Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-19

Men of Kansas City. when you at
tempt TO board street car and find
several men in an awful rush to board
the same car, be careful. IT you flnd
a man in front Of you who apparent
~ can't or won't move forward, while
another Is pushing you from the rear,
and third. with II novercoat on his
arm. Is attempting TO pass you and
leave The car, reach for your iia-
mond stud with one hand and your
pocketbook with the other. When all
OF these symptoms are present
and there may be more than three
men harassing you--you may rest as
surod that gun mob" is ut work,
and if you are In the center of it you
may rightly conclude that you have
been singled out ms the sucker"
Easy pIckings' they may call you.
Since Chief of Police John Hayes
was removed on July 81 last. during
the Folk investigation men who
know say that there have been more
pockets picked In Kansas City than
In he 10 years previous. AS "mobs''
of "cannons. guns, dips and stalls"
which means gangs of piclIpockets
are known to be in the city all the
time now. it may be interesting to
know how they work on street cars,
In elevators, on railway trains and
coming out of theatcrs and places OF
public gathering.
| On March II man was robbed OF
$500 on IL street car while II was go
ing from Fourteenth to Fifteenth
street on Grand avenue. Here is the
way II was done: The mob" was
out looking for an easy mark" One
man was stationed at bank at Four
teenih and Grand. lIe saw man
draw IL sum OF money and place II
I'm his inside coat pocket.
/ That man was "trailed' until ne
boarded car for home. The rest OF
the mol was In sight and were
"onicod or signaled, that all was
well. One man boarded the car In
front of him and. the back platform
being crowded. blocked the way by
refusing to move up. A second. who
boarded the car unnoticed, concluded
to leave. On his right arm he car
ricd "A black, lightweight overcoat
While the man In front-known to
: piclctpockets as "Stall"-was re-
fusing to move up another "stall'' was
showing the victim from the rear ano
insisting that he "Movc on. What's
the matter with you?"
While his attention was attracted
toward the two "salls" and his tenn
per was perhaps becoming runlcd. the
man with the ovcrcoat on his arm
squeezed past him and with def fin
gers. entirely concealed by the over.
fcoat. slipped his hand into the vic
TINS inside coat pocket and easily
removed the pockctbook containing
his money. When he had the "leath
or" or poke rs n pocketbook Is
known. safely In his hand beneath
the overcoat, he cleared his throat
with n 'hoch' or pursed up his lips
and made Il noise similar to that made
by man driving n horse. Whcr
that was heard by the stalls" they
gave their victim all the space he
wanted and quickly left the car. The
man who got the poke" is known
rs II dip Tho overcoat which con-
Goals the hand is known to pickpock
cts MS n "tog."
Gun mobs' never consist of les;
than three men. and often five or 81,
work on one man. but they never, BY
sign or look, show that they are ac
quaintcd. The same method is used
in getting n diamond pin or stud from
mans shirt front or necktie. Good
guns say that the report that they
use nippers to cut diamond from It's
mornings Is n hasc fabrication.
only some apple knocker or SPUR
rel would attempt such n thing" said
! a reformed "gun" recently. 'If the
stone, which Is always called a rock.
can't be removed with tho fingers the
man who Is trying to get 1t, who is
always known as the instrument oil
the tool will quit like big steer
In the big road. Diamonds are Otter
held by patent fastener, you know
That is what we call locked and 9
good thief can tell IL it's locked the
minute his fingers touch it. Then he
offices locked and the mob ducks
: When mob" of pickpockets work
on a railroad train II Is always before
then chance for u getaway" in case
IN sucker makes a holler." as they
say. The ticket window Is watched
for II man with fat poke" in Other
words well-filled purse Or he ma,
have on valuable rock" He Il
"trailod' 10 his train and mailed" or
the platform or when passing through
the narrow chute at the entrance o.
all chair, parlor cars and sleepers
The same old method is again used
The stalls" attract his attention
while the dip" passes him. overcoai
on arm, and gets either the pocket
book or the stone.
Often victim gets into the car ant
takes a seat before the mob" has