The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-08

They Are Meaner and More Rcmorss-
less than Men.

IN woman pickpocket ls a msaner thief
than Ii man In the same line" said De-
tective Thomas McQuagis. "a man IL
usually looking for a pocket that IN worth
while picking and one that will not s,ss
wha. is taken bu; with woman II is diff
ferent She plies her calling upon women
who can i'll afford to lose dollar The fa-
male psekpocket hangs around the market
houses, large stores, and places OF thar
sort. She Is constituencies. She will steal
the purse of poor woman who IL buying
food for her family. perhaps take from her
a weeks income and leave the family in
want for that pefloi. The professional
female pisspocknt win do more She may
find IN The purse she steals few trsnkefa
Of ;ritug value. pin or iocket contain
ing a lock NJ hair. ehild's ring. worn
maybe By little one that IL dead. WORTH
less Ia her. hut priceless to the owner
She viii Immediately take the money and
throw the parse md trluk.ts down tho
nearest sswer opening where they are los,
forever. Money cannot be identified: the
purse and the trtukets could
II recall wifh satisfaction an lnc.aen, IN
which a female pickpocket figured. She
stole the purse Of poor old woman, and
I arrested her shortly after the act she
had disposed ~ the purse before ! got her
There has beer about 81 10 cash in II and
small piece ~ jswelry that belonged 20
a dead child of the woman. The poor so-
man would have willingly given the thief
the money IN the purse and more for the
return % the keepsake. but IL ~as lost to
her beyond recovery,
II worked up a fair case against the
pickpocke; I got her IN court. did my best
TO convict her, bat because THE purse WAS
not found in asr pSsasrsion she was ar
quilted. Sympa NY with a woman rad
much 10 DO with the verdict. hut there
vas no sYupathy for the woman WIN
had been robbed II wFas with great regret
'hs; saw the nIckp0ckef walk cat gf TIE
courtroom free.
''In taa corridor she met orr az tbs fu-
roTs. fIs smiled. aua sire walked up 70
him and thanked HIN for the verdict lie
assured her that that wss unnecessary. for
be never for moment doubted her In
nocemce That evening he reported % me
front ogflcs the loss OF hls gold watch The
WOMAN bad picked bhs pocket malis thank
lrg Him for acqultting aer. She got away
from
a female pckpoeket I had recently was
boarding IN hesa%e DOWN on Ninth street
She would say grace before every meal
ard she went - eagFeh a. every opperfuf~
lty. Her arrest was announced as an out
FAgs bg fae family WITH " bonn she boarsiea.
They Believed her 20 - religious Woman.
Her home q II ireland. Her husband rams
a small store there. She makes rsx8ln~
trips 10 10. ffrstea States ~ shs rarpeS9
81 pickinS pockets. nfsoghsfdng, ard onea-
ing saiefeis. sA~ hid ~sth her ~nHu ~
arrested her hsank drafts @n an Englsxsi
bank SAe sent her stealings regularly 10
ass husband IN ireland Sns operates ~
utost entirely among yagf wprlss. jurors
have 50 mMeh misplaced upashy as@n
wonan "a IRE prssoasr tAa1 q II iafHesslt
~ czasscs them. Set - - sfessaosiAi female
shief III the fneaaest o. a.. thieves. The
fTs1sLGFg Sess-