Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-10-17
A THIEVES HARVEST.
THE pIckPockETs FLockED TO THE
MAcE-cosuRN FIGHT.


MAcE-cosuRN FIGHT.
n was Probably the Greatest Gath.
eriaw Of LiEAt Fingered Artists On
Record-some Of the Ana using Incl.
dents Of N Eventful Day.
"The greatest gathering Of pickpock.
eta that ever saw. and, dare say. the
greatest bunch that ever aseembled.
was Mt the Mace-Coburn fight at Long
Point. Canada. on May II. 1871" said
q detective who has been in the bust
ness since 1858. 1.-THE big fight was
held in the vicinity Of the old light
house on Long Point. and the only way
TO get to the ground was by boat from
Erie or Buffalo or by walking good
many miles through Canada. The boat
that left Buffalo carried In the neigh
borhood Of l. 900 persona The fact that
there were a large number OF thieves on
the vessel was noised about. and the
gamest persons kept their hands on
their yaluables all the time. Strange to
say. not touch was made on the way
over.
1.-TWO vessels, both loaded to their
fullest capacity. left Erie, Pa. and each
OF these carried . number Of pickpock-
cts. There were sbout dozen detect.
ives in the crowd. among them being
Detective Patrick V. Cusack Of Buffalo,
Captain Rogers and Detective Sullivan
OF Rochester and few detectives from
Erie, Pa. and Toronto, Ont. They
knew that there was no use in trying TO
pnt check on the work OF the crooks,
because there were at least 300 profess
sional pickpockets In the crowd. Just
after the spectators began taking their
places about the ringside the sheriff got
In the ring and made speech like this;
"I wish TO warn every one against
pickpockets. There are hundreds OF
them here.
1.-THE sheriff stepped ont Of the ring
and several men grouped about him.
The central figure Of the group was a
crook known as Papes When the sher-
III got out Of the mix his diamond stud.
his roll of bills and his watch were
missing. He made known his loss to
one OF the detectives. and the detective
volunteered &c recover the property.
The detective was Captain Rogers. he
sought Papes, explained the situation
20 him. and Papes Immediately turned
over the sberiff's property. saying that
he had taken it Just for joke.
81 can't begin to tell You how many
pockets were picked this day. The hight
waxed warm and every one was excit-
ed. so the crooks had fine field to work
in. Pocketbooks were actually flying IN
the air. Men were accusing honest men
who sat beside them Of touching them.
Scores of diamond studs were unscrew-
ed and nipped. The most humorous in
cident Of the day was the theft OF S2oo
In bills from a thief who hailed from
ST. Louis and wac unknown TO the New
York delegation. A New York man
named o'Donohue had got the 81. Louis
thief's roll. and he returned II when he
learned his mistake Some men were
stripped Of everything they had and
were unable TO buy meal or drink.
In such cases the crooks helped them
along with a small loan, as they termed
Il The referee Of the match was re'
lieyed OF his diamond. His bills were In
an inside pocket and were not touched
Business Jagged with the thieves
after the fight was over. There were
but few pockets left TO pick. Several
men who had been robbed insisted thai
the honest men should band together
and attack the thieves for the purpos'
OF recovering the stolen property. The
detectives opposed this on the grounc
that the honest men and the pickpocket'
were mingled 60 closely as not to be dis
tinguisha BILE. and. moreover. the thieves
could fight and would fight.
"All the thieves returned to Buffalo
after the fight. and word Of their com
ing was sent to police headquarter'
from the 6rst landing place. When the
boat tied mp at the foot OF Main street
a hundred policemen and all the detect
i've force were there to meet II. About
SEQ or $50 thieves were marched out
two abreast and lined up on the wharf,
They were told that they were to b
escorted out Of town. and they made M
protest With the policemen and de
tectives as herders and drivers. thu
crooks were marched to the central sta
ton and corralled there under Gloss
guard. When a train for New Yorl
was made up, the thieves were escorted
aboard il and were watched till Il
reached the city line.
"A few years later a big gang o.
pickpockets went TO another night a
Long Point. but in size and expertnesi
IL did not approach the gang that wen
10 the Mace. Coburn fight. At the Han
Ian Courtney rowing match at Chau
tauoua lake was another big gathering
of pickpockets They had things theil
own way and reaped big harvest. Fo
instance, n detectives pocket was pick
ed. but the thief who did the Job wa
induced to return the property. Five
minutes later the detectives pocket wa
picked a second time, and he was 81
chagrined that he did not endeavor Il
recover the plumber. But, as l said. th'
greatest gathering was at the Mace
Coburn fight. 1t was the last great rail-!
Of the topnotch crooks. and II you asl
any old time crook he will tell you how
be longs for another such expedition
Il will never be. There are too man!
detectives now. Chicago Inter Ocean