Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-25


pickpockets. pocketbook snatchers, petty
swindlers, kleptomaniacs and similar
classes, who like the members of other oc-
equations In Japan. are organized into
guilds. They apportion the cities among
their members under the direction OF
masters OF the trade most OF whom are
engaged in honest business. Some OF them
are keepers of low drinking places. tea
houses and employment agencies. In Tokyo.
for example. there are more than LOO
surf known to the police members OF
the guild. of whom about per cent are
women and girls. and they have seventy
masters who serve az fences for the
disposition of stolen property. When "A
member of the guild is arrested and thrown
into prison his master provides him with
food. blankets and other comforts and en-
ploys a lawyer and witnesses TO help him
out of the scrape.
Divisions Of the Surf.
The surf are divided into three classes.
according TO the special lines they pursue.
One class includes ordinary sneakthieves
who plumber shops and residences. snatch
purses and packages from careless peo-
pie. get their fingers into the tills and the
money boxes of small merchants and mar
ket women. and do their work In the open
daylight. The second class includes pick
pockets who are exceedingly skilful be-
cause the japanese. who wear the old-fash-
Toned dress, carry their valuables in the
which it is more difficult to extract purse
than from the pocket of an ordinary Euro
pean garment. The third class includes
burglars and highway robbers. who break
into houses and hold up people upon the
streets.
Last year. I'm all Japan there were 255-
Ga3 cases of stealing of all forms. from
grand burglary down to petit larceny. and
that was the smallest number reported
for many years the maximum having been
reached in 1898, when 263.l72 cases Of theft
of all classes were reported. But even that
total is very small compared with the popu-
lation of Japan. OF these l.oI9 cases were
attended with violence; 1857 Were thefts
from the person of the victim and l5J,@1
were thefts from houses and shops.
There is underground communication be-
tween the police of Tokyo and other cities
and the masters of the 'suri. from which
both derive advantages. The police are
often willing to overlook the 1dillos
Of small offenders. provided the surf Will
assist them in recovering valuable property
and in the detection of serious crimes. and
] am told that in many cases sneakthieves
have proved useful in promoting the ends
of justice. The members of the guild also.
very jealous of their prerogativcs. and
when thief who belongs in one ward OF
city peaches upon the preserves OF another:
when an ordinary member of the guild
neglects his obligations to the master: when
a professional sharper from another city
changes his base of operations, or a swim
dler from the country comes down to work
a town the police always count upon
information and clues from the jealous
''suri."
There was formerly beggars' guild. also,
and chief or Oyakata. as they called him,
regulated their affairs allotted locations To
the various members and received per-
centage of their collections But the beg
CARS guild has been abolished Begging is
prohibited throughout Japan, and the law
is strictly enforced except against few
cripples and infirm old crones whom you
will find about the temples
Prevalence of Suicide
The ancient and honorable custom OF dis
prevail in Japan as much as formerly. but
compared with other countries the number
OF those who annually take their own lives
a man insuted he killed himself IN
stead of the offender, and the supreme
vengeance against an enemy was to COM
NIT suicide upon his doorstep because that
placed a curse upon him and his family and
his home forever that could not be re-
moved. Suicide considered an honor
able death, much more honorable than
fighting q duel. 1t also sublime
mcthod of showing gratitude and affection.
Many a servant voluntarily followed his
master as many knight followed his
daimio, to the Japanese heaven. When dis
graced or convicted accused of dlShon-
orablc conduct, particularly among the mil
itary element suicide a means OF
atonement and penance that sutficed for
any crime. Officers In the army We're given
q choice between suicide and court-martial.
Many of these ideas still cling to the old
fashioned part of the population, paTticu-
larly In the interior of the country. The
following table will show the number and
the motives OF the suicides In Japan in 1902: