The evening world., 1894-05-15
TO RAID A SCHOOL OF CRIME.
Police Are Investigating a Boy
Pickpocket's Story.
Pupils Ragofsky and Mcndelovitz
Held for Trial.

Bernard Ragofsky. o. Allen street,
and Mendel Mcnlelovitz OF II Ludlow
street aged fifteen and thirteen years
respectively. arrested Sunday afternoon
by Pa,k Policeman MCGEE for picking
pockets in the Central Park monkey.
house. were each held in $500 bail for
trial by Justice Voorhis this morning in
Yorkville Court.
Young Mendelovitz says that regular
school for the instruction OF pickpockets
has for years been flourishing on the
east side. and that Artful Dodgers are
graduated there by the dozen.
Mendelovitz's mother. who was in court
this morning told Justice Voorhis that
she had no knowledge OF the work the
boy was concerned in
Ragofsky Is evidently older in crime
and has learned the lesson OF silence.
Both boys as they stood before the
Justices desk, rested their hands on its
edge; The popular idea that slim
characteristic Of the professional pick
pocket, had ample verification in both
cases
The older boy, in particular, has a
hand that any lady might be proud
Of 1t is soft and slim. and the fingers
from the second joint tapered to the
The fingers looked as II they might
have been. moulded by the continued
wearing OF long thimbles; The police
think this by no means improbable.
Ragofsky's brother, Nathan. who said
he was twenty-five years old, and a
cigar-maker. appeared In court. Nathan
said that Bernard lived with him at
rents, he said, were in Poland He
had brought Bernard to America two
and Eor half hal Ses, gears ago on,,. ,o eat,
Bernard lived with an uncle In Balti-
more. and two years ago came to New
York, Nathan said that Bernard was n
peddler. and that was what he thought
he was doing during the day.
Justice Voorhis tried to make Nathan
admit that some tewelry he wore had
be-, been given n him by his younger brother,
claring that he knew nothing OF the
lads stealings.
According to MendelovItz's story, he
Solomon, who. he said. lived in Suffolk
street. between Grand and Hester. and
has been teaching boys the art of thiev-
Ing for the last four years.
Associated with Solomon. the boy said.
was Barney Jubal who lives in Lud-
low street in the same block with
Mendelovitz. There were also one ied-
ditch, OF Division street. near clinton;
young man named Tepp. and Philip
Quatsky. who acted as instructors and
showed the pupils how to extract ar
tl'leS OF value from people y pockets.
Quatsky laid out the work for Men
delovitz on the day the latter was ar
rested. The Bowery, battery Park and
Central Park were fayorite fields for
the pocket picking industry. the boy
said.
Central Park was, he said. dead easy
grnft" since the ununiformed de-
tectives had been replaced by the gray
coated policemen.
Inspector Mclaughlin said this morn
Ing that he had not heard about the
sSssd os nsestH ss9G for The psknSekis sas
inclined to think, however, that the
lad had been romancing.
Capt. Schultz, OF the Delaney street
station, In whose precinct the alleged
Fagins live. according to Mendelovitz.
started out this morning with Detec-
tives Shalvey and iIussey, TO gather in
No arrests had been made up to noon
to-day.
Park Policeman McGee caught another
McGees last prisoner is Frank McGrath.
aged twenty-four, who said he liz a
walter out OF work. and lives at 248
found plying his vocation In the tiger
house.
At 40 o'clock in the afterro~ one Of
the tigers had 1T and crow uttered
ent was Mrs ~ Gr,per OF 100 Sev-
enth lvcnuI .-ic saw H':Grath's
hand In hes lr",- pocket = I, caught
Withdraw :. Ii Sas he'. FOR Tor trial trial in in
young ptckpocket was held for trial
BY Justice Koch. in Essex Market Court
to-day. He is Nathan Iauzer. sixteen
years old, of as Rodney street. Brook
lyn lie is said to have stolen n silver
watch from Abraham Itipstein, OF lil
looking In Norfolk street show win
/ dow Joseph Sporer, twelve years old,
Witnessed the theft and caused the ar