The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13
SCIENCE OF PICKING POCKETS.
PLENTY or FIELDS STILL FOR
THIEVES TO WORK IN.


IN. rogues' gallery too complete 20 per
lit Of shrinking ohscurity IN the illogiti-
mate professions But then Their" arc
always croakers The cheerful members
Of the participating fraternity take a
NOR. roseat" view Of the situation Juhi-
lees aud worlds fairs and royal funerals
and country fairs may not H. th" happy
hunting grounds they once were. these
genial souls admit. but. bless YOU. there's
the %rattlers, now. what could be- softer
thar the r1ttler-Y
For the benefit Of those who haven't
the privilege Of as.ooiaiiug With the elect
Of the poke picking graft Il may be eS-
planned that the -%rattlors ar" the electric
and cable ears. and TINT they are a boon
to the profession Working the r%attlcr-"
j. the favorit" pursuit. 81 the rally clever
~pickpoCket to-day. aud, In the languag"
81 the cnlling. gam" aft"f game j. put up
aud worked on the car by "A wire and his
stall that h, by the mau who actually
commits the theft and the comrade or
comrades who help him
II takes n certain amount II skill and
nerve to make "A successful wire, trc-
mcndous nolnr and swift and uncrrIng
touch, but the stall ~ often the ~CleNercf
of the two. II IA he Who spots the work.
LAYS IA" pipe makes the opportunity
tn cTp are men IN TIA" profession who have
made worldwide populations by their stan
work 10y the schem'~ they evolve and
their cleverneee in carrying the schemes
out II l. considered an honor ia the pro-
f.r-ion 60 work with one 81 these stalls,
and association with him may hG IN" pro
fe~sional making uf "A young and ambitious
thief More often stalls 81 rare skill arr
found working with "wirrr OF their own
c%alit4r. and there are some combinations
of that sort that are really
OCCASIONALLY women aSsum" III" role 81
stall. but. ~ a rule, the mon don't like Ca
work with them. A really clover woman
p~ickpock.t h. dinbnliCally clever. but few
women are what their fellows would call
good all-around guns They are at their
lS'st ia the shop and In h work 81 r.
ievng other women 81 Chatelalnc hag~
and Sstchels. hut they seldom ~ IN for
heavier work.
one woman, known 60 tho polcr a. Tho
Woman IN Black, was an artist Ia bag
oI-.uiug and Ipckstlhok tlching Sh"
"ldom failed Sir never hungl"d or got
into trouble. A. q shop counter. sh" threw
- pi,S,' 81 goods over the arm ~ IA" woman
next her. applugi2"d. left the counter de-
hl"rat.lv In m. second confusion,
under cover ~ the piece Of stun. she had
uIs,urd IA" woman'- lag and taken her
pun" Or she dropped something and
stooI"d 20 pick Il up with smiling apology
for Cruwdiug her u"ighbpr. The result
was IN" same She oI-uod hags in a crowd.
too. and worked u" r~atilers and the ferries
II" Isplio.. were hot upon her trail time
after time. hut they never got her. and "a
wear or two age sh" disappeared New
York Wa becoming too warm Tor comfort.
~. presumably. -h" sought fresh fields and
pastures nov
Their. H. a Mrs Elv. too. who H. an expert
in ia. piCkpnckct line. and there ar" others
with a title 10 houots, but most q IN" women
limit their efforts 10 very easy sCh"m"-
and arr looked upon ECorufully hy th"
clover gum
Millinery shops ARE good PLACES for the
easy graft II has lsnn clearly demon
s'rated that n woman cannot try on n hat
with one hand She must hold u with on"
with the other. In the meantime, she
laws her purse and handkerchief and
package down somewhere. and the pick
pockets opportunity y mad"
Under thc head - p~ickpnckcts come
nu' only the gun who pick pockets, hut
a long H., II granrr.. Tho prop-hf,ors.
or -rarf pin s%'oal"r~, IA" ~up"r-gc''"r~
who MAX, = specially - watches. the stone
~graffrr- Who are ou' after precious stones.
