Evening star., 1953-03-29
Beware the Yoker- MAY Be Next!

old youth jumped on his back,
and two companions closed in
swinging fists and boots.
The pedestrian, however, hap
pened to be the coach of the
Washington Lions hockey team,
a lifelong athlete whose short,
rather slende frame concealed
a wealth of muscular force and
agility.
Mr.. Skinner grabbed the
yoker's arm and threw him over
his shoulder so hard that the
youth bounced on the concrete.
The three yokers fled. The one
who had taken the fall, how
ever. appeared a bit dazed.
Got s to Is Years.
Police picked him up near the
scene Of the assault and he iden-
titled his two companions. All
three were turned over to Juven-
lie authorities.
Generally speaking, adult foot
pads receive about the same pen
alties in Federal court as armed
robbers, although the latter can
draw additional penalties for US
ing a pistol.
At least one Federal Judge has
announced he can see little, if
any. difference in the two crimes.
One pair who confessed to
more than 30 yokings were tried
on only two of the cases. One
received from five to Is years in
prison, and the other from six
months to four years.
A large percent of the yoking
victims are hospitalized with
broken shoulders. ribs, wrenched
backs and mutilated faces.
In another category are the
young pocketbook snatchers who
prowl much the same downtown
areas as the yokers.
About 400 times a year some
unwary woman pedestrian loses
her purse to the agile young
thieves.
Neither the method. the time
nor the place varies much from
year to year. although the fire.
quency bears a direct relation
ship to the number of policemen
who can be spared for street pa
troll duty.
Beginners Are Young.
This type of crime, mostly
committed by juveniles, has in
creased since 1850 along with
the population growth and dur
ing a period when the number
of policemen on patrol has de-
clined.
The typical purse-snatcher
gets his start in the downtown
precincts which show up as dark
or shaded areas on maps in the
annual crime reports.
The beginner may be only a
boy of IL or 13.
Usually, a boy beginner can
make good merely by out-run-
ming some woman who had re-
vealed she could be caught un-
awares by holding her pocket
book lightly.
Spry snatch thieves, in the
downtown districts, can and fire.
quently do grow up to be yoke
robbers. They work the same
territories and rely upon the
same stealthy approach. Juve-
nile yokers can be held only
until they are 81, in the worst
cases, but usually are released
when they turn 18.
A sequence to armed robbery
can be followed through the rec
ords Of many local footpads.
police say.
Like to Run in Gangs.
On the other hand, police who
specialize in juvenile work have
learned to be wary Of situations
which could trap innocent small
fry. Most kids like to run in
gangs and most gangs have a
few members who value their
regulations as tough" charac-
ters.
To such a group, lurking in
some alley after dark, a passing
woman with a purse dangling
from her arm might present a
target of opportunity. In this
situation, police say, a boy may
act on impulse.
It is certain, however, that once
the act is committed, the whole
group will break and run.
The snatch robberies occur
along bus and street car lines in
precincts where business and resi-
Dental districts intermingle. Like
yokings. the largest number are
reported in No. 2 precinct from
year to year.
The average take is small in
dollars and cents, but often
women lose personal belongings
which can never be replaced.
Women Are Careless.
A member of the juvenile squad
said on this point:
1T is surprising how many
women carry jewelry, papers OF
momentoS in their pocketbooks
while shopping or going to ano
from work.
"Some of them worry for years
over the loss of a possession
priceless to them personally, ane
of no possible use to anyone else
A simple precaution would have
saved them a lot of grief"
There are relatively few pock-
etbook thefts from pedestrians ir