A PICKPOCKET TRUST.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 30 May 1914, Page 11

A PICKPOCKET TRUST.

Though there are trusts both richer ana stronger, vhere, are none better organised than the "pickpocket trust" of i\ew ¥ork, according to Mr Samuel D Levy, for many years a police magistrate m that city. In the "New York limes Mr Levy, drawing on his fund or experience gained in tne courts describe some typical cases illustrating the "trusts" modus operandi. Each member has his own territorial district allotted him to "work," and each has a confederate within easy touch of him and cognisant of his every movement* bupposß three of the pickpocket fraternity, A, B, and C. A enters a crowded, tram compartment, B and C close on his heels. Selecting a suitable victim, he deftly locates the latter's wallet and takes advantage of the sudden lurch of the train on stopping to extract it from its pocket. He does not keep it, but passes it at once to B, who moves away. The train arrives at the next | station, and all three move out, and I pass the wallet on to a fourth man, who takes it to headquarters. This is a typical successful case in which the theft remains- undetected until after the thieves aro away. On another occasion, such as the following, they are less lucky. A enters a street car close behind a girl whom he sees put a. pocket-book in her outside coat pocket. The passengers are standing, packed fairly tight. He abstracts the article, but the girl feels the touch and raises' the hue and cry. A policeman is called, and A is arrested. B all the time is near-by, but not quick enough to re- N lieve his confederate of the stolen object, so he slips away to a telephone, and summons bondsmen to go to the police station and give bail for A A and then telephones the local counsel for the trust. Having done this, he himself goes to the police station and gets into .conversation with the complainant, and. ascertains if possible her address and place of employment.' Bondsmen andl counsel appear shortly, and A is order-' ed to appear at the court the next morning. The case is duly called, and is adjourned on the application of»the defendant's counsel. The adjournment, is made use, of by the defendant and his lavyer to devise innumerable schemes to defeat the law. Friends and confederates set to work to do their best to- pyevent the informant from appearing in court, and that failing, to urge her to withdraw the charge. If she remains obdurate, and cannot be bribed into silence, threats are marie, and anonymous letters written to frighten lipt into subjection. If " this fails, more tvcliournments are con-, triced in the hope that the coniplairtarit win /become tir^l of -the who I 'l business, or will shrink from +-he pubhVi*,y of repeated appearances in court. The necu- . liarities of the \an>->i macerates have been mfide a special study by the "trust;" and ■c'psgs nre m oWerly arranged as to fall during the assignment of one' who i« known to be lenient to- "ios+lers." With siich an organisation behind them, it is nb wonder that, the members of N«w York'<? pick-; pocket trust are rarely brought to book. ;