Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-01-23
THE THIEVES OF JAPAN
Ingenious RascaIs, Among the
ClevereSt In the World.
ONE OF THEIR FOXY TRICKS
The Method by Which Tney Steal the
Shoes OF the Women's Feet In the
Public Streets-How a Miser's Money
Chest Was Barred and Looted.

An Englishman entered Il first class
car of one of the railroad trains that
run between Tokyo and Yokohama.
lie was little red In the face and ap-
parently ruilled In temper. lie had
just discovered that his pocket had
been picked In the station. and he ex-
claimed bitterly against thieves In gen
eral and Japanese thieves IN particu-
lar.
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 bit excited. II
he growls ut having his pocket picked.
what would he say II he had the shoes
stolen OFF his feetI''
THAT is clearly an impossibility." !
laughed.
Il don't know about that" he re-
turned. 1T may not happen with our
western style of shoes. button aud
lace: but. all the same, have heard
and know II To he II fact that the
sandals of Japanese have been stolen
OF their Feet
We'll how Is IL done?'' asked.
every simply" he answered. SUP
pose Japanese woman who has u
particularly fine pair of lacqucrcd
clogs IL one Of great crowd that IL
watching passing procession or re-
ligious celebration of priests In front
Of II temple Along comes an expert
pickpocket-or pickfoot. | don't know
which you want to call him. His
keen eyes. fastened ON the ground. dis.
cover those desirable clogs. There
upon he makes up his mind that he
wants them.
"The first thing she knows the own
er of the clogs feels an unpleasant
sensation In her left foot. Naturally
she wants to stop II. and quite me
chanically and almost absently she
slips her right foot out Of Its clog
and begins to scratch that uncomforta-
BILE 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 sim
liar spot In her right foot. Abscntly.
once more. she slides her left foot out
/! of its clog and begins To soothe the
troublesome spot with her toes"
"The thief was responsible for the
irritation and walked of with tie
clogs" | said.
"Certainly. The rascal caused the
trouble with bit Of straw or wire.
he returned.
But one would think that the mo-
ment the foot of the victim touched
the ground It's clog would be missed
and the thief would run the chance
of being caught before the second
could be stolen
"Oh. that Is one of the clevcrcst
parts OF the trick" explained my
friend. THE thief comes supplied
with pair of cheap wooden clogs
costing but few sen. and the owner
Of the lacquered footgear goes away
with them and never notices the diff
] ference. nj least not until II is too
late To profit from the knowledge"
Are Japanese thieves so very clev.
/ er. them" I asked.
'Oh. very" he returned. Some
| time ago | heard OF one of them who
used To carry handful of watch rings
, 10 fit into the stems of all sorts of
watches that he might come by dis
honestly. Once he lifted watch In
train. and the owner. missing II. bu;
not knowing who the thief was. set
| up shout and had policeman sum-
moned. The police. to satisfy the vie
| tim. Insisted that every one In the
train show his watch. When the turn
OF the thief came he drew out OF his
pocket the stolen timcpicce. and its
original possessor. not recognizing II
on account Of the changed ring. missed
an easy chance to regain his property.
at was the same fellow. ! believe"
he continued. ''who managed by the
expenditure Of little money To have
himself enrolled under different names
IN the various lists of different towns.
When arrested he gave one of these
various names 10 the authorities. The
police, on looking up the record of the
name given. were unable TO find any
black marks against II. Thus he nj
ways managed TO escape with II light
punishment for his first offensc. com
United don't know how many times.
but don't know that any II these
| fellows were as clever rs another thief
/ heard about. You know many Of the
japanese sleep on a sort Of bed made
up on the floor, called feuton. Well.
an old japanese mlser kept his money
In the house. concealed In small
chest OF drawers. In the daytime he
never took his eyes OFF his treasure
and at night he had his feuton pushed
tightly against It. so no robber could
get at his money without awakening
him.
'For long time n gang Of thieves
had been puzzling their brains 10 find
way Of stealing the hoard without
being detected. Well. On certain
night one OF them entered the house
and gently. little by little. pulled the
bed on which the miscr lay away from
the chest OF drawers. Then he cut KY
emptied the drawers ~ their cur.