The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-18


ticular immigrant.
Arrived in New York she was COM
PEELED to pawn one or two gold trinkets
while looking for work. This brought her
in touch with the fourishing pawn-shop
business.
Encouraging Pickpockets
The pawn shops were practically un.
regulated by law in those days and the
German girls painful experience as Gus.
toner, instead of making her angry, i'm
pressed hlr with great admiration. There
was field for an ambitious person and
if ambition is virtue none was ever more
virtuous in that particular than Mother"
But how to enter this profitable indus
try was the question. To be pawn
broker has always required capital. That
is it always has for anyone but this
woman, who Rad none. She made a hur'
ried survey of the pawn shops along the
Bowery and elsewhere, and among others
noticed the place of one William Mandel-
baum.
William was unmarried, rather weak
wllled for a man of his calling. lazy and
afflicted with chronic dyspepsia He
cooked his own meals over a kerosene
lamp. which was Undoubtedly the cause
of his indigestion. Mother" Mandelbaum
berg, and offered to took and tend store
at nominal wages.
The nominal wages item secured her
the position and the cooking made her
firm in it. Within n weel, Williams diges.
ton was better than he Gould ever remem.
Der since boyhood; he had gained seven
pounds in weight and business was grow
ing bcautifully-an on account of the
capable Frederick.
AT the end of the week, William and
Fredericka had business talk. Frederick
didn't want an increase in wages She
didn't want any wages at al. 1t was
partnership or nothing William ate one
meal cooked by himself and then sur.
rendered. Within a few weeks hey were
married. Mrs. Mandelbaum foreNer after
ward was the head of the house of Man
deibaum
Among her customers Mrs. Mand,lbaum
noticed an occasional one who would
hurry in and get what he could on mis-
cellany of watches and small piecei Of
jewelry. These hasty, furtive young men
and boys took what they could get md
showed little disposition to haggle. Aso
they never returned to redeem ther
pledges
The new head Of the house encourage,
these customers, who were. of course
pickpockets. AT first, through Ignorance
and later as matter of policy. Mrs. Man
than was customary. Some Dawnbroker
would not accept anything from a pick
pocket If they knew it. The others tool
advantage OF the pickpocket's peril OF tn
law to drive the hardest possible terms.
1t was not long before Mandelbaums ha
the lions share of the pick-Dockct bus
ness. One who disposes of stolen goods ]
known as fence" and Mrs. Mandelbaur
soon became one OF the most importan
fences" for pickpockets in the city
AS the pawnshop grew more and NOR
notorious. the weight OF the police grey
heavier and heavier on the proprietress
She dealt less literally with pickpocket
than before She squeezed them to tn
last notch but they still remained he
customers for she was no harder tina
the other fences.
In order to meet the ever increasing
blackmail Of the police. Mrs. Mandelbaun
found it necessary to steadily enlarge he
business. Carefully she developed sys
TEN for scattering her stock 80 that he,
New York headquarters never contained
very large stock OF stolen goods. She
kept men busy melting down gold and sill