Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) purse-snatching.

1851

Hull Packet 31 Jan. 7/5: He was [...] taught a science which in slang phraseology is known by the name of ‘paltrooning.’ This ‘paltrooning’ is something after this fashion. The woman [...] went out into the street, with a bell to her pocket, and a purse with sixpence in it, and if the lad, while she was looking into a shop-window, could get the purse and sixpenice without ringing the bell, he had the sixpence for his pains, but if he rang the bell, he got a good thrashing.