The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-03
PICKPOCKET LORE.
Famous Early Practitioners Upon
the Science and Practice of Their
NimbIe Art.

One of the few industries which have
not benefited materially by the march
of progress is that Of robbery from
the person. In the old days, before
pockets were invented, men carried
their money at their girdles in gip-
cieres, or purses, and an experienced
practitioner found it an easy task to
remove the prize by a dexterous slash
of his knife. All that was needed by
the aspirant to success was an open
ear, quick eye, and a nimble hand
Soon, however, the times changed.
Pockets were invented, and to effect
capture now required higher quail
f1cations than before. To meet the in
creased demand for talent a certain
1885 what he described as IAN acade-
my for the education and perfection of
pickpockets.' The principal of this
seminary was of gentle birth, and had
at one time been a merchant of some
standing in the city. Later, however,
becoming reduced in circumstances, he
set UP an ale house at Smart's Quay,
AANNA DAAAAAA6SSobCb anu WOtOo
of Stow, commenced a new trade in
life the opening of the school re-
ferred to. 1.-TWO Devices" continues
Stow, were hung up-one was a pock-
ct, the other was purse. The pocket
had in it certain counters, and was
hung about with hawks bells, and
over the top did hang a little sacring
| bell. The purse had silver in it, and
| he that could take out a counter with
AWRk ~E Ill
judged a judicial nypper Accord
ing to their terms of art foyster' was
a pickpocket, a 'nypper' pick-purse
or cut-purse." In short, the well-born
Mr.. Wotton appears to have conduct
ed himself much in the same way as
did the somewhat more repulSive Fagin.
The above quotation might very well,
making allowances for Slows archaic
style, have come from "Oliyer Twist"
Perhaps the most celebrated of Wot-
| tons pupils was John SeIman, one of
the great names of pocket picking.
| Whether or not he was really the most
| skillful old pupils of the school can
| never be ascertained The work of the
pfckpocket is essentially unostenta-
| tious. He does not advertise or roll
| logs. He works silently and alone. The
fact that in the end Selman was
caught in the act would seem to point
to a certaon lack of skill. The story
of his capture is interesting from the
| distinguished names that come into it.
| 1t happened on Christmas Day, 1911,
when King James, Queen Anne, the
Duke of York, and several of the no
bility were receiving the sacrament in
| the Chapel Royal of Whitehall. A Mr.
Doubleday observed a stranger, whose
looks he did not like, hover for a mo-
ment round another gentleman, of the
name of Barrie, and then attempt to
leave the chapel as swiftly as posi-
BILE. Mr.. Doubleday accosted Mr..
Barrie, and, like modern policeman,
| inquired if he had lost anything. Bar
| RE, Us men in such case always have
done and always will do, first answered
NO." and then felt in his pockets,
when he discovered that his purse,
containing 40s., was no longer there
| Selman was pursued and captured. An
| interesting fact is that he was dressed
| in "a fair, black cloak, lined and faced
/ with velvet, the rest of his apparel be-
| ing suited thereto" thus presenting a
good picture of the type of man who
is known nowadays as the swell
mobsman. Selman was duly executed,
and grimly humorous episode took
| place at the time, for a colleague of
the prisoners, being reluctant to
waste opportunities, whiled away the
moments by stealing purses, with the
| result that he. too, was captured, and
| Jared as Selman had done.
| The most noted picketpocket in what
DR.. Johnson called the Geographic
| Flagitiosa," was, curiously enough, a
woman. Her real name was Mary
| Firth, but she was better known as
| Moll Cutpurse. She was born in 1886,
and soon rose to the head of her pro-
fession. Her method of working was
| as follows: In company with two
| other thieves, she sought her victim
One, called the bulk" created an OBJ
struction. Moll herself, acting in the
capacity of a file" as it was techni-
| cally termed, cut the purse and handed
| 1t to third, named the rub" who
carried it off. In this way she amassed
| considerable wealth. At one time she
was reputed to be worth $4,000. hut
she was as generous as she was dis
honest, and gave away so much to dis
tressed cavaliers that when she died
she left behind her little more than
| &100. She died at the age of 20, hav-
ing written the following epitaph on
herself, in the form of an acrostic:
Merry 1 lived, and many pranks I
played.
And without sorrow now in grave am
laid;
Rest and the sleep of death doth now
surcease
| Youths active sins, and their old
aged increase.
| Famous I was for all the thieving art,
| Renowned for what old women ride
in cart,
| In pocket and in placket, l had part,
| This life lived in mans disguise,
| He best laments me that with laugh
ter cries.
The whole history of Mary Firth is
| full of romance. The last line but one
| of the epitaph alludes to her custom
| of always wearing male attire. She
/ was bold fencer, and on one occasion
| played the highwayman, and robbed
the Parliamentary General Fairfax of
200 gold Jacobuses on Hounslow Heath.
| Also she was one of the first English
women who smoked tobacco. The large
sums acquired by Moll Cutpurse by
| the exercise of her dishonest skill were
| not uncommon. Another instance of a
| female acquiring large sum of money
| by picking pockets occurred in the
eighteenth century, when a noted fe-
male pickpocket OF the name of West
died. She left, according to a maya
zine obituary. no less than $4,000 to
her two children. one of whom was
actually born inside a prison. West be-
ing at the time imprisoned NJ Clerken-
we'll Bridewell for picking pockets in
Exeter Change. II seems somewhat
curious that this $4,000. which was
known to have been come by dishonest
! ly was not conhscated by the law.