The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-21

than any other seller in thai line. BY
this time she was well known and could
have gained entrance TO any of the
mobs. In fact. when the big mob was
organized to do business at the worlds
fair she was asked to Join il. but she
refused. saying hat she could do all
the work she wanted unaided Suisse
quently the mob scheme failed because
its leading spirits were deported by the
police.
Early in Os93 Minnie did form a part
nership with Barney Birch. No. 2t22 in
the New York rogues' gallery. and
worked with him i'm Chicago, Milwaukee
and other Western cities. The part
nership vas of another kind also. In
the criminal records she appears as
married to Birch, which may mean lit
tie or nothing. but she frequently
claimed hat she was legally married.
and he has never denied it. so far as
is known. They worked east as far
as Philadelphia on one trip. but dldn't
get as far as New York. They almost
invariably worked together. and a fav-
orite trick was to 60 to some concert
hall and get into conversations with
persons there. While one of them was
talking to the victim the other would
go through his pockets. Usually il
was the woman WHO did the actual
touching" as Birch who is himself
one of the most skilful p~ickpockets in
the business, cheerfuliy admitted his
companions superiority. 4 story is told
I'm Chicago of how the pair were stand
ing on a street corner talking with n
saloonkeeper, who is also a betting
man. when Birch remarked that his
wife could pinch" anything that was
i'm plain sight from a man. The sa-
loon man held that any man who per-
mitted his pockets to be picked was
either drunk or a fool. and the contro-
versy ended in a bet of $50 as to the
woman's ability to get the watch of a
friend of the ~saloonkeepcr. who was
standing on the next corner.
You stand right here and watch
said Birch, and maybe yoU1n see how
it's done"
"Whatll you give me for the ticker
If / get it?" whispered Minnie DAILY,
leaning Over to him.
Give YOU $50 and sell It back to him
for $780," was the reply.
In a few n u the pair were in
conversation with the subject of the
ev0eriment. Presently Birch turned
sharply, his elbow caught the man I'm
the N~ais.coat, and the watch was gone
so neatly that the end of the chain
was left in the mans pocket. on their
return to the better they demanded the
$50 and got it.
Where's the $50 I'm to get for the
watch?" asked the woman.
Al this the saloon man made some
demur, whereupon she added:
For that $50 I'll throw in another
watch" and she pulled out the latters
own chronometer which she had gently
distracted at the moment when she
was whispering in his ear.
The unsuspecting subject of the bet
got back his watch. for Minnie said II
would be a low trick to keep It. as she
had made enough out Of he transaction
without it. The frankness with which
she admitted in general the soft Inn
peachment of being a pickpocket was
the most remarkable thing about her.
Ask her about any particular job, and
she would deny IL. unless 1t was OF
such a character that there was no
LANCER of her getting into trouble ny
any admission, but she would talk
freely. and even for publication, about
her trade. when she returned from
Europe in 1897 she had been over there
two years. and incider lily taken i'm
the queens Jubilee. She was inter
viewed by a reporter from one of the
CHICAGO papers, to whom she said:
You want to know what kin OF a
time I've had? Well. it's been great ana
I've done a lot of business, too. You
know, l believe in bringing torelsh
money back to America, and | brought
a good bit of it after paying all my eN-
penses and living on the fat Of the land
all the time. They took me'for an Amer
lean heiress, l guess, and / might nave
got an earl or something of that KIND
to bring back with me If | was in that
line Of business, hut they cost too much
to support Ia heard such a lot about
Scotland Yard and the sharp British
hobbies that / didn't know as ia take
a chance with any work at all over IN
England: but, bless you, it's the easiest
game yet. / worked right through the
Jubilee. and got more rocks and spark
lers and feathers from the Johnnles than
I'd strike in a year here and the leath-
ers were stuffed, too. Victoria WASH
the only one that had a diamond jubilee;
look at those" and she actually united
a Handkerchief and showed the reporter
n number Of fine diamonds which had
been removed from their settings.
THE sparklers are the thing" said
she. I'd rather get them than the
Ions green, even.'
In this city Minnie DAILY never work.
ed, but the police knew here and she
knew the police. She was once arrested
on suspicion, but was not held. Here
she was known undo the name or
Frances Sauer 10 the people from whom
she hired rooms in a respectable locality
in Columbus avenue. Apparently she
came here To spend the money she made
In other places. and perhaps To convert
her spoils into money, for she always
sold her W stuff and never trusted to
agents. She was very fond OF going 10
the theater and of driving in the park.
Usually she was seen with some other
IN
"The last time I saw Minnie DAILY
says Captain NaClusky. chief q the de-
tective bureau. was just as she was
coming out Of the Empire theater last
winter. She was with some other wn-
man, and a very respectable looking pair
they made. She recognized me the min
ute she saw me and hurried away,
though I've no doubt she was merely
out for pleasure n not on business. so
far as we can discover she never worked
in this city at all: liked TO have some
niace whera She Cnnld come for a rest,