Pocket Picking Rife.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1923, Page 1

Pocket Picking Rife.

IS THERE A HAND. WELLINGTON. Jan 9. A new and alarming menace, to the .-oiH'ial public lias made its appearance ill Wellington. It is in the fm-in of a sore- of tin Its by pickpockets, ami all indications point to a gang with scientific method of procedure. Holiday time i,. always bound to hnd big, gatherings attracting the attention ol these gentry, and it is on such neoasTuns tha.i the police lotvc r* dou ile j their vigilance and detectives re ires b their memories from Hie rogues gallery portraits of people with “lingers so liy,” which line the shelves m their offices. Once seen Lhese people who have more than a passing acquaintance with a police court dock are kept under rieiii surveillance. But oil tins or- | eusion? it would appear that some time j of those operating are not as yet mil- j nui.tely known to the police, or ha" : managed to slip through the holiday net. During the past week they have made quite a substantial haul and, m , ~11 probability, have lifted much more than, is known. , I A TRAIN INCIDEM. j On Thursday last a gentleman board-j od the Auckland train at T horndou ; station with a well-lined w'ldlet. ( ; was busy saying the usual L-irewdls, upon the platform when he felt him- j s, If being jostled by an individual j whose appearance lie in no way fancier In fact the actions of two men upo . | the platform, one a. sloutle built f lew and the other a swarthy man of medium «izo seemed to bun to he unusual. 11l the midst, of a cbonts t good-byes, however, he thought no m of the iueident until on hoard tic train, when examining Ins nume.v , found that two to notes Iron, a'rnu CIS in money in money winch Ik' as carrying were missing. He ls that he had the money in his pos t ■ ~, rri™l .it »'<■, J " I.“ of a smart pickpocket. j '• yet, reported the incident to the police. vnil.FTlG PARK- j Tim next incident of this n«tu.v «£ rUIT ' ,(I C ° U Hor“ y it 'was “reported, dav evening. Ileit u there were two , «»' >■•** N'is;ii« '»• w | m ineitlt'iV «'••• • Mi, lo ««> ’SZtZtJzZr.i« money, proved U ~ttvaeted a of the American nthlct _ , h , considerable number of 1 wa , remembers noticing A passing back and .ioiHi • - ek more often t!ian ’ [R spoke to | opinion was neeess. • , x . fol . c . he I the fellow about ■ * Th , v bv .some- ; bad been lOsth - ; illute . late' j body, and ouh a c lv! „. v ,, di-' overed that be f lht of £lO m the matworld. . ak rested. | At once he ‘invent • j Several > u spcc - time o£ leaving the , tiO S- ,ater development of Hie aifa-t ' at Athletic alleges! . B*s . I