The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-22
new schemes by which it can safely

new schemes by which it can safely
follow the trade and prosper.
Men versed in the different types of
criminals agree that the pickpocket and
sneak thief are hopeless from a stand
point of 7ossible reformation. They
represent che lowest strata in Grimm
ology, because their vocation is carried
on without personal danger. Their ma
lures in time become noneycombed
with evil and there is nothing SubStan-
tial enough left on which to build a
structure of honesty. On the other
hand, the burglar or highway robber
must possess some kind of courage and
where there is courage there is a
chance of reformation.
The Criminal Population.
Estimates recently made place the
number of professional criminals in
this country at 100000 and the bulk of
the whole number in the five largest
cities. Crooks from all over flock to
the great centres during the holiday
season, even some of the finest cracks
men being unable to resist the tempta-
ton to do d piece of work among the
women shoppers burdened with Christ
mas cash.
The criminal population of this city
today is close to $4,000 Before the day
on which Santa Claus makes his
rounds, hundreds of them will be in
Jail for safe keeping until the holiday
season is over. Whenever a we'll
known crook appears in the shopping
district he is nabbed at once and held
on the charge of being a suspicious
character.
1t is very hard to obtain sufficient
evidence against any of these light
fingered gentry to secure their convic-
ton for theft, owing to the adroitness
they display in getting rid of incrimin-
ating articles. Time and time again
detectives have pounced upon a man
the very second he has been seen to
steal a purse or bit of jewelry, but
nothing could be found when he was
searched Immediately after.
Work i'm Small Squads.
The reason of this is that the Clever
est pickpociIets always work in small
squads Three is the usual number.
The instant one commits a theft he
passes the stolen article like flash of
lightning to the second who, with the
same speed hands it to the third.
Recently q clever detective, who was
partly familiar with the game, saw a
man slip a gold nat pin from a woman
who was standing in front of a crowded
window. The quick eye Of the detective
saw a smooth-looking low standing
close TO lnlSI dIlu 1uSIeetu OIL pOuIC-
ing upon the latter, as the average po-
liceman would have done. he grabbed
the second man, closing his arms
around him.
The original thief had faded away by
this time and the prisoner was quickly
taken into a store ana searched, but
nothing was found. He was held, how
ever, n court next day as a suspicious
character and later was identified as a
clever Boston crook.
This detective said afterwards that he
should have grabbed third man, who
was in the crowd, and the stolen pin
would probably have been found and
the man sent up for a long term, pro-
yided that a previous bad character
could have been proven against him. If
not, he would go free, as it is such a
well known dodge for crook to drop
booty in a strangers pocket when
closely pressed, that the possession of
a stolen article does not count for much
in police circles.
The SingIe-Handed Crook.
Even when a pickpocket works sin
ele-handed, it is g. difficult matter to
catch him with the fruits of the theft
of them. A policeman detailed for
work in the shopping district in citi-
zens cloti es, stationed himself near a
window where a crowd of women al
ways fingered, He knew that sooner
or later he would have a. chance to
make an arrest
In the early afternoon he saw man
deftly removed gold skirt pin from
the back of a reckless woman who
probably knew little about the danger
Of shopping in the holiday season. The
policeman grabbed him and the thief
seemingly lost his footing and slipped
to the ground, but was on his feet
again in a second loudly protesting his
innocence. He declared it was an out
rage to accuse an honest man of such
a crime. but. confident of what he had
seen, the policeman then and there
searched his prisoner for the stolen pin.