The Pickpocket

This text is a copy of the original with a few stylistic up to date changes.

 

The first career of professional criminals. Going in mobs. Waylaying bank depositors. The man who is ever on the watch and cannot be robbed. Slang terms. Railroad car thieves. Stealing the diamond Stud. Watch and chain. Purses and pocketbooks. Streetcar thieves. The female thief.

 

If we trace the career of the professional criminal to its incipiency; it will invariably be found that the first plunge into the vortex of crime has been that of pocket-picking. Among the alarming number of professional thieves of all grades in the country today, it would be difficult to find one who had not at the commencement of his dishonest experience been engaged in picking the pockets of the innocent and the unsuspecting. It is equally true also that of all the departments of crime as now practiced, there is not one which has a larger number of adept operators than that of pickpockets. In every crowded assembly they will assuredly be found. They follow the circuits of the racing 36 THE PICKPOCKET. season; they are hangers on about the traveling circus; and are at the theaters, and in the churches. At mass meetings, at merry makings and even at funerals, this pestilent thief intrudes himself, and dismay and loss inevitably follow his appearance.

There are countless types of criminals in this category, from poorly dressed children who swipe handkerchiefs to skilled professionals able to discreetly steal wallets from unsuspecting people’s coat pockets. The intermediate grades are well-defined and vary according to the skillfulness and daring of the thieves themselves. Female thieves, as successful as their male counterparts, excel in smoothly and elegantly robbing the unsuspecting in this crime sector. Some male thieves limit their operations to ladies, while others would not be persuaded to rob a lady under any circumstances at all. The female thieves work indiscriminately, although they are more successful with ladies than with gentlemen. In the accepted language of the thief, those who work on men are called “Bloke-buzzers,” while those who make ladies their special victims receive the euphonious appellation of “Moll-buzzers.”

A description of the means resorted to by the fraternity of pickpockets may prove both interesting and instructive, and as I have had substantial experience with all classes of this community, I will try to describe their operations for the benefit of suffering humanity.

To give due prominence even to questionable merit, I will begin by detailing the operations of the more ambitious of the male pickpockets, those who frequent the localities where the large banking institutions are situated, and endeavor to rob those who are entering or leaving the banks. Typically, four individuals work together and are referred to as a “mob” when pursuing success in this type of endeavor. Thieves often call the person committing theft the “tool” or “hook,” while they usually call their accomplices “stalls.”

After selecting their victim or “mark,” who is engaged in drawing a large sum of money from the bank, one of their numbers will take up his position inside the bank, where he can watch every movement of the man who is to be robbed. This is useful to learn exactly where the money is placed, so that no delay may ensue in finding the desired “plunder.” Having acquired the necessary information, the “stall”  will inform his companions on the sidewalk in which pocket the money is secured, and they then proceed to business; as a general rule, a man who draws several packages of bills from a bank, will place them in his inside coat pocket, and in this instance we will assume that the person who has excited the cupidity of the thieves, has placed his money in the inside pocket on the right side of the coat. He leaves the bank, reaches the sidewalk, and continues upon his way. The thieves follow him within easy distance but will not make any attempt to conduct their purpose unless they notice that he is about to enter a crowded thoroughfare, a car, a narrow street, or through a hallway into a building. If in a crowd or narrow street the thieves will, without any preliminary notice whatever, act as follows:—Two of the “stalls” will immediately manage to get in front of the man—and these men are called “front stalls”—this is done for the purpose of stopping him 'or blocking his way for a moment when the time arrives. The “tool “or “hook” will also get slightly ahead of the man, and when the moment for action arrives a slight cough will bring the two “front stalls “to a stand-still. This, of course, impedes the progress of the victim. Quick as a flash, and yet with an ease of motion that attracts no particular attention, the “tool “turns sideways, almost facing the man, but upon his right side.

