The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-19
PICKPOCKETO.
Two Light-Fingered Suspects Liber-
ated by Chief Rodgers.
The Arresting officers Had Nothing to
Say About it-Hunting for
Them Again.

Last Friday Officers Maley and Ahern
arrested two young men at the race-track
on suspicion of being pickpockets. They
and several other officers had been watch
ing the men for some time, as they had
received information from Special Officer
j. NJ. Sullivan that the men, with another
companion, had been acting suspiciously
about the track. Mr.. Sullivan had the
interests of the fair at heart, and wanted
the men put out of the grounds before
they succeeded in robbing anybody. The
officers, however, wanted to catch the
operators at work and followed them
about for some time. They were certain
THE MEN WERE "CF0oKs,"
For, in addition to what officer Sullivan
had told them, word had been received
from the Oakland police that the men were
here on professional business"
The officers finally decided to arrest the
trio, but succeeded in getting only two
of them. the third escaping. They took
the suspects to the City Prison, and after
locking them up returned to the track.
When they revisited the prison i'll the
evening, however, they We're dismayed
to find that their prisoners had been
liberated IN their absence, and without
their knowledge.
It appears that the Chief took the men
out of their cells, conyersed with them,
and came to the conclusion, as he after
ward explained, that they were inno-
cent-without ascertaining whether or
not the officers had any proof against the
men.
officer Maiey protested that the Chief
should have consulted them, but he got
no satisfaction. Rodgers declared that
they should go to him, and not to Jack
G-1r1l mob - re, a
that she would turn out anybody Sulli-
van arrested" The Chief does not like
Sullivan, which probably accounts for
the declaration made by him.
GOT OUT OF THE Way
The suspects Immediately disappeared,
and no further trace of them could be
found. Some more Of the gang were
found, though. and their identity con-
hrmed the officers suspicious. These
companions were two young women,
who earned the reputation while in town
of being very clever ''grafters." They,
with their male friends" had secured
apartments in respectable house on
street, representing themselves as being
nice married people who were visiting
the fair. This was but blind as was
made evident when the women secured
rooms nightly at notorious place on
h street for their real purposes. In case
of trouble they could prove that they
i
pie who had rooms next 10 the operators
in the K-street house say that every
night there was a row in the women's
apartments, started by some man who
claimed he had been robbed.
Special Officer Odell got ON the track of
the women and secured positive evidence
of their guilt. Being inexperienced,
however, he forgot to obtain the adj
dresses of the men who were robbed, and
had to let the women go. The next
evening Officer Higgins
CAUGHT ONE OF THE WOMEN
Walking boldly up stairs into the Golden
Eagle Hotel. Seeing that she was re-
cognized she took flight. On Friday
night the women took to another part of
town, but were interrupted in their oper-
atoms by Officers Lowell and Shook
who arrested them on charges of
Vagrancy.
Captain Bradley interviewed the
women and they confessed that they had
been doing up" people right and LETT,
andtold enough about their friends"-the
two young men suspected of being pick
pockets-to convince the Captain that the
Chief had made grave mistake in turn
ing them loose.
When Chief Rodgers was informed of
this he became alarmed and sent officers
out with instructions to recapture the
men, if possible. The latter, however.
appreciated the narrow escape they had
had and took care to get out of the way,
and as result were not recaptured
That the suspects were not the ''well-
known and respectable young menu
Chief Rodgers declared them to be is
further evidenced by the fact that Deputy
Sheriff Alter recognized them the mo-
ment he saw them at the track in the
custody of Ahern and Maley. Detective
Anthony pointed one of them out to me
in San Francisco recently" said Mr.
Alter, land
TOLD NE TO LOOK OUT,
AS the fellow and his gang would no
doubt visit the fair. He said they had
been arrested several time in San Fran
cisco, and were looked upon as very dan
gerous operators. l took a good look and
knew this fellow the moment saw him."
Special Officer Sullivan, speaking of
the matter, said: Rodgers thought he
he was going to pique me by turning
those men loose, but he made a mistake.
have not been making arrests at the
track and trying to convict people. I
was employed by the State Society to
look out for these sharpers. Instead of
waiting until they robbed somebody, l
have made a practice, as soon as spotting
them, of throwing them out of the
grounds and not permitting them to re-
turn. Every arrest that / made at the
track, even on suspicion, hurts the fair,
and my policy has been to get at those
fellows before they could do any of their
work.
Regarding the men arrested by Maley
and Ahern, know them to be crooks of
the first water. I never would have
pointed them out to the officers had l not
known them to be such. Rodgers has
only shown himself up in his true colors
before the people IN this little affair and
has not hurt me btu
Yesterday Chief Rodgers turned the
two women loose, as he said he had no
evidence against them.
AT THE RANGES