Year: 1874

Ten years ago, says the New York
Times, it rarely occurred that any per-
son unfortunate enough to fall into the
hands of the highway robber escaped
without suffering serious bodily injury.
The favorite plan was to seize the vic
tim from behind, and render him power
less during the process Of purse-riaing.
Scores of men have been irreparably in
jured by such treatment. In every
State the highwayman adopted this de-
vice to fill his pockets. Now, whether
it is to be credited to an increase OF CIV
ilizing influences, or to an advance In
the art Of the robber, or to both, We
cannot exactly say but whatever the
cause may be, it is matter for thank
fulness that the skilled highway robber
no longer finds it necessary to add gar
rotting and murder to the list OF his
crimes. Heretofore the New York
thieves were supposed to be the clever
est in the country. Things have
changed very greatly in this as in other
respects-so greatly, indeed, that the
New Yorkers have not only lost much
of their reputation for cleverness, but
have begun to be considered stupid
bunglers by the outside professionals.
The highway robberies that have lately
been committed in the city will certainly
not change this opinion. It is quite
evident that the "great" highwaymen
have been compelled by circumstances
to carry their talents elsewhere. They
have gone to cultivate new fields. Nu-
merous evidences Of their success have
come to us from time to time through
the reports in the Western newspapers.


We occasionally hear of the man who
was stopped by gentleman OF the road,
and ordered, on pain of death, to re-
move everything Of value from his pock.
cts, hand over his revolver, and depart
in peace. We also occasionally hear OF
the man who was wise enough to fold
his arms in apparent resignation, while
gentlemanly new acquaintance de-
spoiled him of his purse, pistols, and
jewelry. Incidents Of this character
are often brought to our notice, but we
never wonder why the victims submit
to be robbed with such good grace.
We attribute it oil to the perfection Of
the highwayman's art. The golden
dreams which have lured 80 many am
bilious men to California have not been
without their effect on clever highway
robbers. The fact that those who ac-
quire fortunes rapidly are the most pro-
fuse in adorning themselves with val
liable jewelry, and the most lavish in
opening their wallets, has not escaped
observation.


As a result, we find that San Fran
cisco has large number of artist-high-
waymen. These gentlemen" do not
knock down and beat their victims
within an inch of their lives in order to
gain whatever of portable nature may
be upon their persons neither do they
draw revolvers and frighten them into
submission, like their Texan brothers.
Nothing of the sort. This is how they
work: The victim having been Sc
lected, is approached by a well.dressed
person, who charges him with the COM
mission of an offense that provokes his
anger and precipitates q quarrel. A
third person promptly appears on the
scene, goes between the beligerents,
and in the effort to separate them,
deftly removes the wallet and the watch
and chain from the pockets of the &C.
cused. This device may not be alto
gether new, but the way in which it is
carried into effect bespeaks the artist,
not the cold-blooded murderer. The
San Franciscans are, therefore, to be
congratulated in having the most chiv-
alric. as well as the most finished, high
waymen in the United States.