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

coming out, are good pickings for a
mob People boarding street cars
and railway trains arc more or less
excited in the struggle for a seat and,
therefore, easier game for the thief.
no yc3 knew that such men as
Bryan and Taft carry special men
from pickpockets? Bryan is Il man
whom the guns fear. He Is keen
eyed and often has pointed out men
who were working in the crowd.
saw him do II twice"
A big park Just at closing time lato
at night when everybody is making
n mad. disorderly rush for tho cars Is
what the light.fngered gentry call
made to order" A half dozen or
more men may be robbed on each car
or even before reaching It, In such
an excitement each "gun or Cannon"
cannot often work single handed
without the aid OF the much needed
Stall"
Paramount park here was "made to
order" last year after the grocers'
picnic. Over fifty empty pocket.
books were found on the grounds and
by the side of the car tracks into the
city. How much money tho thieves
got will never he known. as many
men never oven "hollered."
Jewelry stores are often ,obbed of
diamonds Ivy this class of thieves.
the thief is known as n "hccl' and
his assistant as a stall"
These two men will watch
plant until, il possible, only one
clerk is left In the store. Then the
stall" enters and wants to look at
the very back OF the store. When
the clerks attention is engaged the
other ono heels in" sneaks behind
tho counter--which has been pre-
viously locatcd-snatchcs tray of
diamonds or watches and Is out tho
door like n streak
or course. the clerk. If ho secs the
act is all excitement Hero again the
STALL gets In his work. lie dances
about in front of the clerk, or even
falls down in front OF him. to keep
him from pursuing his pal.
81 saw him." he yclls cxcitedly. 81
know that fellow. You stay here and
watch your store and I'll run and
catch him."
"Of course, the clerk can't leave
tho Store, and the heel and stall
both got away. The ground has been
carefully gone over for getaway"
before the job is pull OFF, The man
with tho tray may dodge back and
forth through Il crowded street and
finally get lost in an alley, Mos.
generally, however, he will run into
an office building, change sort ha,
Tor n golf cap--or vice versa-slip
the contents of the tray into his pock-
et drop the tray into a convenient
corner and calmly walk out at an
other entrance and maybe, join in the
search for himself
Ono might naturally suppose that
race track where lots of diamonds
are worn and big sums of money are
handled would be n flowery field for
pickpockets," suggested the ex-pick-
pocket. THAT is mistake. Race
tracks are the best protected places
In the country. They are generally
guarded by a lot of mon who former.
~ wore in the pickpocket business.
Trey know every crook In the country
and warn them that there's nothing
doing here And you bet If anything
does come off the man who did It will
DO sure TO get sloughed for it,"
Every big city has its saloons
which are known to the gentry the
world over as "gun joints" And every
plckpocket knows every place in every
city, too. They arc often protected
by tho police. Here in Kansas City
such criminals used to hang out at
saloon on Missouri avenue. ilow
they may be seen at any hour of the
day or up to n. m. mt two saloons
one on Main street and the other on
| Walnut
Once In a while piclSDocket will
run across a drunken man who Is easy
to rob. Such man is known as n
Jack" If one says. 81 found Jack"
he means, OF course, that he robbed
a drunken man.
crowded elevator is another easy
place for mob" to work. BY
crowdlng. pushing and "stalling" the
old game can be worked and a rock.
! a poke or clock may come off" That
Is diamond. a pocketbook or a watch
may be stolen.
When John Hayes was chief of DO
lice Kansas City was known far and
"'uc as tHe OSSt pTulecte0 CITY from
"mobs" in this country. Hayes knew
every good one and the small fry
steercd clear of here.
The year of presidential cam
paign Is looked forward TO with relish
by such thieves. More men are rob.
bed in such years than in all the 9th.
or three Intervening. That being tho
case keep your hands OH your rock,
your leather and your clock" or you
may LOST them at any timc.-KanSa 3