Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-16
ATLANTA SLEUTRSFO|L
P|CKPOCKETS WHO HOPED
FOR ABUNDANT HARVEST
Week That Brought Big Crowds Here
for Auto Show and Football Game
Kept Detectives Busy, but They
Checked Inroads of the Crooks.

A certain hefty gentleman who
wears the babe OF the Atlanta detec-
tive force stretched his arms and
yawned luxuriously Saturday night
about midnight and remarked to the
world that he should worry The
lights had Just gone out on the auto
mobile show. A last yelping college
boy was dragging himself into the
Aragon Hotel, singing the glories OF
the Georgia Tech football game. At
lanta had been put to bed.
And the week had passed week
Of streets and hotels crowded with
the auto show and the big football
game and a few other gala events,
without the record of more than one
or two insignificant depredations by
uickpockets.
They Swept Over City.
The remarkable thing about this
was that two weeks ago the woods
were full of dips" gentlemen Of
steaithy, crafty fingers who would
nip your diamond stud or cut your
wallet pocket or extract your watch
without so much as a by-your- leave,
smiling in your face all the while.
The Atlanta detective department will
tell you that the dips" came down on
Atlanta like wolves on the fold, with
"a concerted organization, in good
form for work among the crowds that
would be in the city for the big foot
ball games and for the automobile
exhibitions.
How they were foiled in their plans
and most of them frightened firm the
II . h. i
nearly so interesting as the revela-
ton the detectives make of the meth
DDS by which the pickpockets worked.
lntimaton that a party Of accom-
plished dips" were at work In At
lanta came to the police department
from a number OF sources, mainly
from the unmistakable evidence that
pockets were being picked and money
and valuables being lifted in broad
daylight, plainly by the fingers Of ex-
perts.
Robbed at Five Points.
A paymaster was robbed of $500 at
Five Points. As he stepped on a
street car an innocent looking young
man was In front of him, mounting
slowly. This retarded the paymas-
ter's steps and as he Jagged, a man
behind him pinned his arms to his
side, and a third man went through
his pockets like a flash. Then they
were off in different directions.
Another report was that OF a man
at the same crowded corner who lost
his watch, Another man, looking into
a mirror to see II his diamond stud
was in the right position. found that
there was no diamond stud in his tie
at all, but the mere stub of its spiral
where the stone had been cut off
Then came along the opening of
the Wincooq Hotel The beauty and
the chivalry of Atlanta was there,
throngs that squirmed in and out.
tight damned, through the halls and
parlors. Jewels cleaned. Laces SHIN
mered. 1t was a brave array
The House detectives force was
doubled, triped. Plain clothes men
OF the city police force mingled with
the crowd. Everybody was a sus-
pected pickpoclIet
Even "the Lords" Suspected.
For Instance, there were five young
men who are prominent in Atlanta
society and who are members of q
good fellow brotherhood known az
The Lords" The Ave friends, bored
at watching the crowds and listening
to the music, decide on a quiet game
of cards. They escaped the crow6
gether, An alert looking little mar
followed them, and entered with then
the elevator He went along witt
them to their room, and even went II
with them.
They courteously framed their con
versation to take in the unexpected