The “tool “usually carries a coat upon his arm for the purpose of covering his hand; with the concealed hand he will work under the man's coat, and taking the wallet or package by the top, will raise it straight up, until it is entirely clear of the pocket; then drawing it under his own coat, the robbery is complete. During this operation, which requires but a few seconds, the “stall “behind the man is pushing and shoving him repeatedly on the left side, as if with the intention of getting past him. The left side being furthest from where the money is concealed, answers two purposes: it not only serves to prevent the man from feeling or detecting the easy sliding motion of the wallet as it is being drawn out of his pocket on the other side, and it at the same time helps to turn the man more to^ward the “tool “or “hook,” so that his work is rendered easier. The two “front stalls” seem uninterested in the event, unaware that a man is being robbed behind them.” If he is slow about getting to the wallet or the money, and he notices that the “stalls” are getting uneasy, he calls out “stick!” This means that in a few seconds he will be successful, and that they are to stay in their respective positions. After he has secured the wallet, he will chirp like a bird or will utter the word “lam!” This means to let the man go, and to get out of the way as soon as possible. This word is also used in case the money cannot be taken, and further attempts are useless. It sometimes happens that it is difficult to get the wallet or package out of the pocket, and if any unusual force is used by the “tool” in withdrawing it, the man will feel it and give an alarm. In cases of this kind, the “tool,” when he has the wallet on his fingers and is ready to take it out, will cry, “Rouse!” At this signal all the “stalls” give the man a general push at the same time, and during the confusion of the moment, the “tool “deftly pulls out the wallet and decamps. While the detailing of this operation has taken some time, the operation itself takes only a few seconds, and in every instance, without attracting attention or excitement from the individual who is so ruthlessly despoiled of his money.

 

 

As a rule, a merchant who goes himself, or sends his clerk to the bank to make a deposit, places the money and checks lengthwise in his bank book, which is generally shorter than the notes, and allows them to project beyond the edge of the book. The bearer places it in the inside pocket and so carries it to the bank. A man is usually suspicious and careful when he is entrusted with a generous sum of money, and the thieves have therefore to be careful in their manipulations. When others crowd or push a gentleman thus engaged, he naturally places his hand upon the book, holding his money, to be assured of its safety. The thieves are perfectly aware of this, and when the opportunity offers, they simply seize the ends of the bills which extend beyond the book, and by a quick and dexterous motion extract the money and leave the book still in their pocket. As a natural result, when the suspicious depositor, feeling upon the outside, finds his book safely bestowed within, he does not realize that he has been robbed and does not discover his misfortune until he reaches the bank. The thieves call this process “weeding.”

Some people believe they can't be robbed and are always cautious. These people place their bank book and money in the outside pocket of their sack coat, and by keeping their hands upon the book imagine that a robbery is impossible. The thieves, however, know better than this, and their mode of proceeding is as follows:

They patiently bide their time until the man reaches the door of the bank, which must be opened to admit him—one man will then step immediately in front of him, or a little to the left and then stop right in front of the doorway pretending to look at a paper, or, to count some money which he has in his hands—the consequence is, that instead of pushing the man aside so he can use his left hand to open the door—the victim will, unthinkingly, reach out his right hand—which had hitherto guarded his pocket, and pull open the door—the “stall” immediately moves a trifle more to the front for a second, and then turns away—that second, however, is enough, for while the victim and his “stall” are thus engaged, the pickpocket has quietly taken out the money and decamped. This, in thief slang, is a “tale trick,” and bank messengers have often been robbed this way.

If the money is in pants pockets, the methods are different. This style of robbery is much more difficult, and as a general thing is not so remunerative as stealing from men who are either going to or returning from the bank. The thieves who follow this branch of their call are ruder and rougher in their appearance and nature, and their actions, while at work, are more abrupt and harsh.

Robbery occurs in cars (called “rattlers”) or in crowds, in car doorways or on platforms.

Thieves may use special words for items with ordinary names. The name for a pocketbook is “leather”.”

The thieves of this latter class will generally select for their victim—(which they call a “mark” an elderly man, or one who appears to hail from the country, The first are usually more feeble and not supposed to be as sharp as a young man—while the countryman is supposed to carry more ready money about with him than a person belonging to the city.

