Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-23

at Foxs saloon at 35th street and 7tf
avenue, New York, which was tori
down about five years ago. He was
good story-teller when it came to re.
lating incidents Of travel, and his ex'
periences with the police In foreign
cities. Central office men would droI
into Fox's place just to see If the
Black Prince would uncork something
that would give them a clew to some
other international crook.
His Ebony Highness was regarded
as a great wit, adventurer, gambler
high roller, pal and gun" without as
sistance.
1t is said that the eminent nabob OF
his thievish crew Is now about AZ years
old. But he did not look to be nearly
so old when picked up and turned out
the other day. His term on Black
wells Island was for attempted lar.
ceny in the vicinity Of saith street and
Sth avenue. Immediately on being re.
leased he went to Boston, where ne
fell again for an attempted pocket.
picking. He served another sentence
of about a year and then went abroad
The Black Prince has been known
in New York altogether for a period
of about fifteen years, but he is equal
ly abhorred in most American cities
His most cautious and successful WORK
has been to hustle around in a hotel
porter's suit, frequenting railroad sta
tions and steamship landings, riding
in street cars early in the morning and
late in the afternoon, when persons
are going to work or going home.
The costume was for long time
his best disguise against police sus-
picion. The pickpockets Of the white
race invariably try to assume a neat
and business-like address. Who
would amagine that a good-natured
negro in a porter's jumper could alone
turn q trick that generally requires
at least three expert professional
crooks.
But the Black Prince needed nc
STALL" or pusher. He was and Is
still is an adept. A stall" is useful
for his nerve and ability as a scrap
per. When the "gun," or principal
in the pocket-picking job makes a
mistake through nervousness or anx-
iety and is discovered almost in the
act, it is the duty Of the STALL to In
terfere until the "gun," or "wire," as
he is also called can make good his
escape.
The stall" begins to cover the re-
treat by blocking the pursuit Of the
passenger who has set up howl.
Here, look where you're going!
roars the "stall." Whose foot do you
think you're stepping on?"
BY the time the reason Of the COM
motion is explained the principal has
dropped off the car. Then the STALL
or STALLS apologize to the passenger
and one by one they ring the bell and
alight in good order.
But the Black Prince never cared
to employ assistance" In the first
place his long, tapering fingers and
deftness of touch have enabled him
to get away with many a poke"
or "rock"' diamond
used as a shirt stud) with the great
est ease and unconcern. And then, of
course he has found it more profitable
to work alone, for in that case he
does not have to cut up the proceeds
among other thieves.
The Black Prince has been regard
ed by police authorities all over the
United States as the ablest single
handed "gun this country has ever
produced.
On rare occasions the sociability of
the Black Prince led him to "fill in,"
hustle, with one or several Of the
white comrades in crime. To "fllin'
means, in the parlance Of thieves,
to help constitute a "mob," or gang
engaged on a business errand. Some
Of the white friends in this rascally
in New York have been:
Paddy Rags, Eddie Maloney, Lester.
Johnnie Roche, Jack Regan, Sheldon,
AL Blair, Tom Malone, AL Anderson,
alias Little AL; Kid Duffy and a few
others with whom he exchanged ex-
periences and compared notes, or lent
a hand at odd times when they ap-
pealed to his professional pride.
The Black Prince has enjoyed the
Of never deserting a men,
ber of his mob" when such member
would fall into the grip Of the police.
He has always sent for lawyer to
look after the defence, and has sup
piled his unfortunate associates with
every possible help in an endeavor to
beat the rap" which is crooks term
for an official complaint. In case of
and sentence he has always
remitted necessity money" at regular
during the term Of imprison-
ment.
At one time the Black Prince Alfred
was reputed to be worth $4,000, and
he was regarded as such an animated
sport" that the proprietors Of rival
gambling houses in the Tenderloin
sent carriages for him in order to OBJ
tain his play. This always arouses him
to the keenest pitch Of vanity, and he
cheerfully lose as much as ST.
900 in a night.
The detectives bureau here did not
pretend to have any case against the
prince of darkness dude, but took him
down stairs as a sort Of habitual for
mality. He went along without a
murmur. The same thing happened
to him twenty nights in single month.
Before the passage of the vagrancy
law it was the custom Of the Central
Office to order crooks to headquar-
ters on the slightest pretext, when
ever found in a crowd. AS a rule,
the defendants were discharged next
morning for lack Of sufficient evid-
dence to hold them. In times past
this was brought about by what was
known as the three-link system, the
thief the politician and the copper.
But in recent years the vagrancy
act provides for a maximum sentence