The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-30
THIEVES SECURE
$4,000 IN BOOTY
Pickpocksts Make a Rich Haul
From the Crowds.
TABERNACLE PRINCIPAL FIELD
NUMEROUS SMALL NToUCHES1
REPORTED TO POLICE.

It is estimated that the gang Of
crooks working among the crowds that
gathered to see President Roosevelt
yesterday secured not less than $4,000
In cash and valuables from unsuspect-
ing victims who fell prey to their MIN
Ole fingers. The pickpOckets were 50
cleNer that the police were not able TO
detect them, and those who were robbed
ala not know they had been touched
until after the operation had been COM
pieJed. At the tabernacle the crooks
reaped a rich harvest no less than
twenty-five empty purses that had been
frlsked' from mems pockets and
cleaned Of their cash were picked up
about the grounds by one special officer.
Many others Were gathered in by the
regular police. It is believed that not
less than 300 persons We're victims
while the president was making his ad-
dress IN the tabernacle. In some in
stances as much as $500 was secured
from one person. Checks for varying
amounts that could not be cashed by
the thieves were picked up about the
grounds
one of the heaviest losers was J. II.
tlnnegan, the local agent of the Die
bold safe q Lock company, who was
IOucheG' for "a diamond stud valued
at $780, The theft occurred in the post
office. A stranger brushed against Mr..
the stranger passed on the diamond was
missing. Mr.. FinueEan did not miss the
gem until few minutes later. Then he
remembered the incident in the post
Office and reported the matter to the
police He furnished the officers with a
description of the man.
Give Pocketbooks to others.
The pickpOcl1ets are supposed to be
crowd that travel along with the presi-
dent and are as smooth ''grafters'' as
are found any place in the country. In
some cases the thieves. after. going
through d mans pockets. would take
The money from his purse and return
the empty purse to the owners pocket.
The first one TO report his loss to the
police department was Ethan Petit,
who had been touched" for $40 on
South Temple street as the parade was
passing. Fred LeOnberg of GrantsviIIe
was relieved Of a pOcketbOok contain
ing $50 check on the State Bank of
Utah, $50 in cash and two railroad tick
els. As LeOnberg was relating his loss
TO the desk sergeant c. R COrlstrOm
from Murray came in and recited a sim
liar tale of wee. but he escaped with a
loss of s.. After the crooks had gone
through Corlstrom they placed an
empty purse in his pocket which proved
TO be the one that had been taken from
Leonberg and still contained the two
railroad tickets.
Y. T.. Dewey from the Sugar House
ward was the next visitor, and he re-
ported the loss Of a pOcketbOOk con-
tanning ST.
Joseph Clark came UP from Richfeld
with a long pOcketbOOk containing
nearly $50. Clark unWisely carried il
in his coat pocket in plain sight, and he
now mOurnS the loss of fifty hard
earned plunks. His pOcketbOOk was
subsequently brought in by a man who
refused to give his name, who had been
touched" for s..
Joseph Warner from Syracuse was
'triSked' for his purse. containing So
underwent the same operation at a cost
Of Sc
Only 8 Cents in This Haul.
The crooks were probably disappoint-
ed when they opened Hugh Parks
purse. It contained about cents worth
of stamps and a receipt for a small
amount. Park was carrying about $25
at u 3 time in another pocket which the
thieves failed TO discover.
All the above mentioned men were
touched at the tabernacle while the
president was making his speech. In
one or two cases the victims were able
TO give descriptions of the persons
whom they suspected. but no positive
information could be had by the police.
Two Of the sufferers thought that their
pockets had been picked by d woman
who had been standing close to them
curing the exercises she was described
as being dressed in black and had a
scar on her cheek.
1t is believed the residence portion of
the city was practically unmOlested as
no burglaries have yet been reported to
the police
During the day several suspects were
a cd ~ q
parties have not been captured.