more than one confed-
crate to pass what was stolen so as to be
Clean for the officer who was watching
him, and who was nettled at reproOf
from his superior officers for negligence
in not discovering the pickpocket. had
him arrested twice by other officers and
shaken down without finding any
stolen goods in his possession.
Strange officers were used to make
the arrests in order that the suspected
man might not become familiar with
the principal detectives face, as he de-
termined to get him by hook or crook
Now, don't mean this for pun, but it
came out that way. The detective be-
longed to one of the many fishing clubs
that abound in London, and was famil-
lar with tackle.
Procuring four dozen unSnelled
hooks of the size and strength used here
for black-fish, some fax thread and
needle, he passed an afternoon in turn
ing the tail pockets of an old-fashioned
frock coat into thief-trap. The hooks
were ringed, and, with the needle, were
sewed, bent out just inside the pocket,
permitting hand to enter, but prevent
ing its withdrawal. He knew of book
sale that would be- largely attended at
the east eud of the Strand. and made
up carefully IOT III, So IIldJ Wu6U lie leIl
home he was pleasant-faced old gobe-
mouche.
"At the book sale he took care to be
as vacucus and unmindful of the sur
roundings as possible. but noted the
presence OF the suspect and waited
calmly for bite. 1t came. There was
a tug at his coat and bitter oath, and
he knew that his mans hand was seized
by the hooks, and that he would not
venture to risk the agony that tearing
away forcibly would infiict. So he said
quietly: If you follow me our surgeon
will relieve you,' and attempted to walk
to Scotland Yard, half mile away, the
trapped thief following with his hand
in the detectives pocket.
But such a large crowd gathered
that the detective had to take cab and
he landed the man safely in the detee-
tive Office. He was held by four of the
hooks and the barbs had to be cut off
before they were extracted. The thief
confessed and went to prison for short
term, but the Scotland Yard authorities
frowned on the detectives method, and
prohibited any further experiments of
the sort for fear the newspapers would
denounce the expedient as cruel. But
deadlier trap could not be baited for
'clyfaker.'