The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-30
They Are Trained TO Enter State
rooms Through the Portfolios.
THEY ROW OUT TO STEAMSHIPS.
Their instructor Has Room Where He Has
Rugged Up q Dummy and Puts Them
Through Their Courses.

New York, July 30.-The discovery Of q
boy nine years old trained by a profess
sional river thief to make monkey-like
excursions into steamers through open
port holes and pass out such property
as he cou.a lift has set the Brooklyn po-
lice on the watch for the new Fagin,
whose name the boy swears he does not
know.
The apt pupil is George Brown. He
said the man who taught him TO steal
put him through a preliminary course of
training In a room on Pacific street.
where dummy" was dressed alternate
ly in male and female attire. SO he
might learn how to go through all sorts
OF pockets without dangerous disturb
ance OF the clothing.
Other children, he says. were attend
ants at the same school. and when grad
uated were permitted TO steal for their
loving instructor.
PLEASANT SUGGESTIONS.
The thief had pretty conceits. which
pleased the kindergarten, Brown ex-
plains, such as telling them how to look
out IOr nice WdeCnts anu any ai tiSieS
which would shine.
For several weeks the police have been
puzzled over a number OF thefts from
ships lying at East river piers in the vi
cinity of Fulton ferry.
Captains have reported that although
their cabin doors were properly locked,
navigating Instruments. watches, money
and all sorts of articles OF value disap-
peared from the cabins.
CAUGHT BY THE ENGINEER.
During the past week the steamship
Brazil at Martins stores has had many
visitors.
William n. Dizzle, the cnief engineer,
surprised a very small boy in his state
room yesterday afternoon.
The child was small and understood
and tried at first TO sneak under cover,
but the room was so small that, tiny as
he is. he could find no hiding place.
Then he turned his sharp little eyes ap-
peaQngly to the big engineer, and begged
TO be let go. Dizzle was holding him In
tight grasp by this time.
IL amt done nawthin." said the child,
sobbing. "Jes come in here ter look
around"
You've been stealing. you little ras-
CAL" ventured the engineer. The boy s
pockets were bulging, and the outlines
OF a very fat watch were plainly visible
through the threadbare cloth of the
small boys trousers.
Dizzle sent for an officer. and Detective
brennan OF the Fulton street station, re-
sponded.
LED TO CONFESS.
The boy was searched, and three
watches and So in cash were found. One
of the watches had been taken from Diz-
zle's stateroom and the other two from
members of the ships crew. The money
i.au been picked up In various state
rooms.
The boy admitted finally strange man
had put him through the port hole
and told him he would give him dime
If he brought out a watch or anything
that would shine" He declared he had
never seen the man in his life before.
At last he confessed the man had
trained him to go through open port
holes and hand out watches. navigating
instruments, money and other things OF
value.
Then he would climb out through the
port hole. They usually came In "A row.
boat. he said. and would go to the ship
on the opposite side from the pier, get
what they could and then row away.
The other pupils. he said. were taught
to pick pockets about the ferries. The
police watched the Pacific street house
named by the boy but the modern Fagin
did not return.