The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-11-04
SUMTER S. O. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4. 1903.
PICkpQGkETS GOT
IN their DIRTY WORK.
A Number of People Were Robbed.

Notwithstanding the warnings Of
the State newspaper. and the vigilance
of the Columbia authorities, a number
Of people have been robbed by the
pickpockets who have infested that city
during the Fair. The State of last
Thursday morning said:
The report that the ,"gratfers, ;"
fakirs, fim-hammers, shell workers
and pickpockets had moved on Colum-
bia from the Greensboro, N. c., fair
was not an idle one by any mears.
The State endeavored to give sufi-
cient warning. Yesterday at the
union depot the pickpockets played
havoc among the passengers as they
crowded each other getting of the
trains, while boarding street cars at
the union station, and during the
fierce jams on Main street last night
the pickpockets found the pleasure
seekers easy prey.
DR.. L. NJ. Hair of Union was re-
lieved of 5000 diamond stud as he
was boarding a street car at the
station. Two boys caught him in the
act and pointed out the man to DR..
Hair, who left the car and caught the
thief and held him until policeman
arrived.
At the police station by shrewd
move the culprit threw the diamond
in sewer and flushed it with water.
Efforts are being made to recover it.
A thorough search will be made today.
At the union station lady friend of
Mr.. B. W. Bolin of Sumter rushed up
and said that her purse, containing
s37, had been snatched in the hurry of
getting off the train. Mr.. Bolin replied
to his friend not to worry as he had
s15O or sl6O with him and that she was
welcome to all she wanted; then he
reached into his trouser pocket and
found that his wallet, too, had been
stolen.
Mr.. T. S. Galloway lost all he had
as he and his wife were boarding a
street car at the union station.
Mr.. Mark Stoney of Edge6eld had
his pocket picked at the union
station also as he was boarding street
Car. They got all he had-s22.
Mr.. Thomas F. Harmon OF Newberry
lost all he had with him. Mr.. Har-
mon could not tell when he was touch
ed. All he knew his purse and con-
tents, s25, disappeared.
The most affecting scene Of yester-
day was a very old couple standing off
from the crowds at the fair grounds
weeping. Every cent they had was
gone-not even car fare was left. Their
loss was S65.
Last night numbers of robberies
were reported-victims loosing large
sums OF money. Very few watches
have been snatched as the grafters find
it little trouble to find the ready cash
in most instances.
The police have been active. Graft
ers and film -fammers have been arrest
ed with all manner of crooked devices
on their persons. One of these bunco
games is worked with two small pocket
knives, apparently identical, with
spring blades. One knife is worked
very readily and the other is dummy
which cannot be opened. There are a
number of ingenius ways to force an
average man to bet he can open the
spring knife, the fim-fammer dex-
terously substitutes the dummy knife,
enforcing the victim to loose his bet.
An Intelligent looking boy from
Marion, who is attending South Caro-
lima college, was done for $50 in this
manner yesterday while standing in
front of the skyscraper. 1t was esti-
mated from the reports late last night
that over $1,000 had been stolen
yesterday by the'' grafters.