The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-02
WAS A SLICK ONE.
Clever Crook Takes a
Wad Out Of a
Mans Pocket.
TRICK DONE AT UNION STATION
Emil G. Shortman Is $53
Short, and No Chance
of Regaining It.
TRICK DONE AT UNION STATION

Pickpockets are still doing business
on trains running into the Union sta
ton.
Yesterday noon Emil C. Shortman. a
resident of Perryville, Conn, was re-
lieved of $50 by one of.the light fingered
crooks who have been a source az
much worriment to men travelling on
trains in central Massachusetts for
the past six months.
Mr.. Shortman arrived in Worcester
on the 11.45 train from Norwich and
shortly before the train pulled into the
Union station he felt in his pocket ~
see If his money was all right. 1t was
In the watch pocket in his trousers.
and consisted wholly of bills.
AS the train stopped at the station
ne got up out Of his seat and walked
toward the door of the car. The door
was blocked up for a moment by the
people who all tried to get off as nuiok :
ly as possible, and Mr.. Shortnan he
ing among them, pushed through The
crowd and got as near the door as he
could.
When he got down into the station
he again felt in his pocket FOR his
money and found he had been relieved
Of 1t. He reported the matter to IN
| spector w. E. j. Stone, who was in
the station at the time, but the thief
had disappeared as quickly as did N.r.
Shortman's money.
He had come to the Worcester with
the intention OF spending a vacation,
| and at first planned to leave home with
about twice as much money as was
taken from his pocket. On the advice
of his wife, he left part of it with her
at nome, and is now a happy man.
The pickpocket must have been a
Slick representative in his line. as he
| could not have had more than q cou-
| pie of minutes to get the money. 1t is
supposed that he saw Mr.. Shortnlan
take the money out of his pocket short
| ly before the train got in, and then
waited for an opportunity when the
crowd was leaving. This is the first
time that man has been robbed on
train ending its trip in Worcester,
but several times before men have
been relieved of money on through
trains shortly before they arrived in
the city. This gives the pickpockets a
chance to get out of town in short
order.
The Worcester inspectors have been
on the watch for the pickpockets since
they first made their appearance in
Boston, when Representative Jan. eS
Hunt and several other men boarding
trains in Boston for Worcester were
relieved of money. One of them mar
aged to successfully relieve Capt. War
rem of the Boston police force of some
money, but was caught later. Alto
gether three of the supposed gang have
been rounded up by the Boston police,
but it seems as If a few of the cleverer
members of the gang are still at
large.
Three weeks ago the street conmis-
soner of Chelsea was relieved of $3.50
in Palmer by the crooks while he was
getting on a train, and they managed
to ~get away without being caught. 1t
is supposed by the Worcester inspec-
tors that they got down into Connecti-
cut after they made the haul from the
Chelsea man, and yesterday one of
them took trip UP to Worcester on
the Norwich division Of the N. Y, n.
H. & H. railroad and got Mr.. Short
mans pile.
The Worcester police are working ct
a disadvantage in looking for the
crooks, as they are not Worcester men,
and it is probable that if the inspec-
tors laid eyes on the crooks they would
not recognize them, as up to date, a
description has not been procured.