The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-22
QUEER WAYS OF STEALING.
Talk With a Tombs Official on
Methods Used by Thieves.

David S. Witch, VINO has been clerk and
official stenographer Of the Court of Special
Sessions in the Tombs Court since 1886, re-
calls some interesting "reminiscences of
peculiar and ingenious forms of theft which
have come under his observation during tn at
time.
1.-THE Court Of Special Sessions has tried
more than 10000 cases." said Mr.. Witch,
during the twsnty-six years that l have
been connected with it, and l have kept a
record, with a running comment of all of
them. some of which are peculiarly interest
ing
man, a wiry, keen old, fellow with pinched
and shrunken face, who was brought up not
less than twenty-five times for the same
offense. He was never known to steal any
thing but coats.
"He would hang around where a gang Of
workingmen were paving the streets. and
when they had laid aside their coats he
would point to particular che and say to
some little fellow. oh. sonny, bring me my
coat over there, will you" and the boy,
thinking he was one of the workmen, would
bring the coat to him.
Eat Thanksgiving and Christmas the tur-
key thief plies his trade, in which, by the
day, he develops unusual ingenuity The
most frequent case that has come up OF this
character is OF the thief who carries a
hooked pole on his shoulder, and as he
passes q grocery-store deity captures his
turkey, and whlstling jauntily swings on by.
1t is more difficult now than formerly to
work thi: racket, however, as grocerymen
have learned to keep sharp eye on the man
with the pole.
"a number of cases have been brought
to our notice of clever knaves who imper-
senate policemen and arrest defenseless
people ana then eXt0rt from them all the
money they can get. One man kept this up
for months before he was arrested. and
worked the scheme in every part of the city.
HE would even let them IF for so cents
or quarter if he was convinced that this
was all he could wiring from them, aud most
people, rather than have any trouble, would
pay him. He was always particularly
shrewd In selecting his victims.
During public parades the shopthief is
always ready TO take advantage of the eX-
element, and frequen tly gets In his work
in beautiful style One man was arrested
a number of times for stealing from q eoun-
ter. at the same time purposely distracting
the attention OF the storekeeper. He was
known to raise a great noise in the street
and then disappear In the crowd with aham
or turkey.
There is an old Greek who keeps small
store on Duane street. who has developed
great skill in aDpropriating whatever is
brought into the store, replacing it with
something of inferior value. Only yesterday
two girls went into the store carving a bas-
ket containing couple of chickens. Upon
leaving they discovered that the basket was
much lighter. and, upon investigation, found
that their good chickens had been exchanged
for Scrawny ones.
"The stage thief, believe. has been writ
ten up a number of times. He confines his
operations to the Fifth-avenue stage. He
always chances to get seat next to the
nickel-box, and politely offers to accommn-
date passengers by placing their fare in the
box. He is very suave gentleman. and
always manages instead to let the money
drop into his pocket"