The sun., 1907-08-25
ri aoUE OF THIEVES.

y Tor,l. ......................s 81, 500 900
.PI.oUE OF THIEVES
Bur London has not been favored by
or lenders alone IL has been a great season
for those gangs Of grafters. card shsrps
and pickpockets who regard it as their
Mecca In the spring their jewelry is in
rawn and their pockets are empty. Now
they are wearing diamonds and carrying
fat rtAs The steamship card sharps
have been unusually successful. Numerous
new recruits have sprung UP like mush-
rooms and the season has been so profit
able that where two or three we're once
considered sufficient for a steamer this
year gangs Of five and rix and even seven
are necessary to make thorough clean up.
During one of week, a reporter for The
SuN counted twenty-five of these card
sbarps, Of whom less than half were old
timers The German boats have been the
PRINCIPAL scene of activity and the hsuls
have been large. The oldest games have
teen worked without discovery
One retired gambler told TIE SUN
reporter that he saw a gang -spreading.
holding out and dealing from the bottom"
with such crudity that he felt sorry for
the victims. 1T was like taking candy
from children he said. Their success
has been so easy that some gangs have
been outrageously imprudent. On a recent
steamer. just before reaching Plymouth.
two card sharps met in the smoke room
in the lpresence of their victims. One
said Lets divide up now, to biazes
with those mugs and divide they did.
None Of the victims even made a squeal.
On the racetracks five distinct gangs.
principally Australians and South Africans.
have been picking pockets and their hauls
have also been tremendous. One Of the
most prominent victims was n. r. Rea, the
Pittsburg steel magnate. who had his pocket
picked at Windsor and a huge sum taken.
So rleveriy was the job done that Rea never
missed his pocketbook until he returned
to the Carlton. For time he thought he
had lost it in a cab. One man who had
been companion of Rea's through Europe
said: .,...t.. ..t..
That is the only way to ger money from
Rea, steal II. He has had the most wonder
ful luck ever saw. The first day out from
New York luck came to him in a poker
game and it was continual all the way over.
He nearly cleaned everybody out. In
Paris. no matter whether he went asaiBs:
the races or any other sort OF game. he
couldn't help winning. At Trouville the
very first day he picked four long shot win
uers His profit there and at other places
increased his bank roll by leaps and bounds.
His luck has been 30 great that l am sur
prised that even pickpockets were even
able to take any money from him.
NOTABLE VISITORS.
senator Dillingham; OF Vermont. chair
man Of the United States immigration
Commission, said in an interview to-day
that the members Of that body would sail
for home next Thursday. The Senator
was unable TO indicate the line their report
would take as the members have not met
SINCE they separated in Italy. Mr.. Bennett
going TO Greece. n. n. Wells to France.
Mr.. Wheeler to Germany, the Senator him
self TO Russia and Austria II ungary. Mr..
Howell is now in Ireland. Mr.. Wheeler will
probably remain a month taking a rest In
England and Scotland. The Continent. the
senator said had been covered in the most
thorough manner. Every facility for OBJ
talnlng accurate information had been
Afforded. He did not think IL was likely
that The report TO Congress would be ready
ID less than year.
" J. Chisholm. president Of the Inter-
national Cable Company OF New ork. with
his wife and son has just completed Ave
thousand mile motor tour Of the Continent
aud the United Kingdom. They will sail
ior home on the steamship Adriatic. In an
Interview to-day Mr.. Chisholm said: "In
discussing American affairs IL is neces-
sary 10 discuss President Roosevelt. and the
late Of him who ventures to disagree with
the President IL hard. II a man In public
Vie offers an opinion contrary TO that of
Mr. Roosevelt the President denounces
hlm az having been bought by a corpora
uon. II man interested In corporations
has the temerity to offer an opinion he is
dismissed as prejudced.
tndeterred by the prospect OF being de-
bounced, let me say that to my mind Presi-
aent Roosevelts policy has now become
one not OF prosecution but OF persecution,
and such is the view taken by the leading
men Of England and the Continent with
'Rom have talked
.Ir hisholm instanced the Presidents
persistent interference with railroads as
seriously undermining their prosperity to
'he detrlment Of an immense number OF
people. He Poin ted out the advantages OF
eonsohdation. which he said had done
more probably than any one agency, TO
extend the influence Of American business
aoroat, and then continued:
While the President Is endeavoring TO
oestroy these wonderful attribvtes Of our
Prosperity that active and keenly alert
satlon Germany, Is taking the opposite
course. encouraging through its Govern
ment the consolidation Of business interests
INTO trusts. Germany realizes that In these
ays Of strenuous competition oonsolida-
won IA the only method Of securing success
And ti,,v.s ~ hs,~kv.~a iv~snv,n In