The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-01

Gaze not far from the stage entrance
to the Casino on the south side Of
Thirty-ninth street.
of you'd care to go, I'll take you
around to some of the crooks hang
outs, for I've gone regularly into the
business myself now. and there's moth
ing like it if you're slick enough to
dodge the cops"
Jngg5nssSfrom his appearance Char
ley was doing well. ........
Beside his apparel my own looked
old and cheap, and he sported two
carat diamond ring on one finger while
in his fob was a 5000 chronometer,
which he pulled out to assure himself
of the exact time. -'-.-
Having nothing to do that afternoon
I decided to take advantage Of Char
Iey's offer.
"Of course We'll have to go down
town for it's there the thieves head
quarters are located, and if you feel
like leaving your valuables at home
get rid of them before we start"
AS had nothing about me to tempt
anything but the very meanest kind
of crook, I determined to take chances,
and we sailed forth on our quest
Our first stop was at a coffee house
on Second avenue, near First street
AS we entered and took our seats
we were eyed sharply by. q dozen or
more Ioungers present. This" said
Charley, is the great resort of what
the police call Dutch housemen.' They
are house burglars of Dutch or German
birth, and are the most desperate class
of men to deal with. They always carry
guns, and will shoot. as soon as cor
nered or pursued. Most Of them work
as bakers part of the time in order to
cover up their real occupation"
A few of the men had fairly intelli-
gent faces, but the scowls upon most
of them showed the disposition which
made of them possible murderers at
any time.
Having slipped our coffee, Charley
suggested that we go over to the "oys-
ter shanty," somewhere near Mulber-
~ street. The place is rightly called
q shanty, being in a very tumble down
condition. 1t is a glass fronted one
story affair, and raw oysters are the
only articles on the menu. We ordered
some, and I settled down to make OBJ
servations. There We're a bakers dozen
of men there, and Charley said they
were all probably notorious crooks, as
pnly such frequented the place. The
Same uneasiness was Displayed here
as in the other places we visited, con-
Xersation being suspended during our
presence. We were doubtless taken
for plain clothes men looking for SOME
one wanted.
The odd thing was that Charley
knew no one in any of the places, and
when I questioned him. replied SIM
ply: "Why should they know me? l
work alone"
Our next call was at a pool and bill
lard room on Allen street. to which
we We're only admitted after Charley
had given a signal.
There were several pool tables in
the place, and q motley crowd assem-
bIed. Many of them were dudes of
the extreme East side type. most hay
ing distinctly Hebraic features. The
air was heavy with cigar and cigarette
smoke. The habitues were all young
men, and Charley said were known as
purse and watch thieves, snatching
from females on the street or robbing
defenseless men or women in Railways.
We'll see something hot after this
remarked my chaperon. There's 81
place down by Chatham square where
aGhuch Conors used to tend bar before
he became an actor"
We found a clearly put-up young
fellow behind the bar and some dozen
or more men and women seated at the
tables around the place. To the ordi-