The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-03
THIEVES UNION IN OPERATION
THE PICKPOCkETS HAVE THEIR
COMMUNITY or INTEREST.

~ .s. kAo
Fingered Gentlemen Have Each HIS
Distrfct-Pund for Fixing Victims.
10 mat All Keep Out Of jail.
In investigating tho largo number Of
robberies which have occurred recently
among passenger on the Third avenue
and Grand, Canal and Delaney street cars
the police ave received information Of the
existence Of q pickpockets and sneak
thieves syndicate. with headquarters not
far from Chatham Square. This syndi-
cato, the police say, In perfectly organized,
and one Of the results Of II La that robberes
have increased and the chances Of sending
the thieves to prison havs greatly dimin-
she'd.
The organization has been IN existence
for some time and It's work a be seen
In and round the various police courts OF
this city almost every day. Any member
belonging to 1t must pledge himself to abide
BY It's rules which are made and enforced
by men who do not steal themselves. put
pose as respectable citizens, while acting
in a sense as the protectors Of the working
members. and ON occasions as go-betweens.
Some time ago the city was divided into
districts, and certain p~ickpockets were
df%Slkntu VI tdCh uLFlTlCb. ~ was cAPiVooAy
ordered that any Of the rang caught work.
ing any district outside the one he was
assigned to would be expelled from the
Organization. This was done % that the
members would ave a fair chance TO
graft as far as possible, without COM
petition and without attracting too much
attention from the police. For protection.
zach member pays a certain proportion
Of his pro fits into the treasury weekly for
an emergency fund. At present his
amounts TO quite a large sum.
A case, which came under the notice OF .
SUN reporter at a certain police court re-
Gently, will show how the organization
works. A man was riding on the rear
platform OF a Third venuo car. and q
diamond stud glistened In his shirt bosom
The platform was crowded. and close to
him stood a professional ~pickpocket The
thief deity removed the stud and passed
il TO a pal. who Jumped from the car with IL.
The owner. however. quickly missed his
property and grabbed the pickpocket.
lie made no ATTEMPT to get awav. A police
man was called and he was arrested. A
search failed TO reveal the diamond. but
the owner insisted on making a c complaint,
and the man was locked up. On the fol-
lowing morning. when he was taken TO
Police Headquarters, he was recognized
as a professional thief.
Before the case was called In the police
court the victim was seen by the g~o-between
who said, in substance: soc here; you
never can onvic this man. for he did not
nave the stud on him. Now, i have a propo-
sition to make TO you. represent a lawy er.
II you fail TO swear positively that this
man tool your property, you will be the
gamer. You get your stud back and $50
Tor your trouble. II you do swear TO him.
you won't"
The alternative Of getting the property
bach and the money OF losing time in trying
TO prosecute the thief caused the victim
TO agree to the proposal. The pickpocket
went free in the police court. lhe ex-
PENS. OF course. caino out Of the fund Of
the thieves organization. In other in
stances. where the victim has caught the
thief in the act, stronger Inducements
have been offered and the thief gained his
liberty. Where the police hav been in a
position to block such a scheme, the go
bet wcen has been seen In earnest con-
versation with the policeman concerned.
with tho same result. When II ~ Temem-
bercd hat for every p~ickpooket who Is
caught, twenty get away with the plumber,
II ga "a b. seen how effective the organiza-
ton il In booming the p~Ocket-picking M
du-try. Those VINO know say that IN some
ol-es IL has cost the organization as much
az 1000 to get one OF rs MEMBERS out Of
trouble.
Most OF the pickpockets come from the
lower East Side. They are nearly all young
men, ranging IN age from Is TO IS years.
They dress well, and although occasionally
they enjoy practical immunity
from prison. Lawyers are always AT their
command and Il b. estimated that not Ia
one cas- out Of went y-tye IN which arrests
are made h. there a conviction. Because
Of the pfote'tion they receive. the thieves
are bold enough 90 talk openly Of the good
luck they ENJOY Ia earning an easy living
without laklng many chaLces.