The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-02
Methods of Partisan Thieves.


notions ABOUT them are not altosesl.ec
true. Il is d current opinion IN rance,
Tor example, that the nauonal p-ckpet X
cts are not at the top % their profession.
This honor IS reserved Ia French e. e
tor their neighbors. Tor the iight-nugef-
ed gentry OF Great Britain. The British
pIckpocket Is always referred 20 in the
columns Of French newspapers as al
Acknowledged master OF als craIt, as
workman OF me most suoue sziI and
refreshing audaeity. Compared aith aim
the native product IS admitted 10 be
bungHng tyro. whose meth IL are clurn-
81 and whose daring Is dubious TO D.
robbed by 50 awkward practitioner rs
diSgraceluI as Wei as sagreeaple, - le
10 be eased OF your purse oy foreigner
is an insult TO your paIrlO tisIn, ia adal-
ton to an injury 10 your pocket CUT
cusly enough, Charles Dickens is re-
spoHsl0le to some extent for this belief
in the superiority OF the British pick
pocket His description Of the train NJ
Of d thief mas been p0pularlzed ia
France, where people are convinced that
Fagin has many able successors who
teach the arr Of picking pockets on the
most improved principles Many visitors
to the Exposition. however, Engiishne "a
and others, are quite convinced that th5
French thief is not far behind the En-
glish product.
The fact that the Partisan thief shows
a prediction for strokes Of business
that demand no particular talent may
partly account for tae French view OF
him He is always on the lookout for
instance, for an opportunity Of ROBBINS
persons who have been drinking not
wisely but too well In one variety Of
this operation he is called, in French
+1.- I'd
is TO get into conversation with The TO-
per who is induced to accept his escort
and his arm. Under these conditions. TO
strip the befuddled parsonage OF his be-
longings is child play A still simpler
method Of operating is that resorted To
by the pcivrier. This class of rogue lies
in wait for the drunkard who Is rasn
enough to sleep on one of the public
seats that are common in the large Par
isian thoroughfares. AS q rule, he poiv-
rier is able 10 explore the pockets OF
his victim without danger but IL hap
pens occasionally that his wrist is seized
in a tight grip and ne is invited 70 SO
round to the nearest police station, the
pretended sleeper being detective en-
gagged in what is technically known as
fishing.
A more elaborate way Of picking peck
cts is the vol a Tesbrouffe. In this case
at lkast two confederates are necessary.
A street is chosen in which there Il a
fair amount Of traffic likely victim
having been marked down among the
passers-by, one Of the thieves runs up
against him, as If by accident. and In
stead Of apologizing for his awkwarGnt $
let's fly a v0iley of abuse. A man who
has been nearly upset and then insulted
in this way naturally gives his aggressor
a bit Of his mind. and IN his excitement
and amid the gathering crowd, he is very
likely not TO notice that the second thief
has eased him Of his pocketbook or his
watch. or both When his mere dex-
terity is at a loss. ths Partisan thief Of
ten has recourse to violence. In gen
eral way he is careful not to endanger
the life of his victim With this view he
has perfected various methods Of at
tack, which enable him to have his prey
at his mercy for a few moments. The
coup de la BASQUE is a favorite eXpedi-
ent Of robbers working alone, or phi
losophers," as they are significantly
termed in French thieves slang. Sup
pose a footpad sees somebody coming
towards him in a lonely street When
a ward or two from the victim he makes
a dart at him, and his left hand
clutches him by the throat. Taken by
surprise. the victim instinctively throws
his head back. At this instant his as
sailant forces one of his legs from the
ground by encircHng with his own leg,
as in wrestling The man thus assaulted
is half tripped up. and naturally throws
out his arms in an effort TO regain his
balance His position. in fact is very
much that OF person attached TO tn
swing -board. or bascule, Of the giEllo-
tine; hence the name Of the coup
While the victim Is IN this helpless
state, the thief with his right hand
snatches his valuables, and then. Civ
ing his man final push or blow With h
knee in the pit Of the stomach. sends
him rolling in the gutter after which
he himself takes to bis heels. To lee
successful. especially if the victim be
strong this coup has to be carried out
with the utmost rapid.ty and precision
far more quickly indeed than &c can be
described The COUP dc Ia petite chaise
is a sort Of variant Of that just given,
it's object also being to make the vic
tim lose his equilibrium FOR the few
moments needful to furnish an opp0rtu-
nifty for the robbery. in this instance,
the assault is made from behind. The
victim Is seized by the collar and the
footpad then thrusts his knee into IN
small Of his back. thus offering n'm
what is ironically called q little seat"
The prey once "spread-eagled" in this
manner. the thief gets az his pockets
over his shoulder
Both The couDs Just described and one
or two others similar r. them are risky.
The chances are all against tn victim
at the outset, but once he is out Of The
hands Of his assailant. there is nothing
to prevent him screaming for help or
even from turning the tables on his az
eressor. 4 very superior invention from
the point Of view or the footpad and
much more dangerous one from that ~
the victim. IS the coup Gu pere Fran
necessary. One Of them. provided VITA
q stout and long scarf. closes uD with
the victim from behind throws the scarf
around his neck turns sharply round.
and with a Jerk HOSTS the man he has
lassoed upon his back. The c0ufederst o.
then runs the rule" over the victim.
who cannot scream because fe s. half-
shrottled. and who very probably IS in
q sWoon. the result - strang1'atson. be-
fore the pr0ceedings are terminated Tu-
Ean5ous however as fhe contriTanre is
&c has IFS drawbacks. The process ~
stranEulacon may 20 too FAR. and -
fatal % tae victim Without The leaet
intention - making 20 ue1v staks.
the thieves find f1aueeir7r uarlererz
and run the risk nf 'sraeztnE in the
basket" which IS their picturesque uar
~ SAYING being eu.1fatIne5"
suc1 are few - the nethaBs ~ ere
typical Par5s.en rogue. and every one
1-iE admit fhat f7r sheer H-1rsItr u
n5t deXferify she French thi4f r1r-as=e-
every other naeonahty But ths Freneh
do NOS beiiHrs t.
The Best Tisa-
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