Seeing the prospect of a sale, even if the wager was a peculiar one,
the groceryman would concede to this request. The hat being partly
filled, one of the thieves would place it quickly on the merchant's
head, blinding him with the molasses, while they stole the contents of
the money drawer.
The "sneak" who commits the robbery, to be successful, usually is
of small stature, active, alert and noiseless, as upon him mainly
depends the success or failure of the venture. He must judge from
the operations of his associates when the opportunity to commit the
robbery has arrived. There are no signals or conversations between the
confederates and the "sneak" designating the moment for him to act.
He must decide this from observation of what his confederates have
accomplished in preparing a safe way for him. If there is a suspicion
or a discovery by employes, it devolves upon his confederates to do
their utmost to confuse and obstruct the pursuers.
I once asked an old-time professional "sneak" thief how he was first
introduced into a band of first-class bank "sneaks." He explained
that he was raised in a small village having a general store presided
over by a widow; that she at times would go to the cellar for certain
merchandise, leaving the store unguarded. This suggested to him how
easy it would be to rob the money drawer during her absence in the
cellar, which he afterward did, and which was his first successful
"sneak" robbery. Afterward he stole from a small window in the same
store, packages of chewing tobacco, pipes, etc., also occasionally
again robbing a bakery of pies and cakes, and occasionally again
robbing the "till." But one afternoon, before a Fourth of July, in
attempting to steal some packages of fire-crackers and some loose
torpedoes, a couple of the torpedoes dropped to the floor, causing
an explosion and resulting in his discovery and arrest and final
imprisonment. In jail he met with other criminals, and finally became
one of them, joining with the first-class "sneak" band of professional
criminals. This man for years was a most successful leader of "sneak"
thieves, stealing fortunes, finally dying in prison and leaving a
family in actual want.