The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-26

street IN Whitechapel from whose
crowds an old detective cannot single
out many persons whose criminal rec
ords are known to the police; and my
guide. whose forte has been the re-
covery of stolen goods, pointed out to
me more than a dozen places which he
designated as the resorts of habitual
thieves. We went into one of these
receivers shops"-they would be call
ed fences in America. 1t was nearly
midnight, and there were half a dozen
men and boys, besides one woman, in
the place. in addition to the aged Jew
who kept 1T. The detective was well
known there, and his arrival created
great commotios1s the proprietor run
ming forward, rubbing his hands, to ex-
plain that he had done nothong wrong.
"Ho, no." said the detective assur-
ingly. Il know you amt Whatever
made you think / thought you had.
am just a-showing this gentleman
from the states around a bit. What
you got in that box under there.
Levi?''
Levi pulled out the box. 1t was filled
with silk handkerchiefs. washed and
ironed and neatly. folded now. but
probably the outcome of some pick
pocket mob s" nights work. The de-
tective questioned him closely. but the
old man had a plausible answer for eV-
cry query, and the box went back into
its place. Then the detective made the
aged rascal overhaul his entire stock
for my benefit. and such a heterogen-
eous mass Of everything under the sun
was never gathered under one roof be-
fore. From odd shoes TO silver cake
baskets; from books TO a cask of
smoked herring; from ladies' hats to a
nickle-plated American revolver. the
strange mixture ranged.
Now, Levi, you know that every
bloody thing In the whole place is
stolen goods. now don't you?" finally
queried the detective.
"Oh. no. Mr.. Thick. No, indeed. Not
a single harticle!"
Well. all I've got to say is that you
ought 10 have been raided long ago.
Now. don't ever let me find such a
bloody curiosity shop here again, or
I'll make you take the whole blooming
graft up TO be identified" responded
Mr. Thick.
But after we had left. he said to
me: E.rG5
"The old scoundrel knows as we'll as
l do that we can't do anything with
him. He's careful 10 buy only Of men
he knows and is reasonably certain
10 take in only stuff that has been
stolen outside Of London. This part OF
the town is a great headquarters for
thieves who operate in the suburbs and
the provinces. Burglars work out be-
yond the metropolitan police limits a
good bit and bring their booty in TO
London to sell it,"
THE "sALTERi' 4 NEW DEVELOP
.- MENT.
"They are very clever about IL all,
and the danger of their being caught
through the Identification of the stolen
goods in the hands of some receiver
has been greatly decreased by the ap-
pearance in the business of 'salters.'
Stolen goods are rarely recovered. you
know. unless they are found in the first
hue and cry that follows the robbery.
Well, the 'salter' prevents that, and he
is a dreadful bother 10 the police. He
has only come into existence during the
last few years. since the police have
been astir down here. He acts as a safe
deposit vault for the thief. as IL were.
The thief puts up his stuff with him,
certain that IL will be 'salted away in
some cellar or garnet, until even the
man who was robbed, let alone the po-
lice, give the thing up for lost and for
get to look for II. a year or two after
thing has been stolen there is very
little danger that ii will be identified
when IL is offered. The 'salter' rarely
sells at retail, however. The thief gets
so much extra comfort out Of putting
his stuff into such safe hands that he
disposes Of IL to him at a very low fig
ure-so low that the 'salter' can. after
he has hidden IL for a certain length of
time. afford TO turn il over TO a receiver
and still make money.
PROTECTED BY. PHOTOGRAPHS
This practice has become so gen.
eral," continued this expert in thief
lore. that many Of the rich people are
preparing 10 meet it by having photo
| graphs made of all their valuable pos
| sessions which could be stolen one
| firm Of photographers makes a special
| ~ Of this They take photographs of
each separate piece OF plate and each
| valuable bit Of bric-a-brac. making up
a book of the views and preserving the
negatives. Then. IL one Of the valu-
| ables is stolen. My Lord So-and-so
| simply notifies them of the number of
| the missing article in the book of
/ views. They then make large num-
| her of cheap duplicates Of the photo
| graph. which arS sent 10 the police in
| the various localities where the stolen
article is likely - be offered for sale.
| and il is a part Of the photographer 5
| contract 10 send out new sets every
| quarter for three years. Thus the po-
| lice are reminded OF the theft, and
! have before them constantly photo
| graphs Of the things which IL IS their
I business to recover. II Is plan which
J has worked very we'll in four or five in