EASTERN CRIMINALS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1925, Page 4

EASTERN CRIMINALS

(11. b. Adam, in "Daily ALiil".) I viondcr whether Scotland Yard, in tlie intervals of wrestling with problems of the nos deed murder mystery and "eat” burglary kind, ever give a thoughi to the difficult tasks which occasionally beset their confreres in India > The criminal of the East is far more subtle, cunning, patient, painstaking, and adroit than The most “;><• -omnl*-li r ed” crook to l-e found in the Vest. Therefore it naturally foll-ivs that lie ta.-k of i.itching Him must ho much mure difiicull.

As is generally known, the head police officials in India arc British, although they have the assistnme ol native ex] erts. There is a native detective in Bombay—-.i kind of D. 1.1). man who :u i rime invest igatiun could lllakc mil' best Sherlock Holmes look pretty silly. lie is a genius at disguise and knows every twist and turn of the Asiatic mind. There is scarcely a crook or crime in India with wljich he is not familiar. The must exciting crime story to he found in the records of this country is a, mere prosaic list of facts compared with many of the astounding exploits of this Bombay sleuth. Then there is the native “tracker,” the like of whom is not to he found in the West, lie will track a “wanted” man over hundreds of miles of country, the chase sometimes lasting for weeks, following “spoor” which will he quite invisible to other eyes.

There are many more different kinds of* crimes and criminals in the F.ijst than r.-re to he found in the AAe.st. although some of them seem to correspond in their characteristics. For instance. in India, they have the familiar confidence trick, although it i much more elaborately worked out an is more complete in the ruin it works on its victim or victims.

Sometimes the latter are being “angled” for for weeks before the actual fraud takes place, being eventually denuded of well-nigh every rag of their worldly possessions. Ihe tricksters play not- only upon their victim's cupidity but also upon their superstitions.

Their methods are far too complicated and comprehensive to he detailed here. A film drama is not more elaborate in preparation, ui fact there is a certain curious resemblance between tlie two. There are sometimes many in a gang of Indian confidence Hucksters, and their "stage management” is always skilful. Of railway thieves alone there arc six or seven distinct classes, who all “work” on different lines. Some haunt railway platforms and “operate” in the following, among other ways. Say a traveller is standing on the platform of o. station waiting for a train, having a small and a large hag at his feet.

One of the gang who have marked him for their attentions will openly snatch iqi the small hag and make off with it. with the owner and others in pursuit. A confederate then picks up the big hag and quietly walks away with it. AY hen tlm first thief reaches ii certain distance, lie drops the hag and makes good his escape. The owner. giving up the chase, returns to find the hulk of his luggage gone.