THE LUGGAGE THIEF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 239, 15 November 1909, Page 3

THE LUGGAGE THIEF.

HOW iFORTJIAXTEAUX DISAPPEAR ABROAD. At holiday times the. professional luggage thief is very busy indeed, For iiini the holiday season' means work—if his nefarious occupation my be so iermed—entailing much railway travelling and constant watchfulness. Various and often highly ingenious are the methods practised by these gentry. A few favor the "dish-cover'' dodge, which was first introduced into England a feuyears ago by a gang of Yankee "crooks.'' The dish-cover is simply a capacious kit bag minus a bottom, its sides ar,e held in position by pieces of stout whalebone stretched across at each end.

Carrying this contrivance, the luggage thief, usually attired like a tourist, strolls on to a railway platform just before the arrival of what he well knows will be a crowded train.

The train duly rumbles in and disgorges its passengers. Then, as the porters commence to haul out the luggage, all is bustle, and excitement. But our bogus tourist is apparently not one whit excited. He seems coolness itself as 'tic watches the porters at work.

Suddenly, however, there is a momentary yieam in his eye as a likely-looking dressing-case, or maybe a slightly smaller kit bag than his- own bottomless one, is dragged out of the luggage van and pitched on to the. platform. A sharp j'lance. around him, ami he stc]>s forward and drops his "dish-cover" over the coveted article of luggage. He stands there a moment calmly pulling at his cigar; then he thrusts his ha:id through an artfully-cut slit in the top of the "dish-ewer," grasps the handle of the hidden dressing-case or bag. and strolls off towards the cab rank. TUB "DIII'MMBU."

At present serving a term of penal servitude in one of his Majesty's prisons is an individual well known among tint luggage - stealing fraternity as tlie "Drummer,'' who was wont to book from London to some popular seaside resort. One of those big wicker baskets in which commercial travellers commonly carry their samples comprised his luggage, and wherever the "Drummer'-' and his basket went passengers invariably suffered loss. And no wonder, for concealed inside the basket was a boy of about fourteen. He was a son of the "Drummer,'' and somewhat small for his age. At every stopping-place during the journey the guard of the train had, of course, to leave his van. Then it waß that the small boy would unfasten the lid of his basket—which was secured on the inside by a staple and peg—and cautiously step out. AIDED BY HUMAN LUGGAGE. Quickly selecting a portmaneau or trunk from the pile of luggage, he would place it in. the basket, step inside again, refasten the lid, and remain curled up and still for the rest of the journey. In | one week alone the "Drummer" and his youthful accomplice annexed by this ingenious method over a score of. trunks and bags, one of which contained jewellery and cash to the value of £BOO.

NEW USE FOR LABELS. Another artful dodge of "luggagelifters" is worked in the following manner:— . Two well-dressed men arrive together one night at a crowded holiday resort, bringing with them a couple of bulky portmanteaux. In the morning one of the men hangs about the railway station until a chance offers of purloining a varied selection of those little white labels which porters paste on luggage to denote its destination. Then they book by a crowded up-train to some place a few stations from London, get their portmanteaux labelled, and see them stowed away in the luggage van. At the first stopping-place one of the thieves alights and seeks out the"gu ara - He w!fifa > he 3a y s ' t0 S et eomc cigars or a book from bis bag. May he do so? This polite request, being accompanied by a tip, is readily acceded to, and while the guard is engaged in answering other passengers questions, shutting doors, etc., the luggage thief gets to business.

EASILY ANNEXED. On entering the van, he quickly "spots" two portmanteaux, which, so far as bulkiness and general outward appearance go, promise well. From his pocket he then produce® a neat little, paste pot and brush, together with four of the purloined destination labels. Two of these are "London labels," the other two have the name of the station for which he and his confederate have booked. These latter he lightly sticks over the proper labels on the "promising" bags, while the London ones are stuck in the same way upon his own

brick and rubbish-laden pair. Having accomplished this without disturbance, he slips out of the van and regains his partner. Not until the train arrives at the place for which they have taken tickets do they alight. Their luggage—or, rather, somebody else's luggage—is then handed out to them, and with it they promptly make themselves scarce.