Their noise, and the dread of being arrested
upon a charge of theft, will frequently so confuse and frighten the
victim that he will comply with their demand, which is that he shall
buy the coat. This done, he is suffered to depart. A refusal to yield
would not injure him, for the scoundrels would seldom dare to call in
the police, for fear of getting themselves into trouble, as their
tricks are well known to the officers of the law.
CHAPTER XL.
THIEVES.
Thieves are numerous in New York. As a general rule, they herd together
in the worst quarters of the city--in the Five Points and along East
River--where they can rapidly and easily communicate with each other,
and where they can hide from the police without fear of discovery.
There are many blunderers in the fraternity, but there are also many
experienced hands, who do a great deal of damage, and give a world of
trouble to the authorities. These are generally well known to the
police.
THE THIEF LANGUAGE.
The thieves of the city have a language, or _argot_, peculiar to
themselves. Those who have been raised to the business use this _argot_
to such an extent, that a stranger finds it as impossible to understand
them as he would if they were speaking in a foreign tongue. _The
Detectives' Manual_ gives a glossary of this language, from which we
take the following specimens, to be found in that work, under the head
of the letter B.
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