The thieves board a packed streetcar and stand at the rear, ready to steal. To illustrate, imagine there is a person on the platform who is rich. The first thing to be done is to learn in which pocket the money is carried, and to do this the thief lightly runs his hand across the front of both pockets of the “mark” and this operation of feeling for a pocketbook is called “fanning.” When the pocketbook is found in the left pocket, “left kick” is the signal to the companions of the money's location.

The “stalls” then surround the “mark,” and the “tool” begins to work. With his hand covered with a coat over his arm, he inserts the two first fingers of his right hand, just beyond the first joint—into the victim's pocket, with the inside of the fingers against the pocket lining farthest from the body. By bending fingers, he pulls up the pocket in a “reefing” action until he can reach the pocketbook. As soon as he can snatch the wallet, which is referred to as “tapping”, he softly says “Rouse!”. The “stall” requires to be informed when the pocketbook is taken, and he waits for the “tool” to whisper, “collar this!” or to chirp like a bird, when he knows that he is to receive the money, and that the robbery has been successfully ended.

Some tourists, specifically those from the country, are cautious about pickpockets and aim to evade them. To make sure of this they invariably travel about with their hands in their pockets and on top of their purses. This careful and watchful traveler gets on a streetcar, and the pickpockets at once select him as their “mark. He is surrounded, protecting his treasure, and blocked by the shoulder of a stall. The countryman's hat is shoved forward from behind, after a quiet “tile him!” command. The fellow from the country, not being able to use his other arm, pulls his hand out of his pocket and secures his hat. When this is done, a “stall” will get into place and put his shoulder under the countryman's arm, which will stop him from putting his hand in his pocket. The tool works swiftly, and soon the platform is spacious for the country gentleman, as the thieves left with his wallet.

If all streetcar seats are full, a pickpocket might stand in front of a man with an open coat. He will try to rob him while suspended from the car's roof strap with a coat over his arm. Swaying about with the motion of the car, he manages it so, that his coat will come directly under the chin of the seated passenger, and under cover of that, he will extract a pocketbook from the inside pocket of the man, who has no suspicion of what is going on. The car's movement helps pickpockets steal expensive diamond earrings from unsuspecting passengers, often using a coat or newspaper to conceal their actions. If a diamond stud with a screw is to be taken, the thief after covering the stud with his coat or newspaper, will gently take hold of the screw with his thumb and forefinger, and draw the bosom of the shirt away from the body of the victim. The thumbnail is then inserted at once back of the head of the screw and then with a firm twist or turn of the hand, the screw will come out. No matter how difficult this operation appears under ordinary circumstances, it will invariably yield to the application of the thumb under the setting of the stone. Should the diamond be set with a flat back instead of a screw, it is impossible to detach it from the bosom, and the thief will instantly desist from further efforts to remove it. They regularly take off and lift the diamond pin. The thieves call a pin or screw stud a “prop.”

Pickpockets usually select their train victims ahead of time, by watching those who buy tickets and appear wealthy. If they cannot rob him as he enters the car, the thieves will wait. Then one will approach him and ask.

“Where is your ticket for?”

The passenger, supposing his questioner to be a railroad official, will at once inform him. The thief will reply: “Then you must take the next car,” indicating either the car in front or in the rear, at the same time picking up the traveler's valise, with a view of assisting him in doing the change, and calling out:

“Come on, sir!”

The man follows obediently, and the mob is waiting for him on the platform. He arrives and is at once caught up, then robbed. Knowing where his money was made their job simple and quick, and the robbery happened fast.

Watch theft is quite common, and an expert can steal one very quickly. It does not matter where the man may be, or under what circumstances he may be placed, so that he is standing still, or sitting down. The thief stands partly in front of his victim, and either under the cover of a coat or newspaper, or by placing his left hand under his victim's right arm, he seizes the chain and gently raises the watch up straight. When it is entirely out of the pocket, it rests in the palm of the hand, the ring of the watch between the first finger and the thumb. The thief pushes the thumb one way, the finger the other, ejecting the ring from the watch, then drops the chain and flees.

Both watch and chain are often stolen, but this requires more time. The watch is drawn up by the thief after he removes the chain's hook or bar from the buttonhole and takes hold of the chain straight, out of the pocket, without attracting the least attention.

