The Washington times., 1902-04-06
N[PPED Tn THE BUD
BY LOCAL SLEUHH
Professional Pickpocket Cap
tured by Detective Muller.
NO CHANCE TO WORK HIS GAME
Tells Remarkable Story of How He Was
Duped by Pal in Philadelphia and
Persuaded to Come to Washington to
Find a Rich Field.

''It is very seldom that professional
crook will say anything he does not have
to saw" said an old sleuth of this city
who has had enough experience with pro-
fessionals to be accepted as authority
upon the subject. But when you do run
against one who is disposed to talk. ne
can tell you many a good story of his
divers hairbreadth excapes, added Mike
Muller. the local sleuth.
Not infrequently do we get pick
pockets who have made practice OF go
ing to every large affair held in the big
cities They come to Washington on ac-
count of the inauguTations. reunions, and
various other celebrations. Washington
is known tc crooks to be a soft spot, ana
when any of the old professionals strike
| streak of hard luck and wish to BOOST
themselves out of the dopey rut they nave
fallen into. they make straight FOR the
Capital of the Nation, where they kno"
they can generally 'casn in When any
great national event which is likely to
draw crowd OF any size is held here
the crooks use every means they can
devise TO get into the city, for they know
what q harvest they Will reap when they
get here.
During the recent visit of Prince Hen
rv to this country all OF the detectives
were kept busy watching number OIL
suspicious characters who paid their visit
TO the Capital at the same time as the
Prince, which we thought to be quite a
singular coincidence. Several OF the
shrewdest men from New York and Chi
cago were in town, as were also several
of the shrewdest crooks from other cities
Il was walking leisurely down Penn
sylyania Avenue on the day the Prince
arrived in this city watching a Gun l
had seen lettering around the depot L
walked on the opposite side OF the street,
but he kept his eyes skinned and never
took them off me. He seemed 10 size. me
up as .spotter,' and did not try to con-
ceaI his uneasiness. First he lodged into
a saloon in the hope of eluding me. L
waited on the opposite side OF the street,
hidden in a doorway. He came out and
after seeing that | was on his trail re
ducked into an alley and started on a
dead run through the alley. | knew that
my suspicious we're we'll grounded. and /
gave chase He lead me stiff chase
through the alley and through a park but
his wind gave out and had no trouble in
catching him He stoutly protested
against my taking him to Headquarters
to be questioned. l asked him why lie
ran when he saw me following. rms
question was not answered, but the lad.
cid. smiled slightly and said: old pal,
you'se a slick 'un, but you'd a had a
hard time getting next if I'd got ME
blinkers on youse a little sooner |
knew he was a professional and took
him to Headquarters to talk to him.
AT headquarters he put up stin bluff,
but finally / convinced him that | knew
his entire record as pickpecl,et. and he
gave up somewhat reluctantly and ec-
i ,.f.s It.t
swore that he had never been in Wash
ington before or picked Il pocket here,
adding that he was caught before he got
chance. The boy was quite good look
ing chap. and took somewhat liking to
him after | was quite convinced that he
had not taken anything in this city. |
told him that he would have to get out Of
this town or it would not be good for his
general health. He said that he would
as soon as he could see his way bacK to
Philadelphia.
While sitting together, asked him
if he knew Barney Sauigs the confidence
man, who did business in Philadelphia.
DO | know dat lobster Well | should
falter to exclaim, said the boy. Do you
know dat he's the slickest guy what ever
munipalat'd pair of free lunch grabbers? =?
Why could tell you a story of that guy
and az de same time give you my reasons
We'll if you can tell me story CT
Rarney, / will listen to you. | replied.
"'You see twas like dis he began,
'dere was some swell blowout being held
in Phillie bout two months before dis
German frankiirter landed in New York.
dat / was on me uppers and dropped into
Phillie TO see ef | couldn't lift n few
feathers. | stops at a bum hotel and
when | goes to de table to get me chuck
I - oil of
He axes me what's me name and what's
me game | tells him I'm = litter of
feathers. Barney tells me "dats queer
I'ln bunco man from New York, but III
on me last legs now for I'm lo0sin' me
graft from want of practice | informed
Barney dat there would be some ting do
ing when de Germans hooked the Watch
on de Rine in a couple of days. He says
il dere is likely to be anything doing he
would be in at de death We went to his
room and made up a little scheme. Onf
day he was to go out and do the "staliing'
| and | would lift the feathers. The next
! day would do the talking and he woulc
! do de lifting
Our little scheme was going to worf
| all O. K if we could both make good al
| our gratis of pickpocket and con man
| The first day it was me turn to do dc
! lifting We went amongst de crowd, and
when he did little talking | would do q
/ little lifting, and dere was de whole
! cheese When | came back had severa
| tat wallets and about twenty feathers
| We got $3.50 out OF de bunch, dat was not
| a bad day by no means. Well, the next
| day it was Barney's turn TO do the lifting
| and mine to do the jostiling. Barney was
! a shrewd guy, and he was con mar
! all right. but he couldn't pick pocket
| for a million plunkers. He worked
scheme on me which makes dis q story
| He afterward told me of de scheme by
which he roped me in.
1T was like dis; he new he couldn
! lift leather wild out getting IL il de necF
| so he goes down town and buys about III
| teen pocket books and put dollar or two