Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-09-15
A THIEVES HARVEST.
THE PlcKPocKETs FLocKEo TO THE
MAcE-coeURN FIGHT.

II was Probably the Greatest Gath
erinR of Light Fingered Artists ON
ReoOrd-sOme of the Amusing Incl
dents of nm EventfuI Day.
1.-THE greatest gathering of pickpock.
ets that ever saw, and, dare say, the
greatest bunch that ever assembled,
was at the Mace Coburn fight at Long
Point, Canada, on May II, 1871" said
a detective who has been in the bust
ness since 1855. 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 OF Buffalo or by walking good
many miles through Canada. The boat
that left Buffalo carried in the neigh
bcrhood Of 900 persons 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 valuables 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
OI Iueh6 ~ VI BlChBOEk-
cts. There were about 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
put a check on the work Of the crooks,
because there were at least 800 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 a speech like this;
"'I wish to warn every one against
pickpockets. There are hundreds Of
them here.
1.-THE sheriff stepped out of the ring
and several men grouped about him.
The central figure Of the group was a
crook known as Papes. When the sher-
if got out Ct 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 tc recover the property.
The detective was Captain Rogers. he
sought Papes, explained the situation
to him, and Papes Immediately turned
over the sheriE's property, saying that
he had taken it just for joke.
al can't begin to tell you how many
pockets were picked this day. The fight
waved warm and every one was excit-
ed, so the crooks had ine 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-
cd and nipped. The most humorous in
cidcnt of the day was the theft Of 5000
in bills from u thief who hailed from
ST. Louis and wns unknown to the New
York delegation. A New York man
named o Douohue had got the st. Louis
thief q roll, and lie 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 casee the crooks helped them
along with a small loan, as they termed
it. The referee of the match was re-
heved 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 that
the honest men should band together
and attack the thieves for the purpose
of recovering the stolen property. The
detectives opposed this on the ground
that the honest men and the pickpockets
were mingled go closely as not to be dis
tinguishable, 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 headquarters
! from the first landing place When the
boat tied mp at the foot of Main street,
hundred policemen and all the detect
! i've force were there to meet it. About
' SEQ or $50 thieves were marched out
two abreast and lined up on the wharf.
They were told that they were to be
escorted out Of town, and they made nc
protest. With the policemen and de-
tectives as herders and drivers, the
crooks were marched to the central sta
tion and corralled there under close
guard. When a train for New Yorh
D was made up, the thieves wero escorted
aboard 1t and were watched till II
reached the city line.
"a few years later big gang oi
pickpockets went to another fight al
Long Point. but in size and expertneei
. It did not approach the gang that wen
TO the Mace-coburn fight. At the Han
+ n-Courtney rowing match at Chau
tauqua lake was another big gathering
of pickpockets They had things theil
own way and reaped big harvest. Fol
instance, detectives pocket was pick
ed, but the thief who did the Job wa
induced to return the property. Fiv'
/, lninntea later tho dntectiYa'R nocket wa