PICKPOCKETS AT WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 153, 27 June 1908, Page 15

PICKPOCKETS AT WORK.

.-.■.-•■''' A CLEVEBGANG'-IN SYBTXKi. ' f -' 'A email bnt particularly clever gang ol pickpockets are at work In Sydney,' and their particular weakness Is gold watches. In selecting their victims, they choose'Well-to-do people,"and the dexterity with which they can remove time pieces from the.poc- j kets of unsuspecting citizens would appear | to be little short of marvellous. i j . A few days ago a gentleman holding a i high position to the New Sooth Wales Civil j Service, while travelling on a tram to the; railway station, was relieved of a-watch, chain, and sovereign pune, vaitied at about £50. One evening last week another gentle- | man, equally, if not better, known In the! city, asked the detectives to institute Inquiry for his watch and chain, the- value of which would not be far short of 100gs, ; which he had lost from his' person. These pickpockets are well known to the older members of the police force, but In consequence of the state of the law must, unless actually caught In the act, be allowed to go about and prey. upon their victims. If observed doing anything sus- { pielona, they could, of course, be apprej hended, but unfortunately the police are *s well known to these Individuals, known Iα their own- parlance as "guns," as the I "gxas" w known to the police, so they i-tete particular car* before commencing I operations to see that none of the force are {about. In fact, it is shrewdly suspected j that In many cases they are, accompanied J by smart youths, -who also know the police, : and who keep'watch for the pickpockets ; while the latter are at work. ; J In addition to the two case 3 mentioned, j several other watches and chains of less j value have been lately reported as having I been stolen, bo that possessors of valuable J timepieces are now particularly careful I when in a crowd.