The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-02
CROOKS COMING
TO REAP HARVEST
Pickpockets Already Arrive fer
Fair Week, So Leave Your
Valuables at Home.
SPECIAL POLICE ON DUTY.
Unusual Precautions Taken to
Protect Visitors From
Foreign Thieves.
SPECIAL POLICE ON DUTY

That the Virginia State Fair will be
an unbounded success Is already as
sured beyond doubt, for, according
to common report, there are now in
Richmond about 100 mastersharpers
and crooks, who Will give their in
divided attention 20 the expected pick
ings at the fair. and, incidentally, af-
ford a little amusement for the police
who have been selected to act MS the
yls-a-vis Of the visitors. Every one
knows that crooks. sharpers. double
flock to State fairs in unusual numbers
unless they have received advices from
their scouts that the attendant crowds
will be large and that money will be
rolling Ike highballs on the ground.
SO, with every incoming train, some
dark -visaged, cross-eyed, hook nosed,
sharp cared, likely crook gently lifts
himself to the ground ana chances in
toward the City Hall to see whether
Major Werner is on the job and whe
Their Captain Mcmahon has his ear to
tic STouuu. lueIe Is tHc least sign OIL
suspicion the crook drops from the Off
side OF the train; IL everything looks
like smooth sailing, he steps off the
marches UP the street with twitching
fingers and eyes that bore like gm-
let
Police on the Alert.
But the road to sudden wealth for
these visitors from the underworld
will not be an easy one If the sYg-
gestions OF Major Werner to all the
world and his wife are followed They
are common-sense suggestion, and 1t
is hardly necessary to put them down
in black and white But they Will be
given out just to show how wise they
are and how easy 1t VIII be to fol-
low them and thus save, perhaps, sew
eral hundred dollars ana a few gold
watches and chains ana other VAL
liable jewelry.
Major Werner advise. every one
who has one to leave his gold watch
at home. which is also a good deposit
tary for diamond pins. chains, diamond
studs. overburdened pocketoooks. and
in fact, everything of value which
Is not absolutely necessary to wear.
If you want to know the time. says
Major Werner, "and have left your
gold timepiece at home, ask u police
officer. He VIII tell you the time With
out charge. If you prefer TO carry a
watch or sundial, get cheap one,
for dollar pr so. Pickpockets have
deep-seated and horrible avelsion
for dollars watches and 'phouy' d.a-
monds"
OF course. there will. no DOUBT, ne
many at the State Fair who never
owned an automobile or gold watch.
and they VIII not need to exercise so
much prccaution. 1t is not everybody
who owns a diamond stick pin or q
$3.50 watch, but even those who have
ne such gilded worldly POSSESSIONS
nsav have little extra change IN their
pockets, and 1t would be wise to carry
ones money in an inside pocket in
stead of on the hip.
Beware of the JostIe.
And. Furthermore. Major Werner nd
vises that II you feel yourself jostled
in crowd 1t would be we'll to slap
your hands on your purse, and If 1t
comes in contact with another hand
slick and creased, hold on to the
stranger and call the police. Let the
officer accept the smooth strangers
apology, if he wishes. He Will prob
ably know what to do.
Every precaution has been taken to
police the grounds. Four detectives
will be assigned every day from head
quarters, and the bicycle squad, con-
sisting of sixteen men, Will be on
duty every day from 10 A. NJ. until! the
last rocket has gone up and the last
car come home. Mounted Policemen
w. L. Krug and r. B. Jordan are as
signed for duty on the race-track. a
mounted officer from each district will
patrol the Hermitage Road and the
Boulevard to the Feir Grounds. daily.
from noon until midnight.
A special detail will be stationed at
Seventh and Broad Streets and at First
and Broad Streets from l P. NJ. to
A. NJ The new automobile patrol will
be detailed to the Fair Grounds. and
the small auto patrol Will be used in
the city.
Special Detail.
Four plain clothes men will be at
the fair. and officers johnson ana
Duffy Will do special duty at head
will be in charge of the detail at the
Fair Grounds, and Sergeant w. B.
whitlock will act as desk sergeant.
"A record book will be kept at the sta
rests and the fines and costs imposed
will be recorded to settle disputes that
may arise in the future. Police tele-
phones have been installed. and on
midway a signal pole has been erected.
With all these arrangements Major
Werner has no apprehension that any
serious trouble will occur.
And if the people will leave their
valuables and sjeWelry at home, or in
a safe deposit vault the thieves who
have come In and who are expected
to arrive will not reap the harvest they
anticipate. 1t takes two to make a
rickpocket successful. the man who
carries the gold and tho pickpocket
himself. Let the former beware, says
the chief of police. and the pickpocket
viii pass on to green fields and pas
lures new
Outfit Contract.
o. II. Berry & Co., yesterday fulfilled
cEauffeurs of the Richmond Transfee
Company. The Richmond outfitters Sc
cured the contract In competition With
the largest firms of the United States.