Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-28
Tricks of Street Thieves.

abstractlng a valuable tie-pin from
the cravat of a man sitting between
them in a music hall by means of an
almost invisible horsehair stretching
from the right hand of, one thief to
the left hand of his accomplice, caused
a representative yesterday to make
some inquiries among plain clothes
policemen and detectives as to the
methds of pickpockets and thieves.
The horsehair trick, it would seem
is moe common than might be gem
orally supposed. 1t can be "worked''
with alVantage in crowd, and. if the
operation is skilfully performed, pre-
matur discovery does not as n rule
involve suspicion falling upon the
Thieves The usual practice is for the
operatrs to place themselves one on
each SIDE of their intended victim,
while ne horsehair, stretched between
them asses right across the victims
chest The thieves, by simultaneous
Nv raislg their hands, under pretence
of utng their pipes or cigarettes
into thir mouths, then contriye bv
pulIing the horsehair taut gradually
To lft ne victims tie-pin or other
place. If it falls to the ground UNI
noticed he thieves take the earliest
onport,pty of securing ii, or by skill
fuI narlulation of the horsehair the
article ray be made to slide down
tho olmct invisible line right into the
hand of he of the coniederates.
Tie-uis, of course, owing to the
ease wit which they are detached,
are \ faorite objective with many
pettv thFves of both sexes, and a
preat may of them are stolen by
means ofthe old and well-worn trick
of tho Tlmbling lady" The we'll
dressed gntleman walking along the
pavement aotices that Il lady crossing
bis nath Suddenly stumbles and lurch-
&c forvar. Instinctively he throws
omen his ems to catch her. and for a
noment ae rests upon his breast.
The next, With a confused murmur of
anolarv al thanks, she is gone, and
If is only some time afterwards thar
the eaIlan. rescuer discovers that his
tie,pin is lso sQns, or; perhaps his
watch.
The idea environment for the oper-
atinns of he pickpocket on the look
ont for wa-hes and pocket wallets is.
naturally, 2crowd and where a crowd
does not est the expert thief knows
several was of creating one One o.
the simples methods is based upon a
curious psychological fact of human
curiosity. Wich can easily be proved
by anyone gao cares to make the ex
pertinent \ man Walking along a
we'll frequeIed thoroughfare will
suddenly cone to halt and gaZa
steadfastly AZ something in the air
lie NAV be niuutely observing the ac-
lions of a nan cleaning a window in
a building u the opposite side of the
road. or he nay be merely staring in
tently at a quite ordinary chimney
pot. But. whatever ii is he is staring
at, if he. only stares long enough a
second persoR will inevitably come
along and also stop and stare, They
Will be Joined by another. and yet
until finally there is a large
group of people all gazing intently II
the same direction without any OF
them having an idea what they arr
looking for. In the meantime tbs
original "gazer" has quietly disap.
peared. and So, in all probability, hav,
some of the belongings of the othei
curious ones.
Some methods of crowd collecting
however. are much more elaborate
Some years ago a group of tire,
picrrots-two men and a Woman
We're very familiar in the streets Of th'
outer circle of London Their per
Torrance was undoubtedly sometime
above the average, and they reaped :
good harvest of coppcrs from til,
crowd which invariably gathered. Blu
they rcapcd a golden harvest from th'
operations of a quietly clad, gentle
manly looking individual who wa!
regularly among their audiences. Thei
there is the ragged little urchin VIII
creates CONSERVATION and excitemen
among dense crowd of SEASIDE
visitors by falling off the pier into tn
water. The ragamuffin, as a rule. ca
swim like fish and in any case is no
in the slightest danger: but the longe
he can keep UP realistic semblanc
of drowning the longer his father o
big brother has 10 explore the pocket
of the sympathetic people crowde
above.
The operations of the railway sta
ton thief with his false bottome
portmanteau, which he sets down 70
a moment over some one else's bag O
the platform, and then walks off wit
the bag safely gripped in the steC
springs of his own empty portmantea
| shell, are almost too well known I
require description; but there is a nea
swindle sometimes perpetrated o
| travellers on crowded holiday train!
in regard to which word of warnin
| may be uttered. Ii is habit Wit
a great many travellers, particular
ladies. to carry their railway ticket
in their hands, or perhaps stuck in tn
outside pocket of their purse or hand
bag, where it is in full view. This
a rather unwise habit but il is sti
| more foolish to hand yo,,r ticket for
moment to the pleasant conversation
alist who sits opposite Won or next /
| you, although he may give If Won hac
Immediately after satisfving III
curiosity on some snail noint whic
has been his pretext for horrowing /
When the ticket-colIector come
around. the pleasant Converse tionalis
declares to the waiting man tbat h
has already given up his ticket anon
| the first which Were Collected in th
| compartment. The tickat-coIIectc
| counts the tickets in HI -, ON