Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US Und.) a pickpocket.

1837

Morning Herald (N.Y.) 30 June 2/5: Pickpockets caught. – Two ‘touchers,’ as the pickpockets phrase themselves, were yesterday arrested.

2. one who practises the touch game under touch n.¹

1843		N.Y. Daily Trib. 23 Sept. 2/5: A noted colored thief and ‘toucher’ [is arrested; he] for a long time has been in the habit, aided by a mulatto girl, of inveigling strangers into their den and robbing them by means of the secret panel.
1901		C.R. Wooldridge Hands Up! 66: Women who are known as ‘touchers’ decided upon the style of their new bonnets as soon as the ranchmen hove in sight.

3. (US) a thief.

1849		G.G. Foster N.Y. in Slices 24: A notorious kracksman with his pal — a celebrated ‘toucher.’.
1904		‘Number 1500’ Life In Sing Sing 256: Lush Toucher. A person who robs intoxicated people.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn) 242: toucher A robber of intoxicated persons.
1953		B. Behan Scarperer (1966) 75: Bowsies and touchers [...] The cat is what they want.

4. a cadger, one who solicits small loans.

1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 12/1: ‘No hurry, old toucher,’ said the applicant affable; ‘only I want to be in this fake. You can just put me through the hank-panky part, and I’ll be anything you like. A sergeant or captain – it’s all the same to me.’.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 22 Feb. 3/2: He was helped to his feet by a man in the street, / Who observed, in a style most polite, / As he shook up the Scotch, and shook out Gussie’s watch, / ‘So long, my old toucher, good night!’.
1906		E. Dyson Fact’ry ’Ands 212: He tred to speak as one with unshaken confidence in the Toucher, but there were subtle doubts hovering at the back of his head.
1925		Wodehouse Carry on, Jeeves 79: I’ve hurried along Piccadilly and felt the hot breath of the toucher on the back of my neck.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1961		(con. 1890–1910) ‘Flann O’Brien’ Hard Life (1962) 111: The streets aren’t crawling with touchers like Dublin.
1966		P. Boyle At Night All Cats Are Grey 66: He kept up this toucher’s litany in his hoarse growling voice till he got the pint in his fist.
1982		E. Mac Thomáis Janey Mack, Me Shirt is Black 108: I’ve known many touchers in my day.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Toucher (n): someone who is always looking for a handout.