THE TRAINING OF PICKPOCKETS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9555, 30 July 1909, Page 3

THE TRAINING OF PICKPOCKETS.

j The love of operating on other peoples' belongings may be acquired and duly cultivated, but tho most successful pickpocket is he who hu been cradled in the profession, and has commenced busimss on his own account thoroughly versed in its various branches. Training homes exist—the picture of Old Faeran in "Oliver Twiit" is readily converted into a realicy of to-day—for it is indisputable that many so-celled lodging houses are simply and solely refuges for old hands and training homes for young recruits; and men are to be found who will undertake the training of precocious youngsters and instruct them in the thousand and oue dodges which go to make up his remarkably fine art. The first lesson is that of "stepping." The pupil commences with his bare feet, and is taught to cover the ground as if he were treading on air. After this is accomplished to the satisfaction of the instructor, the lad is promoted to boots, and he will be kept at "stepping" for days, until he can creep about as easily and silently as if he were on his bare feet.

Simple tests are then proceeded wi'.h, the trainer himself appearing in ail manner of imaginative characters, presenting many difficulties to the lads in the way of appropriating his handkerchief, and even tying small bells to the corners, so as to afford him every possible opportunity of making a capture. The writer remembers being ir company with a friend—now a clergyman—with a number of these lads dodging round about us. Notwithstanding the fact that his jackei was tightly buttoned, in case of ai accident, and knowing full well th« peculiarities of "the society," one youngster quietly relieved him o: his pockethandkerchief and appro priated one glove, the other being on his hand. The professional tern for stealing a handkerchief, is "knapping a fogle fly." _ #s£

As the boys get older they £are .aught to "snap" a watch and chain, and by this time the pupil may be said to be getting on. Probably ho is permitted to practice on his own account on thfj streets; but however likely a lad he may be, he is solemnly warned to confine his operations to handkerchief and similar light articles. —'■' Ev degrees he will be initiated into" "cutting u pocket," This is generally voted an extreme delicate operation, and one rever attempted until our pupil has reached man's estate This department of the profession i 3 confined to crowds, omni-bus-riding, railways, and trave ling in general, as it is necessary that the unfortunate victim shall remain perfectly calm and quiet while the operation ia being performed—pain-lcs-ly. The pain is felt afterwards.

In passing, it may be interesting tu note one or two neat little dodges in vogue whilst engaged in the subject—all of which are faithfully instilled ino the pupils' minds.

, The omnibus has "room f.>r another this side!" Out comes a newspa per or a book, and this helps to hide the nimble fingers of the supposed reader, who is quietly helping himself, and when he has quite finished his next-cicor neighbour, pliah's at the first opp- r'unity. But for neatness and ingenuity, "cutting a pocket," as V>y a clever hand, is certainly pre-e:i;i;«. j i:t.

One talanted individual—a woman, fay the way—had a wooden arm, the one for which it did duty beirg concealed beneath her clo:>k. It is needless to say how well she worked the substantial arlicle, and here it might be mentioned that cutting pockets may be wore safely attempted by women, owing to the dress lending itself moie readily to hiciintr purposes.

But to return to our pupil. "Covering a pal'" is a very important item in the ccuse of instruction v/hiUt he is relieving a person of some article of value.

When the young man is able to "run alone," and his instructor considers him capable of taking caie of himself, ha commences work, though in many cases partnerships are formed, in pairs, threes, and fouis, for "working the crowd." , Watch robberies are generally "covered." The watch is passed, and if one is caught "he never , knows nothing." j In treating such a subject as the ! training of pickpockets, it ■must not | be imagined but what many gentlej men who have not received any ' training wjhen young possess almost j as nimble fingers as those who have ! had the benefit of an education. j From privation and want, or some ; similar cau.se, men have been driven j |to the lowest of common lodging- I j houses, which are in many cases, | mere "blinds" or tho purposa of i instructing children, whose fathers i have willed L that they should folI low in their steps. They receive a [ few friendly hints, which want makes very welcome, and,* commencing in a small way, eventually blossom into respectable bands. It is questionable, too, whether the su-called "fathers" of some of j the boys referred to raally have the right to any claim of parentage. We ! should probably be making a good puess were we to say thai", the majority of those men who undertake the "bringing out" oi a number of lads have no claim on them as their children, though they will always tell you they are "my boys," while the man who, knowing how uncertain his visits "home" are, and who pays a sum of monev to another fo" his boy's instruction, has probably a sub star.tial claim on the lad as his own. The training of young pickpockets is carried on in London to a far /greater extent than ,one could posI sibly imagine, although it is worthy of note that fathsra—the real i fathers—of those boys are met with ' who have tasted the bitters of such | a life, and are anxious that thei sons should rot be brought up to the same calling. Some years ago, whilst visiting a recognised training home for juvenile thieves, we were followed into the street by a man who begged us to do something for his boy, a litt e fellow about 12years old. "I have to liver here, sir, and I don't want him to be line me, and I ain't got nowhere to put him —1 don't, want him to stop in this place." The result of his appeal it is not necessary to mention; but we quote

this as a proof that even among hardened representatives of the pickpocket persuasion there are men who are anxious that their lads should be freed from the chance of leading such a life, an there are those who, with equal energy, advocate and encourage the training of youthful pickpockets'.