HOW A YOUNG THIEF LEARNED HIS TRADE. (BY ONE OF HIS FRIENDS.)

Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 80, 1 October 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

HOW A YOUNG THIEF LEARNED HIS TRADE. (BY ONE OF HIS FRIENDS .)

it Of all the professions, says the Pall >r Mall Gazette, learned or otherwise, n perhaps the most unsatifactory and fc> umemunerative is that of a thief d Here is the experience of one who has followed it with considerable l " ability for the last four years : — '• When he first entered this profession 6 he was sixteen years of age. He was 0 driven from home, and upon the 6 fourth evening of his expulsion he '■ was waiting about Seven Dials when 8 three young men invited him to par- £ take of refreshment. The boy had iS no objection, and the party entered 8 the public-house The gentleman who paid produced a handful of sovereigns. ' Here's a lucky touch,' ' he said to the boy ; ' look at the ® quids we've got ofl'.' The poor boy ' was dazzled ;he had never before seen a so much gold ', but at this moment a 1 number of young Indies entered the B bar and the gentlemen had to treat I them. These ladies are known as j the Forties. They ally themselves 9 to promising young thieves and aid -) them in their professional studies Tliere is a rather stale maxim that 3 theie is honour among thieves; but 3 those most likely to experience its t truth find that members of their pro- , fession do not scruple to take advantage of a comrade's drunken condij tiou if an opportunity offers. The i boy noticed that the gentlemen who 3 had so kindly treated their lady 3 friends did so at the expense of about t £16. On the following day he was i still hanging round the public-house, r when one of his acquaintances, known 7 professionally as ' Long 'uu,' came to • lain and said, 'Do you want half a ' load T The boy had not yet learned the t thieves' slang. ' What do you mean V * he asked Mr. ' Long 'uu ' proceeded ; to undo a tissue parcel and produceed 1 fen. counterfeit florins, which he ; offered to sell for Xs 9d. The boy did not like tho idea of pasiing 1 counterfeit coin (snide pitching), and for two days resented the temptation. But he was hungry, and in response to ' Long 'na'a ' ttumta he ultimately 1 yielded. They went to a shop ; ' Long 'un handed him a coin and sent him inside. The lady who took it omitted to give it due examination, and the operation was successful. For some time the two made a very satisfactory sum 'by this method, and the boy bpcame bolder. ' Long 'un now introduced him to the company frequenting the Glass House, another . public-house iv tho Seven Dials district. A man was showing a gold ■ watch and chain to one of the Forties. ' Was it a " blag," or did you " unreef" him?' said « Long 1 'un.' The boy was interested. He learned that ' blagging ' meant snatching, and that ' unreefing ' is a more delicate operation. Two confederates walk in front of the victim so as to cover their friend. Their friend walks on their victim's left hand side. In his right hand he carries a pocket-handkerchief. The left hand ciosses his body and gently unbuttons the victim's waistcoat and withdraws tho watch and chain. Should the victim feel these gentle proceedings the operator withdraws his hand, and finds it necessary to blow his nose. Shonid he remain in blissful ignorance, the ' toy ' and ' tackle ' are transferred to the handkerchief, the operator gives a click with his tongue, the confederates move on quickly and disappear down the next turning, and their friend shortly afterwards joins them. In case of a hue and cry the confederates join in the pursuit, pretend to be detectivee, and arrest any troublesome pursuer on the charge of stealiug the watch, and keep him until their comrade has escaped. The boy listened open-mouthed. ' You can run,' whispered ' Long 'nn 'to his protege. 'If you like to come with mo to-morrow I'll show you whine we can get some quids.' The promis-ing 1 locality was Westbourne Grove They went there, and ' Lorg 'un pointed out a nice old Mr. Brownlow sort of a goutleraan taking an afternoon stroll. 'We are only two-handed,' he whispered, • but you go up and pull his watch out of his pocket. If you can do it without a " rumble " (quietly and effectively), let it " roast." The boy went up to him and asked the way to some place. The old gentleman gave the dhectious and walked on, smiling unconscious that his watch was roasting — that is to say, gently tapping at his epigastrium. .Now came the most difficult part of the operation. The watch must be detached, and hrre 'Long 'un was treading on new ground. He was a very good 'snide-pitcher,' and he knew tho first principles very well, but he had never yet practised this little feat So the coward told his young companion to 'knock it olf.' Thieves do not retain stolen watches in their possessiou. If they require a watch for their own personal adorn- - ment, they go and buy one at a respectable shop. ' Long 'un ' said, ' Should I fall at any time ' (this sounds like military glory), ' I'd bpttor introduce you to a fence (receivei), because you might have some stuff to do in yourself.' So they went to a barber's shop, and ' Long 'un desired a shave. Tho attendant saw that he desired something more. 'Do you want the guvnor Vhe asked. ' Yes, I've got something _in the way of scent to sell,' replied ' Loug 'un.' i ' You had better step inside for a few miuutfs,' said the assistant. So they stepped inside, and up to a room on the titst floor. It was a bedroom. , The honest barber examined the l watch, and on being asked about double the price he intended to pay,

