The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-10-04
CRIME: SHIELDED
ny PUBLIC SCHOOL
Remarkable Discovery Of a
Pickpockets College in the
Hallway Of q New York
School.
PUPIL MAKES CONFESSION

PUPIL MAKES CONFESSION
POLICE SEND SOME OF THE
YOUNGSTERS TO THE PROTEC-
TORY, WHILE THE LEADERS
LAND IN THE PENITENTIARY.
NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 1905.-The dis
eovery that Public School No. 90 at
used as pickpockets' college has as
founded city officials. Two boys, Jake
Reigenstvich and Reuben Koral, were
sent to the Catholic Protectory in one
Week and two older boys, who acted as
instructors in crime. are now on the Is
land, while the leader of the gang, Mig
ger Benny" Fine, has been placed under
ST 200 for stabbing an intended victim.
II Meanwhile a very interesting confes-
sipn covering the methods of the gang
has been obtained from one of the pupils.
He says Niger Benny" Fine was the
principal of the Night School for Pick
pockets. He was assisted by faculty
oil seven professors and demonstrators
There were in all twenty pupils.
That Public School No. 20 was infest-
Led by unusually clever pickpockets has
been known since the Teachers Con-
vsntion last summer. The school has a
| fine roof garden which was kept open
| through the vacation period. and one
dey delegation of visiting teachers
Inspected the place by invitation of
Principal H. w. Smith.
The pupils sang and marched and re
cited for the visitors. and then the de-
lighted teachers passed around among
! the youngsters inspecting their work
| and patting them on the head for pre-
f,srring the sacred precincts of the va
clltion school to the streets Before the
| visitors left the building, however, the
distressing discovery was made that
every hand-satchel in the party had
| been deftly opened and cleaned out and
| several chstelaine watches were miss
ing.
The police of the Eldrid ge street sta
ton made an investigation at the time
and District Attorney Jerome, who was
appealed to, sent detectives to the
school. but the youthful pickpockets
were not discovered.
Some days ago, however. Captain MUIR
tina of the Eldridge street station was
asked to send detective around to in
vestigate jake Reigenstvich, whose all
| around cussedness was beyond the
school authorities. Landers took the no.
| tion to study general conditions and
made some alarming discoveries.
First he noticed gang of youths
| which hung out at corner drug store
| with some dozen or more of the boy
/ scholars, particularly the incorrigible
| Jake More observation developed the
| fact that after the lights went out after
| night school the drug store gang and a
number of the scholars got busy in the
Ihain entrance of the school building.
~ Landers might have broken into ses-
| sion of the College of Pickpockets, but
| He didn't work that way. He watched
| the small boys until he picked out the
right one, nabbed him at a time when
there was no one on the lookout and
| took him to Capt. Murtha's office, where
! the young gentleman made the confes-
| sion that the detective was after.
Landers' little informant furnished
| the names of the faculty of the
s'college Of pickpocketsv Arrests be-
Gan at once, and the entire outfit was
landed, with the exception of Mick
ihe Dago' and "Diek the Blond other
names unknown. who are said to be
emeritus professors of -snatching
and kindred accomplishments
Niger Benny Fine. the Fagin Of
the thieves college, is likely to get a
long stretch in the penitentiary for
sltabbine d man he attempted to rob
last Saturday night. Only two of the
| twenty scholars have been arrested and
vent away. The others have been
rounded up and warned and allowed to
il'stisrn to school under strict surveil-
lance.
The janitor of Public School No. &c
has received instructions to permit no
more sessions of the College OF Pick
1 pockets on the premises.
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