The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-26
A NNUAL MEETING
~ OF THE CROOKS.
TheyTest New Inven lions in Their
Art and Dis:us the Good
of Reform.

| In" Htll was DuulluliN decorated Win
| the tapest rics. pictures ard Oriental stufs
lent IA usual by the Receivers Lodge, 4. G.,
| p b. A. ard the Fence Circle oil tho order
| The table linen and silver wcr" also len,
| by the same members.
Suspended above the head of Big Oscar
| tho newly elected Grand Crook, who pro.
sided at the banquet were fine crayon por-
| traits Of Mayor Low and Col. Partridge.
| The ices We're served in small PAPER macf G
| safes with broken combination locks
Mu-ic was furnished by the East Side Cade,
| Band.
There were az delegates from all over
the country present at the convention and
! most Of them STAYED over at the ba nquet
Letters OF regret from several distin.
| guished members were read 10y the secre-
tary. withered Arm, Winkey wrote as
| follows from san Francisco:
An uuavoidably detained here withou, bail
| Otherwise would b" with you on night OF
| banquet IL no, earlier Ia take part In sessions
| OF our dear old association.
| Tell the members especially Ia" Young
men and women. 10 remain IN N"w >otk. b"
| contented and not 10 try Western cities,
| That's the advice of an Old man ia the pro-
fession.
Hoping that the trus,v will mnil this as lac
| has promised to do ! avn yours faithfully,
WGTniREp ABM WISKrY.
y. If YOU have TO see Titus Tor any.
| thing tell him he's all right W
There were no after dinner speeches
| as all OF tho papers had been read at an
| afternoon session
The days business in the Sophie Lyon
| Memorial began with the fight left over
,b., "a, k..F.rn 20, hn .larftpn NJ
| Grand Crook Shang Quinn OF Burglar
| Branch IL was the favorite candidate OF
| his own lodge and of all the Grade A heavy
! criminals. including the solid delegation
| from tie Body Cutters Enoampment OF
! Indiana But the usual Jcaiousies pre-
| vented him from getting anything like
| ma jority.
The pickpockets, under the leadership
| Of Funeral WeIk, insisted on recognition,
| aad they had the undivided support OF
the sneaks But they couldn't elect,
| After the fourth ballot there was COM
| promise on Big Oscar Of the Circle Of Gen
cral Thieves. whose all around career in
| the profession had made him popular
| with all hands, Another point in the sue
| cessiul candidate favor was his splendid
| Jail record and the fact that he held tn"
| a-Iumping championship forthrce years.
| For the first time in the history Of tho
| as aociation the ladies secured recognition
and Brockey Annie, Deputy Grand Picker
| Of tho Ladies League Of Pickpockets, was
| elected Vice Grand Crook without dis
s.nting vote. The women had worked
| hard for Annie Throughout Ia" three days.
Her place az the banquet board last might
| va. covered with artificial flowers from
| the most recently looted millinery shop.
| She caused great amusement by weaving
| a wreath Of lilies Of the valley with real
| rubber stems and placing II on The head
| Of Big Pete. the handsom"St higHwayman
| at the dinner
| Big Oscar and Brockev .tunie were tho
| only new officers elected All the rest
| Of the board wsr" reelected
| Harmony was restored after Tia" election
| when cid Day" the confidence man moved
| tina, the election q Grand Crook and Vice.
| Grand Crook De- mad" unanimous. The
| motion was seconded by Broken Nose
| Tully, the great inventor OF wire hngcrnai
| hooks for pickpockc',.
Recess wa taken Immediately after the
| election - give the delegates time for
luncheon and an "pror, unity 10 examine
| the exhibits in the small hall
| This exhibition wa. never before oN-
| ,enSiVe in insjrlC; .un. On temporary
| platform ia the middI" Oi the room was
4 haf size model ni private dwallir z
house equipped win every ronC"lNah'"
| kind of huI glar alarm Plug Mullin who
| had huilt the model, explained the mcChau-
| ism Of every alarm and told just where each
| would naturally II" located.
| Then, changing his patent leather dress
shoes for q pair 81 ruhber-soled slippers
and unfolding a neat, impact pocket lad
der Plug entered the house for purpos' :
| oi illustration and went quickly from room
| to room without ~ettGG OF sinE." alarm
The delegates we're delighted and many of
| them tried 10 do the same thing.
In the exhibit OF jiInmios the only new
| thing was an ingenious instrument with a
| long. adjustable A"cl arm projecting from
| the under side 70 afford "a powerful leverage
for use on heavy windows and doors small
| electric pocket lamps, Which may hr illuni-
| mated or doused Immediately by touching a
| spring wer" shown a Substitutes for the
| od-fa shioned dark lantern.
There wore all kinds Of hlaokiacks on
! view. some of them covered with prcttilv
| decorated leather for ladies use In
| the woman's depart m'nt proper We're
several new designs in hatpirs. warranted
| not TO bend in an encounter and some beau
| tiful little Chatclalne bags for rcd pepper.
Honest Jane showed modish walking
skirt, her own invention, equipped with
| tOrty-three Invisible pockets within the
lining To illustrate how valuable it WAS
| she borrowed a quantity of articles from the
| Trophy Corner run by III" Ladies' Of tho
| Fence Chapter and filed all the pockets,
Then she donned the skirt and it still
hung beautifully without any bulge. The
| proper dist ribution Of tho pockets, she said,
wa the one essential thing in making pro-
fe,sonal skirt without sacrificing style 10
utility. The ladies were delighted and
lowered around Honest Jane the rest Of tho
afternoon camoring for the skirt pattern
| The poison counter was covered with
neatly arranged sample phials of knock.
out drops Stops Of the Whyo Gang OK
planned the effects Of each sample
| He has "A moet mclodou- voice and n com
handing presence His little talk on the
| chemistry OF the profession, 80 10 speak,
was one of the features of the afternoon
After the meeting he dist ributod the samples
imparially among the ladies Of the Tender
loin Gu des Club,
| 10 tao old group of wax figures which
| have been used AZ every convention for
the demonstration by the pickppcke' class
| has been added u wonderfully hfcike
| figure Of a police sergeant, showing ,h,
recently adopted military hiou-" and cay
| 18th down-iitod visor. The delngatp'
| spent IA pleasant and Instructive half-houI
| In removing unset diamonds imitation
| deeds Of houses and other papcrs from the
wax sergeants' pockets.
| From the exhibition room the delegate.
returned to the large hall for the election
1 A d.