particularly ~ the -haI" 81 studs, the wall
hi.2HsT vino pick v,m"u'- packets and
ar considered low cas'" IN IN" profession
4 gun who IL literally picking pockets
l. saint 20 ln out on IN" Dip. and his win
n'ngs arr not ordinarily very large
Women go not, ~ "A rule, carry much
money I'm packets. and bags are hard 20
NNNNN WI wv o 80 ~ - aN'ff ~
acC..-~ible pockcts - ~" dipI"r H. a
small card in the pack uul,-- D." happens
90 N" an lu-idrr when IA" n Ar high
II l. a rar' genius WIN "an, IN the slang
ri ih" Crufi, ge' an ur-id"r "" inusi
uUiu'ton a mars coat and TAX" Ia" money
from an inside W%AIsiCnat packet. Few
~ul,lppckvts can du this, and IA" man who
can L. considered past master 81 the cTa'i
II" is a Mr. fItmau CRATER Mr. Pttman
Icing. Tor -nWo u',1li reason, IN" nam"
~ a a.. "-. N.IN. To I.NNaFa "A htaNH
az, th" only form Of p~uckrihouk III" ordi-
nary man cnrri'S
sometime. va ular" - lifting n MIR Pit
man. the thief liUd- paper money ~ a bank
h,,s. and It II mo- astonishing thing
for a very clever gun 10 ii' IA" paper
MONEY. l.aving the hank book rcIro-iug
peacefully In the yIriim 81 pocket II iak"~
phenomenal skill and nerve 10 work M"
game and the professionals book WIN "nyi-
ous admiration upon in" Tow men VINO
are ,s1lal To- n DAYTON SAMMY can g"t
a. insidrr ~ "a Windy plck AMI Walking
jim. but they are universal and versatile"
g,niu-.~, all around clever guns shank
Gambi" wa an "NIsri too, lui ~" hihgl'I
his ia-t a''ciupt aui 10" polio" g"' HIM
Tn. ~stonp-gfaftcr l. not 49, lucky ~ NJ"
va. ,p the ID day- vh.u diamond studs
wen, NOT t,l-Etf#vl 20 wand h'~'lef~. hu
tenders ard dead game sports N'Iu.i +
irwrlrv g.. 80 -aN tho guns, too 'Ht'IN
fastened. aud women Hr" iun ~''ilsl'lN" a
itgtl. 1tH" tIl'k 70 If'N' I'N.hNe ~"
chHt.lair. watches. Vhicu men haN" - ufi"u
,tli,i ah-urllv provocative 81 'hi"Ning,
are iu point II fac' e. aggraNa'luu AMI a
thorn h. tho fish ~ no" gun They l'ok
$50 irmiflug and so easy aud VI they ar
infinitely rtpirr Go steal than q man
watch catrpyi lu hi- pocket Ih'N arr
s,-.lpl, PINNED only a wrench can tear
them away. aud that means n hu" and CIV.
unlrss D. hapf-n. iu a very d"n~' crowd
4 woman WEAR tine watch upon her hr'a~i.
which L. -.u-i'tNrfu "a slight touch. ami she"
aINaN- I,s,r|- Rough ur 'l,~" contact,
even an a crowd lsf",tiNt- sav tlat .."
rumt.r at CIatrlUiu- watches STOLEN BE-
p,natkahly small and that III" thi"v'.
...luu trv 90" game lis" ~am" thing l.
tu.r IT the i-autiiul la Nalli.r~ which
women ar, wearing a. their thruat- today
Tho costly pendants make a CRATER mouth
water. tat the slender, clu-e-ntting chains
ar, strong though Inv and arr hidden
ur,irr the cullar - that "a thief cannot g"i 81
the clasp wrench j. the only thing that
will secure the pendant, and that - i''
dang, fuu-. - N" guns do not carr =" tau"
the chances
THEW. ar, some m"n Who arr wonderfully
c,t..rt a. securing studs and h ever nov
make e.s-i hnul~ u IN" popular I~arl stui-
and az uorastunal diamUtrd n" shuHvi
man Who chpu~"s To- N'ar cp-iIN s'udH
should have ih"m mad" tu srr'w ~ from
rglf go l,ff instead uf from l"fi 60 uchi
a. 4. CUSTOMARY III" CRATER always work.
.u thu theory 81 FROM l"ft tu right and
- LAN Ama