There are numerous places in Chicago where boys are taught to become
pickpockets. Poolrooms are gathering places for such young criminals
and certain saloons of a low order harbor others. There is one saloon
in West Madison street, for instance, not far from Canal street, where
a lot of pickpockets are in the habit of congregating. They are young
fellows for the most part and adepts in their particular field.
They find a sort of home in this saloon, where they can get a big
glass of beer and a generous free lunch for 5 cents. They are in and
out of this place day and night and manage to keep out of the clutches
of the law through their sleekness and cleverness. There is one young
man in there at least who has made a good living by forging orders for
goods. So far he has escaped detection.
His method is to forge an order on some big business house and get
certain goods. One day he got a lot of belting from a well-known firm
on a forged order. He sold this later and realized $4.50 on the deal.
This he spent freely in the saloon mentioned and made no bones of how
he got the money. Others run out, snatch a pocketbook and make for
cover. Later on they look up their cronies at the saloon and spend the
money for beer and cheap whisky, and eat free lunch provided by the
management.
There are numerous other such places, more especially on South Clark
near Van Buren street. Some of the saloons in that section are alive
with young fellows who prey upon the public for a living. They do not
always beg their way, either, for they often take a run out and stick
up somebody, filch a purse or break into a store. When one of them has
been up to some devilment his companions can usually detect it, for he
will come back and be very flush for a few hours, or a few days, all
depending, of course, upon how much he was able to steal.
[Illustration: (Children outside junk shop)]