t ild ' Long 'un to take it away 'Tt'sofno use to me, 1 he said. But at balf the pric<; he found that he could make u&e of it, and having paid £9 10s for a watch and chain that ould scarcely have been bought for less than £50, he dropped them into a bag hanging upon a bedpost. The boy was nr-xt introduced to the company on the first floor of a public-house in the Seven Dials district. Here lie found :i glorious fire, surrounded l>y the older members of the profession, the "old tulibers" — gentry who have done their ten years and are under police supervision. Here, too, he found little children decoyed into the ronm by abandoned wretches, who hoped to share in the profits of their teaching. He saw little boys taught to spiing upon a counter with their backs to the till, to turn round, pull out the till, seize the contents, and slip off the counter and out of the shop. He listened to exciting stories from the "old tubbers" of their past victories, until he felt that there was no profession that gave so much glory aB thieving. He extinguished the glimmering light of morality which still struggled within him by the perusal of poisonous literature and he practi°ed with considerable success upon many and various specimens the art of opening ladies' satchels and bags, and of picking pockets in its various branches. The boy was clever. He rapidly acquired artistic skill, and the application of this knowledge showed him that " Long 'tin " was too incompetent to remain his companion. A lady's watch had lieen made to roast one day and " Long 'un " ineffectually tried to break it from the chain by twisting the ring. But the ring would not snap, the treasure was lost, and the two pals quarrelled and sepaiated for ever. Xow a man known as Mad Alf took the boy in hand. Ho told him to snatch a watch in Leicester Square one night. A hue and cry was raised. Uie boy ran with it in his hand as far as Hyde Park, when he was knocked down by two gentlemen. Within a week from this time he was picking oakum in Holloway Gaol. It is the custom of thieves to remember when they may expect their friends out of prison, and if the authorities would but release them at an unexpected time, or in an unexpected manner, there are many who might escape there old •associates and lead a new life, if ad Alf was waiting with another "hook" outside flolloway Gaol when his young friend had completed his third month. 'My golly,' said he ' you're lookiu' well. I ain't got no tin, or else I'd treat yer.' The boy held in his hand 2s lOd. It had been givon him on account of his good conduct in the prison. A few minutes later and it was spent. His old clothe.? were very shabby but he had no money loft, and the temptation to take a pair of boots hanging on a rail outside ft Bliop was irresistible Mad Alf called the man out and asked about some boots in the window. The prize was secured : Alf thought the boots m the window would not suit him, and said ' Good day.' The boots fitted nicely and the companions proceeded merrily along, ' There you are, Alf,' said the friend who accompanied him, 'there's Mother Right' This meant that a lady carrying a satchel was a certain catch. ' I Lew your pardon,' said Alf, stumbling against her and undoing the fastening of the bag. 'I beg your pardon,' said the other man, as he stumbled against her, took out the purse, and handed it to the boy. The young thief had his share of the profits a "corner" — that is to say a third of the contents. And he had more. As he ran round the corner to run over the rule (count the contents) he abstracted a 1.5 note without mentioning 1 it to his companions. Honour among thieves ! With this money he bought a suit of clothes, dressed himself in faultless style, and placed his thumb and two fingers in a lady's pocket as she was looking in a shop window. Tne two confederates covered the operation by looking in at the window upon the side whore there friend was woiking, and a purse was withdrawn. In' this way they lived for some days, and after a time the boy tried a new art, that of riuging the changes. He bought some dummy silver watches (specially prepared in Houndsditch for the purpose) at 2s 8d apiece, and going to * jeweller's asked to see some silver watches. A tray is placed on the counter. Then he wants to see some chains ; the assistaut turns, a watch is exchanged for the dummy. Yes, he is uot a judge of watches ; he thinks his father had better come with him to help in his choice some time this afternoon, and he goes out. Ouce a day for six months did he travel to some part of London, sometimes several miles out, and once a day did ho successfully change a watch. But his ventures have not always been successful He had recently come out of prisou for the fourth time absolutely penniless. Yet it is scarcely nine months ago since he abstracted from a carriage an Indian shawl (which he sold for LI 2) and a purse containing L 64 in notes and gold. The coachman was quite unconscious of his operations, lie did not hear the off window raised by hard steel tweezers, buthd might have noticed it fall, for he half awoke from his reverie, The thief stood with his hack to the window and abstracted the property in this position. What became of the money 1 He doea uot know. 1.76 was spent within a fortnight.

circle (on milliners' bills, for instaiw c), it is lamentable to think how unfairly women are handicapped by the deficiences of their education. It is the universal opinion of married men that debating power is, perhaps, the point in which their wives are weakest.