The morning call., 1892-12-25
HOLD YOUR PURSE.
Sneakthieves SWarming In
Like Bees.
A PICKPOCKET'S PARADISE.
How Mrs. Burke Lost Her Purse and
Baby-Miss Leontine's Grit Saves
Her Mothers ValuabIeS.

Recently there have been many COM
plants OK the acts OF sneakthieyes and
pickpockets along Kearny and Market
streets. The show W lndows of many Of the
stores are fitted up with elegant spectacular
displays, the effect in some cases being rich
and gorgeous. These window shows at
tract large crowds VINO hang around the
windows
While they are gazing intently on the dis
plays the sneakthief edges his way close to
the women in order TO reach their pockets
or take piece of jewery from their per-
sons unobserved. During the last week
there have been plumbers of women who
have been robbed this way and who have
bad TO return home without the intended
Christmas present for the little ones.
The police. who have received any num-
Der of complaints OF these depred atoms in
broad daylight. have set detectives and po-
llcemen in citizens clothes 10 watch the
crowds from the edge of the sidewalk
Even with this surveillance. the sneak
thieves are plying their occupation with
great profit as will be plainly evidenced by
the following three eases. The pickpoekets
IT may be said are enjoying a singular i'm
munlty from arrest
On Tuesday afternoon one of the boldest
attempts at street robbery ever perpetrated
IN this city occurred on Post street, near
Kearny.
The streets were very crowded at the
time, hundreds passing up ana down doing
their Christmas shipping. So thronged was
the sidewalk about 3 O'clock in the after
noon that one could hardly wedge a passage
one way or the other.
Among the passengers on the street was
one Miss f. Leontiue. who resides on Sac
ramento street. near Hyde. She was ac-
companied by her mother. and both were
on an errard TO purchase Christmas pres
enis. Bei6 well-to-do peonle, the couple
had quite a sum of money with them, which
Miss LeOItine carried in q satchel in her
hand.
While looking in the windows Of the
White House the couple were j0stled against
by two young men, who appeared TO be
! anxious 10 see something in the window,
although their appearance did not Indicate
that they could buy anything more than
coffee and doughnuts.
Miss Leontine and her mother stepped to
one side, when one of the young men
knocked the small satchel out of her hand.
Inc other young man stopped down to
grab 1t. but the young lady was too quick
for him and picked it up herself.
Ihe satcbel was again knocked down.
Miss LeoDtine turned around and said:
What an assurance you have" She did
not realize that what she supposed was an
accident, had been done on purpose, until
the sneRkthlef made a third ATTEMPT TO
grab the satchel, which be now clutched
with both hands.
an attempt was being made to rob her in
broad daylight on one OF the principal
streets oil the city IN the presence of
hundreds of people.
When size understood what was the matter,
she began 10 call for the police.
The two thieves saw that they had no
chance, and wedging their way through the
crowd disappeared. The crowd was mostly
composed of women who were out shopping,
and Who were so Gloss together that they
hot tT,a
matter until the plckpockets had fed. Miss
Le0ntine and her mother congratulated
themselves on their lucky escape.
Another case which took place yesterday
afternoon and which excited the greatest in-
dignaton occurred in market on Market
street. near Sixth. The victim was Mrs.
Burke. residing on Tehama street, near Sew
enth.
She had entered the market with the in
tention OF buying her meat for supper. In
one hand she carried her baby and in the
other her purse. which contained her hus-
bands weekly salary.
While looking at some fine specimens of
lamb and beef near the entrance a man
suddenly darted past her. seized the purse
In her hand and ran out on Market street,
losing himself in the crowd.
The thing took place so quickly ana had
happened so unexpectedly that the thief
was gone before Mrs. Burke recovered from
her surprise. But she is large and ener-
getic woman and her Irish blood was up
In minute.
Let me catch him." she roared. and
placing her bouncing baby on the meat
counter next TO big chunk of beef she
rushed out into the street, pushing right
and left.
OF course she could not catch the agile
thief. though she followed for some dis
lance.
While she was gone the baby on the meat
counter attracted considerable attention.
charitaby inclined lady took charge Of
The child and started out in search of the
mother who had seemed TO care more for
her purse than fjr her offspring.
Mrs. Burke soon returned without her
purse and found her baby also gone.
She was in a very i'll frame of mind and
| s,ormed and raved around Tor some time,
raging at the butchers for allowing "her
little darlnt' to be kidnapped and threat
| ening to annihilate them with one Of their
| own legs of mutton.
The lady who had taken charge OF the
baby soon came baek. and Mrs. Burke
| grabbed 1t mp and went off without thanking
| the person who had taken care of it.
a third case OF sneak-thieving occurred
last Saturday, the sufferer being the
| Wheeler " wilson Sewing machine Manu-
| featuring Company, at 1863 Market street.
| One OF the agents of the company named q.
| j. kulley was about to start off in buggy
with one Of the best machines made by the
| company. IL was highly finished aud pol
| ished and contained all the latest improve
ments, and was valued at $50.
While kulley was on the inside talking
| 10 The manager two young men entered the
| buggy and drove leisuIely of. When Mr..
| kulley came out few minutes later the
machine and his buggy were both gone.
The machine has never been seen since,
although several detectives have been on
| thee
About IL o'clock that night. two young
| men drove up 10 the managers house with
the horsean buggy. There was no machine
| In the buggy.
The young men stated that they had
found the horse and buggy wandering out in
| the Mission. They could not state how they
| came TO know that the horse and buggy be-
| longed to the manager of the company, aud
mad The audacty to claim a reward, which
| they did not get. There was no way TO
| positively connect the young men with the
robbery, aud they were not even arrested
| on suspicion.
| As the machine is numbered the man
| ager hopes TO locate it before long
A prominent detective while watching for
sneakthieves on the edge of the sidewalk in
front Of kearny-sireet clothing store said
yesterday:
| 1T Is almost impossible to catch these
cunning and agile rascals. They are as
dexteTous as man with tour hands. The
only way 10 prevent people from losing
their purses and having their pockets
| picked is To be careful TO have nothing in
their pockets while in crowd, and to care
July guard their purses.
There was one sneak thief just in front
| OF this store who twas taught n lesson last
night. was not here at the time, but heard
| OF it later. The sneskthief had
wedged his way Just behind the woman
| who was middle aged. The pick pocket be-
| gan to cautiously fiddle with her back
| pocket. and commenced TO make out that he
was being pushed from behind in order to
divert the woman's attention. But she had
evidently been there before. and caught on
to the designs of the culprit.
lou dirty little scoundrel." she said,
and with that she drew n long hatpin out of
her hat and began 10 lab at the thief who