This operation is quite a simple and safe one for the expert thief, but it is not a very profitable one, since he seldom receives more than one fourth of the value of the watch, from the dishonest pawnbroker who deals in stolen goods. The chain, if it is a gold one, is sold for its weight, and brings a uniform price.

Professionals call a watch a “super”, a chain a “slang,” and watch thieves “super twisters.”

 

 

I will now refer to the operations of the pickpockets who work upon ladies—who, as II have before stated, are called “moll buzzers.”

As a rule, the men who steal the pocketbooks and purses of ladies, wear a sack-coat. In winter they work through their overcoat pockets and in summer through the pockets of an ordinary sack-coat. To understand the meaning of working through the pockets, some explanation is needed. A pickpocket coat’s pocket lining is typically left unsewn at the bottom. The thief then rips open one side of the pocket at the top, and this enables him to thrust his hand right through, between the pocket and the cloth, to the bottom of the coat and out beneath. In the pocket proper he always carries a handkerchief, which is often of great service to him.

Thus, much by way of preliminary, we will detail further progress of the operation. The scene is .an ordinary streetcar, and the seats are all occupied. The thief arrives, stands before a woman, and grabs a strap with one hand while putting the other in his coat pocket. Really, the thief’s hand is thrust through his coat, the end of which is resting carelessly in the pocket of the lady. The thief uses his hand to lift the woman's skirt edge to reach her pocket. Having reached the pocket, the next move is to try the “reefing” process already mentioned, and then catching hold of the pocketbook, he draws it up into his own pocket and then steps away. Should the lady, by any chance, feel the motion of the man's fingers about her person, the thief quickly draws his hand up out of his pocket, and taking out his pocket-handkerchief wipes his face with that very necessary article, in the most natural manner possible. This action, so matter of-fact and easy, at once satisfies the lady that she must have been mistaken, and that the man before her could not have been trying to pick her pocket, while he had his hand in his own.

This kind of work is also done on the platforms of the cars, while the lady is entering or leaving the car, only in such cases the “tool” has a “stall,” who manages to place himself in the way of the lady, so as to keep her in proper position for the minute that is required to do the robbery.

Sometimes the thief will seat himself beside the lady in the car, and then he places his left side toward her. Taking out a newspaper, he will pretend to read, but he is merely spreading it upon his lap to cover the hand that is performing the work of dexterous theft.

Many women, aware of pickpockets, are now extremely cautious, and at once check their purses after someone near them exits. Thieves who are expert, know this full well, and so proficient have they become, that with two fingers they can open the pocket-book while it is safely within the pocket, and with the first finger bent like a hook, will clean out the contents, and leave the pocket-book apparently undisturbed; this operation is called “weeding a leather,” and the dexterity and ease with which it is done, is simply astonishing.

Contrary to trendy belief, expert thieves rarely slash clothing to rob victims.

Fashionable handbags and purses are used by many women to carry money, and this presents chances for clever thieves. To succeed, they simply cover the bag, open it, take out the pocketbook, and close it again using the old method.

This style of robbery occurs every day, and the favorite position for this work is in front of the large show windows of prominent dry goods firms, where the ladies congregate to study what is new, and to admire the beautiful and tempting displays.

Of the female pickpockets, they are of English nationality, with a slight sprinkling of Irish and American, but they are of the vulgar and abandoned class. They often work from beneath a shawl or cloak and often have one draped over an arm. They confine their operations principally to ladies, and

work in an analogous manner to the men. Being very clever manipulators, they have more chances to practice their trade with women than men.

Only boys or beginners practice the lowest level of pocket picking, or “wipe lifting”. It is the first step taken toward the attainment of dexterity and experience; and is the beginning of a career which inevitably leads to a prison.

So, I've tried to describe pickpocket’s methods, but many other techniques exist that I won't detail to avoid boring you. The modus operandi of the expert thief have only been given, and after the revelations here made, the public may take warning, and by being constantly on their guard will insure themselves from ever becoming the victims of the army of light-fingered gentry which infest every city of the civilized globe.