Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-10-17
CRIMINALS SLANG.
Remarkable Collection Found In Chi
caoo.

our modern civilization TO make tn'
present-day criminal and to evolve hi
peculiar dialect.
To everybody the subject appeals a!
interesting, but to certain classes 1t l!
vital. I mean all the detectives, po
licemen, lawyers-in short, all person!
in any way whatever connected will
the administration of justice.
Crooks can converse at will in the
presence of police or can write to eacf
other without being in the least un'
derstood by the uninitiated. The aver
age policeman Is known as a "harnes:
bull" and the criminal feels a con-
tempt for the officers knowledge.
Thieves from different parts of the
country have different expressions
though after "meet" of western ano
eastern thieves an interchange Of SLANG
follows and one group readily picks
up the sayings of the other. A critica
study of this slang Of the crimina
world is interesting.
Take the pickpocket, who is called
"a gun" "a gun" is thief who doe:
not use force, which sounds like par
adox, but is nevertheless true. In thi:
way he is unlike the gorilla" the
strong-arm highwayman. A "grafter'
is a thief. A complaint or charge Is
rap" and the complainant is the
"rapper." The one whose property Is
stolen is the sucker" and the judge
is the "beak."
A fall" is an arrest fall money
is what is used to liberate man from
custody. ITO spring a man" is to bal
him out. And to help square the
Sucker" and get a man off clear from
any charge the underground wires
must be used. A pocketbook is
poke" and the man who jumps his
bail, becoming a fugitive from justice
is a "lambaster."
The thief who steals your pocket
book is the wire" or tool" and
gang of three or more pickpockets who
travel together is called a mob" A
"swell mob" is a gang that can hire
first-class legal talent and have good
financial backing. When a man Is
convicted of crime he Is Settled" OF
to use the English phrase, "unfortu-
nate"
If q girl loses her fellow through q
court sentence she Is divorced" A
swell mouthpiece" is a very good
lawyer, while a very bad one Is called
"shyster" A pickpocket is fire.
quently called dip" and in western
states a cannon"
A shoplifter is called booster" OF
holster" or "hyster," and an excep-
tionally smart one "a swell booster.
A green goods man when plying his
trade Is said to be "out Of the spud.'
Store thieves who steal jewelry are
called penny -weighters," while the
thieves who tap store tills are called
damp getters," and when working
are said to be "out at the heel"
Thieves who steal diamonds or 9TH
er precious stones from the person are
called prop getters" or "stone getters.' u
A woman thief is called a "gun moll, y
and a male thief who makes special
ty of robbing women is called "moll
buzzer." A safe blower is called a
gopher man." 'peterman" or a
"yeggman" and "gerver." An empty
safe is called "bloomer." A second
story worker who breaks and enters
dwelling houses is called a "house-
man." porch climber" and fiat work
err"
Turn out" is to discharge a man
from arrest and put man on the
street. The go-between Of lobbyists
who buy up legislation is called the
gravel train," because he has the
rocks" whereby he can debauch leg
islators, and the lobbyist himself Is
known to the criminal world as a
dress suit burglar"
The thief who robs drunken men is
called a "lush TOUGHER" and the styl-
ish hotel beat is called a baron" A
lodging house is called a "dosshouse,
and to sleep is to "doss." A restau-
rant is a dump" or "oeanery," and a
convict who works the churches and is
sincere in his profession Of religion Is
called a mission stiff" A minister is
called "sky pilot" and a Catholic
priest is called a Galway" or buck. I"
A prison turnkey is alluded to as
a Screw and prison food Is called
steamed grub" "Mugged" is photo
graphed, and "stood up" is to be plac-
ed in the line at police headquarters
for Identification and exposed to the
gaze Of probable "rappers." An Irish
clubhouse" is the police station, and
the link pot" is the resort for low
characters.
A "thimble and turnip" is a watch,
and counterfeit money is bad dough-"
Diamonds with flaws are called bum
rocks and a "fiXer" is the man who
looks after the interests of the man
who is arrested, squares the sucker"
hires the lawyer and attends to all
necessary details. A chief of police is
"buzzard." or "mean person." and a
good fellow" is q thief. man or wo-
man, who pays his Chicago
Record Herald