The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-20

Now ts}dt shoppers crowd the stores and
Ell downtown streets, word has gone out
to beware of pickpockets Il is their busy
season They go about silently. cunning
( y, as they ply their sharp trade.
Net few thefts have already been re
ported. mostly b. womenz in the big
stores. which are daily filed to overflow
iHss with mass Of humanity Women
CROWD together, eager to buy n this
human Jam the thief works, but seldom
/ Is he detected in the act
Jp-to-Da;encss OF me Thief.
The personal characteristics of ths
pickpocket are worthy Of notice. He is
clever. quick, intelligent. He wears swell
clothes He Is stylish. as rule. carries
his gloves IN his hand. and occasionally
Flight coat, muller or other like article,
to be used as a blind while he plies his
work. He studies his victim.
IL The pickpocket be a woman, as IS
NOS unusual, she goes among those prin-
! cIpaiiy of her own sex. She also is well
attired- She mingIes with the crowd. here
and there, fitting in and out. and always
Keeping a watchful eye On her intended
victims. She IS quick intuitiye. and al
! ways ready TO demand an apology OF any
body AMI everybody who seeks to cues
ton her Character, rights or honesty in
any way She disdains the blus-coated
policeman patrolling his beat. as IN
. worthy 10 arrest her on suspicion or
Otherwise Yet she has certain respect
Tor the fly cop, who wears his badge
under his coat.
Necessity of CO-Operation.
The adrisability Of shoppers being
wary at this holiday season is important
to recognize in dealing with this prob
lem The police put forth their best ef-
forts to guard the big stores from loss
and protect the -unsus pecting public from
the cunning Of the professional thief. but
the observance OF caution on the part of
the public IS very necessary
week ago the detectives were ragu-
larry assigned to duty il the various de-
! paTtment stores downtown They take
turns IN the several establishments. from
about noon until late every evening. when
1 the stores olase for the night. Wearing
no uniform, they move about unobserved
IN The crush They watch for the pick
pocket OF the shoplifter thus lending aid
TO the regular force Of foOrwaIkers and
clerks employed by the stores.
oAGH1SES-
# an arrest is made by 4 detective,
the subject is usually hustled out OF the
store 10 Headquarters. There he IS
searched questioned, and either released
for want OF proof or locked up.
On the contrary. il store enpIoye dis
! covers a woman in the act OF stealing
! some triliing article from counter. she
is generally asked to return the property
J
cases the store managers deem II best TO
refrain from causing an arrest and con-
/ sequent loss OF time in seeking pEcSecu-
| ton Of the offender
How the Lifters Work.
Experience goes to show shat profes-
i-sionaI PicIzpockets work IN squads CT
i sometimes in pairs. They gradually pslSh
| their way into a crowd without attract
ing attention. II two are together. the
thieves select their victim before making
any move staH. Then they close in 5IBon
him. Usually one pickpocket finds his
way on one side OF the person who is TO
! be robbed his pal on the opposite side.
Thus one thief stands ready to engage the
attention OF the victim by some chance
remark. while the other rObs him Il is
done quickly. 4 watch IS snatched from
its chain, which is twisted and broken: a
pin IS lifted from a tie, or a pocketbook
lis swiftly taken from the coat OF the vic
tim. The thieves then move of to work
elsewhere IN the crowd.
, Police Studying RcEHe's Faces.
In this city Just now pickpockets are ex-
pecfed. Reports show that some have
already arrived. To deal with them the
detectives have renewed their acquaint-
ance with the pictures Of professionals IL
the local rogues- gallery The best
known thieves in the country are repre-
scented there Faces OF men long since
: dead are found side by side with those
Of thieves now high in the ranks OF crime
/ The dead OyeTshadoW the living IN num-
beT5 and reputation The living carry
/ about them something akin 10 dread. il
/ the numbers Of victims yet to fall under
| their net.
/ Once 4 professional thief IS arrested
| whether he be pickpocket burglar OF
confidence man, he stops talking. h
> I makes no statement. Instead he send!
{ ! for a lawyer Seemingly he knows VIVA
| attorney he wants to look after his case
g ! This is tEue whether the prisoner come.
q ! from New York or San Francisco. Chi
= cage OF New Orleans. It IS true v-hethel
he has ever been in this city before o.
- not
a So It is evident that thieves are wise
! IN that they study well the possibiIitie.
| OF every move and its result