Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-07-09
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s LOOK u FOR
i
Carelessnese Of Average Person
Makes 1t Easy Picking for
dip" in Large Cities

When pickpockets are able In a
single week to pluck $1,000 from the
pockets Of Baltimoreans it is time to
learn how to hold on to your pocket
book and clutch your watch.
According to the officials at detec-
tive headquarters at the courthouse,
practically every town of n size has
its quota of local dips" which is the
vernacular Of the light-fngered gen.
tlemen who insinuate their slim pre-
hensile digits into your hip pocket
n draw forth the wad which you
have carelessly placed there.
But it is not the local pickpockets
who cause the detectives n great
amount Of trouble: These are pretty
we'll known at headquarters; they arc
all ticketed and pigeon-holed, as 1T
were. Many Of them nave been ar
rested before; in fact, the majority of
our local dips" of prominence are at
present said to be serving terms in the
"pen," where they do not have to be
reckoned with. Because of the knowl-
edge of the sleuths concerning the
habits and the habitats of those who
are still at large, the local pickpockets
find mighty poor pickings nowadays.
One thing which operates in their
favor, however, is the fact that IL
they are known to the detectives these
latter gentlemen are equally as we'll
NAAO"h w hS oAPob IhS
policemen being known as ~"harnessed
bulls and the p~lain-clothes men as
just bulls" And because the odds
are even, If one may be paradoxical,
the game between the sleuth and the
dip" Is a stimulating one.
There is another species of pick
pocket, however, who, like the gypsy,
der from city to city. and it Is when
a band of them descends on a town
that the big hauls are made. Only
last week almost $1,000 was lifted
from the pockets of unsuspecting Boil
timoreans in a single day. When the
complaints were brought in to the
courthouse it was known immedi-
ately that a strange new band, more
or less unknown to the local police
department, had blown into town.
But what's the use Of writing up
things about pickpockets for the pub
lie to read on Sunday?" q big detec-
tive at headquarters asked disguest-
eddy when a Sunday Sun representa-
tive requested him to ak about the
modus operandi Of this sect of thieves.
when the same gullible public will
go out or Monday morning and get
bit without profting in the least by
what it has read"
The detective scratched his head
and looked his annoyance, as though
to say that from oil accounts n OBJ
servations, the public seemed to rather
enjoy the experience Of having Its
pocket picked. judging from the pre-
cautions that it failed to taxi at least.
"Men will go on carrying tempting
sums of money in their hip pockets
until the n of the world, I suppose"
he continued, and just 80 long as
they do the business of pocket picking
is likely to flourish"
Lifting money from a hip pocket.
or from any trousers pocket, for that
matter, is, according to This authority,
mere child's play. Sometimes the dip,
when he is about to insert a stealthy
hand into a hip pocket, will suddenly
discover that the mouth OF the pocket
is protected by a flap buttoned down.
Nothing SO slight as a mere button
will deter a dextrous pickpocket, how
ever, and the presence of the but
toned flap but whets his appetite and
spurs him on to greater skillfulness.
button his hip pocket the inference is
that something of more than usual
value is stored away there.
The pickpockets who make the
most successful hauls generally travel
in "mobs." the so-called mobs con-
sisting Of two or three and in rare
cases four people. Contrary to expec-
%tations, however, these mobs do not
always choose crowded places for the
to work where there is but a light
scattering of people. not in places 50
deserted that their presence might be
conspicuous, but not in thickly popu-
lated thoroughfares, where it would
be impossible to accomplish a good
getaway. They like to have plenty of
room to make a safe and in~conspicu-
N,,c oNo ~, - fror, tho ~1o1A Of thu
pickpocketing as soon as it has been
achieved.
Here is how the mob generally op-
crates: One man known as the "stall"
stops in front of the victim and by
dropping something, tying his shoe or
practicing some ether ruse, halts him.
Sometimes the stall" is even a Grip
pie. At any rate, the thing has a per-
fectly natural look. 1t happens q
hundred times a day on any street.
Ninety-nine times it may be just a
common ordinary occurrence, but the
hundredth time it may be a "stall'
working on his part of the game.
If it is there are hen usually two
men in the rea of the unsuspoctins
victim. The latter halts suddenly be-
cause of the stopping Of the STALL"
and as might be expected, the two
oncoming dips, in the guise of respec-
table, nay wen genteel citizens, are
crowded upon the rear of the victim.
In an instant one of them has slid a
sensitive hand into the pocket of the
dupe, and with the quickness of light
ming, has drawn u whatever that
pocket may have contained, the Sec
ond dip acting as a sort of shield in
the meantime.
AS soon as convenient the three OF
them separate and probably meet
again by devious routes. At any rate,
they always aim to get away as quick
ly as possible from the place where
The deal has taken place, so that
should the victim discover his loss,
they at least would not be there to
witness his discomforture. Pickpock-
cts are tender-hearted souls.
Generally the man from whom
something has been filched Ices not
become aware Of his loss for several
hours afterwards, or in fact until he
has some definite reason for looking
for what the trousers pocket con-
tanned. He reaches his office or his
home. He wants the money. He
looks for it. Lo, it is gone!! Only
then does he remember that at such
and such a place he was halted and
two men pressed Upon him from the
rear. He rushes to detective head
quarters with the news Of his loss,
but so unsuspecting was he that he
has little or no information to impart
as to the nature or description of his
assailants. A~pprehending dips is
therefore not easy work.
These men are smart fellows" the
detectives will tell you, ..'as smart as
they make them. 1t is very seldom
that o can get anything on them.
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