Arizona republican., 1891-09-24
A FiSHY STORY.
An Account of a Detectives Gap.
 ture of a Thief
, Method of Catching Pickpockets Which, Whether Practicable or Not. Was Certainly Very
 Ingenious

They were discussing the best way tc bring prisoner from the place of his arrest to headquarters at the central
 office not long ago, and the collar, cuff
 and arm grips were instaneed as manual
 expcdicnts, and handcutfS, nippers and
 pocket bludgeons thongs as mechanical
 aids,
 "I know" said detective who had
 been to Europe and passed some time
 in the society of London detectives. to a
 New York Times reporter, "how a 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 It 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-
 eredhad no business where he was seen
 and did nothing for a living.
 "COincidental with the mans visits to crowded places were complaints of lar ccnics of articles that were carried in the pockets of tails of coats, and es. pecially silk handlierchicfs. The de. tectiye suspected the little wiry 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 ncttled at re- proof from his superiors for negligence in not discovering the pickpocket had Em'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 by crook Now l don't mean this for q pun but it came out that way. The de. t'ct!vc belonged to one of the man, h..inH clubs that abound in London and was familiar with tackle.
 "Irocuring four dozen unsnelled hooks of the size and strength used here for blacllfish, some flax thread, and a needle, he passed an afternoon in turn ing the tail pockets of an old-fashioned troci coat into a thief trap The hooks were ringed, and with the needle were Tw2d bent out, just inside the pocket, permitting the hand to enter, but pre- Tenting it's withdrawal. He knew of book sale that would be largely at 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 gobc mouche.
 At the book sale he took care to be as vacuous and unmindful of his sur as possible, but noted the presence of the suspect and waited calmly for bite. 1t came. There was tn at his coat and bitter oath. and be i.aSw that his mans hand was seized by the hooks, and that he would not 7nturc to risk the agony that tearing 'way forcibly would inflict So he said lu'ty: If you follow me our surgeon FiIl relieve you, and attempted to walk To scotland Yard half mile away, the rap?'I thief following with his hand n the dctcctivc's pocket.
 D.. ""NA al idIBc CTOWu gathered hat the detective had to take cab, md "c landed the man safely in the de- cctvcs office. He was hcld by four of he hooks and the barbS had to be cut 'it before they were extracted. The l hief confessed and went to prison for short term, but the Scotland Yard l authorities frOwned on the detectives | method and prohibited any further ex- of the sort for fear the news 'aperS would denouncc the cxpedient | s cruel But deadlicr trap could not | C baited for q .clYfaker'