The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-08
Japanese Thieves Among Clev-
crest In The World
VICTIM GENERALLY WOMAN
Footgear Is Stolen From Them in
Crowds While They Stand Watch
ing rocessions-Amercan
Tells of Tricks.

Toxic, Japan, Cor Of the Chicago News.
An Englishman entered a frst-class car
of one of the railroad trains that run be-
tween Toxic and Yokohama. He was Il
little red in the face and apparently ruff
fled in temper. He had just discovered
that his pocket had been picked in the
station, and he exclaimed bitterly against
thieves in general and Japanese thieves
in particular.
An American who had been engaged in
Yokohama for number of years noticed
the Englishman's quandary. Turning
round to me he said: Our English
friend seems a little bit excited. II he
growls at having his pocket picked what
would ne say if he had his shoes stolen
off his feet?
THAT is clearly an impossbiiity." I
laughed.
II don't know about that he returned.
at may not happen with our western
style of shoes, button and lace but all
the same / have heard and know it to
be fact that the sandals of Japanese
have been stolen off their feet
Z The Way They Operate.
81 wen. how is it done?'' I asked.
! Very simply" ne answered. Sup.
i pose a Japanese woman who has parbc-
llarly fine pair of lacquersd clogs is one
of a great crowd that is watching pass
ing procession or a religious celebrauon
of priests in front of temple. Along
fcomes an expert pickpocket-Or piekfoot,
uon't know which you want to call him.
His keen eyes fastened on the ground.
discover those desirable clogs. Thereupon
he makes up his mind that he wants
them.
The first thing she knows the owner
of the clogs feels an unpleasant sensa-
ton in her left foot. Naturally she wants
to stop it and quite mechanically and al
most absently she slips her right foot
out of its clog and begins to scratch that
uncomfortable spot in her left foot with
her toes She feels relieved Forgetting
all about the incident, she becomes alb
sorbed in the spectacle again. Soon the
Irritation crosses over to similar spot
1n her right foot Absently, once more.
she slides her left foot out of its clog
and begins to soothe the troublesome spot
with her toes.
Used Wire or Straw
1.-THE thief was responsible for the ir-
ritation and walked off with the clogs
! said.
Certainly. the rascal caused the trouble
with a bit of straw or wire, he returned.
But one would think that the mo-
ment the foot of the victim touched the
ground its clog would be missed and the
thief would run the chance of being
caught before the second could be stolen. y
X "Oh. that is one of the c1everest parts
of the trick" explained my friend. Ihe
thief comes supplied with a pair of cheap
wooden clogs, costing but few yen, ana
the owner of the lacquered fpotgear goes
away with them and never notices tne
difference. at least not until it is too late
TO profit from the knowledge.
"Are Japanese thieves so very clever
then?' l asked
ooh. veryr' he returned. "Some time
ago I heard of one of them who used
to carry a handful of watch rings to mt
into the stems of all sorts of watches
that he might come by dishonesty. Once
he lifted a watch in a train and the
owner missing it, but not knowing who
+he thief was, set up a shout and had
q policeman summoned. The police, to
satisfy the victim, insisted that every one
in the train show his watch. When the
turn of the thief came he drew out or
his pocket the stolen timepiece and its
original possessor, not recognizing it on
account of the changed ring, missed an
easy chance to regain his lost property.
at was this same fellow. I believe" he
continued, who managed by the ex-
diture of little money to have him
self enrolled under various names in the
census lists of different towns. When
arrested he gave one of those various
names to the authorities The police on
iooking up the record of the name given,
were unable to find any black marks
against IT, Thus he always managed to
escape with light punishment for his
first soffense. committed / don't know
how many times