The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-26

could neither buy breakfast or get home
without borrowing change from those
more fortunate. A few lost their hats
and hankerchiefs so bold and daring was
! the operation of the thieves at the depots
when people started for their homes
did you lose your pocketbook?" was
repeated by about every third person that
4 Tor sympathy or experience wss bewailing
the loss OF the pocketbook
A few years ago / was at the Ohio state
fair and the evening l returned hundreds
OF people were waiting about the Union
depot for their trains and as my train did
not leave for awhile, went into the watt
/ ing-room to rest and mediate on actions
OF the restless throng as they sauntered
around, thinking, is there plok-pocket or
thief among ali those apparently honest
faces, when at a time there remained but
few IN the depot. two young ladies, as If
in search of some article in the handbag
one Oithem carried, stepped up 70 the man
tie of the ticket window and proceeded 10
Law thereon from the spacious receptacle
$40 articles, more or less, and among them
a little fat-lOoklng money purse, when. in
an instant, nOiselessly as the freed OF q cat
or as if the very air Of the room disclosed
an apparitiOn, for right before my eyes
and between where / sat and the young
ladies, less than twenty feet away, were
looking over a quandary of triiles. APP
pesred a fair young man, faultlesslY
| dressed IN the fashion of clothing worn
by the egotistical youth of means
as he approached the young ladies at
sly like intention with his hand extended
along the wall, thought saw his purpose
and gave one OF the ladies a knowing look
in his direction, when she in q sensible
manner put out her hand for the purse
I and proceeded to dump the miscellaneous
lot into the cOoler-but the young man
had vanished almost as quietly as be had
come.
Pocketbooks and the money purse are
like gold watches too often carried for ef-
feet and have a real significance verv often
| OF the chief characteristics an individual
| possesses. But those traits OF character
! and personal display of gaudy and giddy
| appendices of the wearing apparel become
the surest index for the fakirs and pick
| pockets to work their racket" most sac
| cessfullv.
Professional pickpockets usually work
/ by "twos" and "threes" somewhat after
/ the manner of three-card monte men
/ by one of them drawing on their victi ms
4 in some manner scarcely noticeable to the
average mind. and they are not always
easy TO detect III a crowd of people or on
! the train where chances afford an oppor-
/ tunity to "pick" the unsuspecting.
But there is no one always exempt from
/ being relieved of bis valuables il he gets
/ in position to be taken advantage Of as
/ they are always around and ever ready to
pinch" them on the spot. l have never
/ been mOlested In any way vet, though |
/ have frequently seen them LAYING for
game on trains, street cars and in cities
/ from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and New
/ Orleans 10 Niagara Fails.
OiIentimes they are the most unsuspect-
/ ing creatures in a crowd. dressed with
! care and in a style after the latest fad !;
| but previous to working their victims they
| slip their cuffs and any other appendsge
/ that might interfere with their smooth
/ work. Saloons and pool rooms are
! generally headquarters for nearly
/ every class Of robber games
and many's the time some country chap
: or unWarv traveller has exposed his wallet
there, while taking little something for
/ the stomach's sake" If nothing more
was seductive enough to have cracked"
/ down few sheckels because of the burn
] ing effect they may have had OH his tTous-
er s pockets.
My humble advice is to take nothing
| with you but that is actually necessary,
and safely deposit everything not re-
| quired each day. Keep clear of the sa-
looms and like resorts avoid getting in a
! jam by keeping out of the avRlance, leave
your "big" red pocket-books at home
with your banker and only keep a little
cash handy for daily needs and keep
| right eide up with care. "MIELLo."