The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-09-05
A FISHY STORY.
An Account Of a Detectives Cap
ture Of q Thief
l Method Of Catching Pickpockets
Which, Whether Practicable or
Not, Was Certainly Very
Ingenious.

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 bludgeons thongs as mechanical
aids.
II know" said detective who had
been to Europe and passed some time
in the society Of London detectives, to a,
New York Times reporter, chow pick
pocket was once arrested without his
captor seeing his prisoners face before
he got to the lookup, and without
anyone putting a hand on him. 1t hap
pened this way: A detective, who was
often detailed to gatherings, weddings,
the houses of parliament, Westminster
Abbey and other public places, often ran
across a wiry little man who he discov-
cred had no business where he was seen
and did nothing 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 es~
pecially silk handkerc11iefs. The de-
tective suspected the little why man.
but he evidently had more than one
confederate to pass what was stolen So
as to be clean, for the officer who was.
watching him and was nettled at re-
proof from his superiors 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.
: ''Stran &c 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-
tern1ined to get him by hook or by
crook Now [ don't mean this for a.
pun, but it came out that way. The de-
tective belonged to one of the many
fishing clubs that abound in London and
was familiar with tackle.
procuring four dozen nnsnelle0
hooks Of the size and strength used here
for blackfsh, some flax thread, and ~
needle, he passed an afternoon in turn
ing the tail pockets Of all oldfashioneG
frock coat into thief trap. The hooks
were ringed, and with the needle were
sewed bent out, just inside the pocket,
permitting the hand to enter, but pre-
venting it's withdrawal. He knew of
book sale that would be largely al.
tended at the east END Of the Strand
and made up carefully for it, SO that
when he left home he was a pleasant
faced old goke mouche.
cat the book sale he took care to be
as vecuous and unmindfnl of his sur
roundings as possible, but noted the
calmly for a bite. it came. There was
tug at his coat and q bitter oath, and
he knew that his mans hand was seized
by tine hooks, and that he would NOT
venture to risk the agony that tearing
away forcibly would infsct. Sc 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 a cab,
and he landed the man safely in the de-
tectives' 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 Cor
a short term, but the Scotland Yard
authorities frowned on the detectives
method and prohibited any further ex-
periments Of the sort for fear the news
papers would denounce the expcdient
as cruel. But deadlier trap could not
be baited for g, 'clvfaker.'