New-York tribune., 1922-02-26

~<<BE arrest Of tia shrcs~gun King Of
tbs boy burglars" In Chicago nine
J. tecn-year-old rsnius with 200 rob-
berries to his discredit and ais pockets
:ps With pawntickets TO vouch for said rob-
,,.s Is one OF many incidents that would
.-x. to emphasize the astounding change In
5ns since Charles Dicksns's day.
Dickens is put at the starting poss for ths
...on that he has bean called ths most emf,
ant Of al reporters Of orims Perhaps he
-. 4, certainly did lot to maks vivid the
,-mtive material with which ne had to deal
-crirni.ve In comparison With the operations
., modern criminals Fagin and Skies and
j.. Arful Dodger are names that cling to-
.ts.r Ike those Of other celebrated trios OF
-,rsture-the Three Musketeers, Kelly and
surk. and Shea, New York, New Haven &
Hsrford Mulvsney, Ortberis and Lesroyd,
sius. WomAn and Song. and so on down q
ng liz
The Dicfsns tyfe In supposed 90 represent
u ultmsts IN crime. Terrible punishmcnta
ere dealt to them by their author. The street
ri Nancy, WA put In with a reckless dis
eeard Of consequence by ths daring author,
ho saw so much criticism ahead on account
this sinister grouping Of underworld char
dsn that be defended himself in an elaborate
rsfscs and badc an advance defiance to &hoss
ho might be shocked
Yet one can imagine tire feeling Of futility
hich would asssil Mr.. Fagin and h.s com-
suions In case their shades were permitted TO
s, American shoros. possibly with lecture
ngsgements in view. Probably they would
fed by tie term "three-gul glar''
applied t. the modern youth referred TO at
beginning of tl.ls article. It would inter
them. no doubt. TO learn that even mod
,-aditions are changing SO fast that the
swspapeT reading public Ands It hard to
ep track Of them. ''Two-gun" was applied
D, so many ycara ago to ambidcxterous gun
e., IT the " est to distinguish them from the
snters who could draw only with one hand
ut now il seems the gun expert who Is really
to date carrea = AS automatic on either
ip and third enc slunS IN holster under
arm
Nor are silk han6kcrchiefs counted ample
wards IN these days Il will be remembered
when the Artfui Dodgcr frst led little
yer 20 Fagn'a den Of iniouity that den was
orally fcstooued with silk handkerchiefs.
Fagin jestingly impaired the information
It it wss wash day" &nd the members OF
household had merely hung up sheir hand
rchiefs TO dry. A little later Fagin puts q
ndkerchisf in his pocket and asks Oliver
extract 1t 80 cleverly 81 possibls. When
boy proves himself 20 be deft-fngered
gin gives his approval and propheses
eat career il crime FOR Oliver and promises
show him now 20 remove the laundry marks
on handkerchief.
Ons can imagine modern expers dip"
ueh ~ the one who recently removed 500
rom mana pocket while the victim wac
ntsring an "s.' train, contentinC himself
nth silk handkerchiefE. sither With laundry
marks or without,
Il s true that silks figure as booty In MOD
N crines. But six robbers nowadays tsks
heif gains In boxes and baleA They break
reI freight cars and load the silken con-
Fnts on waiting metor trucks. Special off,
Frs are detailed to guard silk shipments be-
Teen cites-but SIS for silk handkerchiefs
ched from pockets, their mention Is to
rouse lzughtcr. Nor is It because most
eople prefer linen 70 silk hsndkerchiefs, any
az. The wipes" es Fagin and his star
upi. called them, are simply too small booty
be trihed with II one can talk silks in
ales he may be able to interest q modern
Pbber. but let there be no prating about
andkerch.efs, even though they wave invit-
gly from the pockets of fussy old gentlemen
every corner.
Also there is the difference In tho psychol-
" Of the crowd 80 consider. In Dickenss
me mops delighted in chanting Stop thiefr'
ID joining in pursuit Of criminal When
III Skies tried to escape it was not the police
Ut e frenzied mob thst tracked him to his
'On-a mob that was wrought to fury by =
'1'cer that would not get three lines in
average newspaper Of to-day.
Nowadays rlobs do not join chases. They
and by and see robberies committed. A
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