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‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The people who frequent these places are, with very few exceptions, thieves, sharpers and sporting men, and a few bad actors; the women, without exception, are immoral. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The most reckless of the safe robbers use explosives [...] The men who resort to explosives are known to their associates as ‘blowers’ They are daring and desperate fellows and acquainted with the use of the drill and high explosives. Professional Criminals of America [Internet ] A gang of ‘breakers’ made many thousand dollars last winter robbing post-office and store safes in all parts of the country. Their manner of operating demonstrated that they were expert cracksmen. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The prettieslate 19t banco is when we land a big fish. Talk about trout-fishing! Just think of the fun hooking a man that’s worth anywhere from $500 to $5,000! Professional Criminals of America [Internet ] It is in an out-of-the-way street that the banco men have the rooms where they practice their nefarious tricks. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 It is imported from China in an oblong brass box about five inches long, two and a half wide. The can is only half filled, as in warm weather it puffs up and would overflow the can if allowance was not made for this swelling. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 They were the professional cooks, receiving so much for every twenty-five cents’ worth of opium, that was brought in a shell. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 A gang of ‘breakers’ made many thousand dollars last winter robbing post-office and store safes in all parts of the country. Their manner of operating demonstrated that they were expert cracksmen. Professional Criminals of America [Internet ] He walks out in a brown study, not knowing exactly how he was done up, but quite sure he has been swindled. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America [Internet ] I have been cured of the habit and so have no more interest in keeping the secrets of the United Order of ‘Dope’ fiends. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The old saying, ‘There is honor among thieves,’ applies equally well to opium fiends. They never steal from each other while in the joint. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America [Internet] First, I began to gape and a pain in the back of the head started, then tears ran from the eyes, a catarrhal discharge from the nose, my teeth chattered and I trembled from head to foot, a cold sweat covering my body [...] I now realized for the first time that I was a victim to the opium habit. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The ‘lay-out’ consisted of an ordinary little tin waiter, a knitting-needle flattened at one end and gradually receding to a point at the other, which he called a yen hock, a little glass lamp of peculiar pattern, a wet sponge in a china dish, a small tin dish to deposit cigarette stumps or ashes, and a pipe of very curious construction. A small clam-shell contained a black, tarry-looking stuff, and this was the opium. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The hotel thief can carry his entire outfit in his vest pocket and can laugh in his sleeve at the common bolts and bars. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The popular form of swindle, up to last August, was by working the ‘panel game.’ [...] Since the panel trick became known the sawdust men have been forced to invent another device. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The hole of the bowl is thoroughly heated, the needle is pushed entirely into the hole, melts the opium, which now adheres to the bowl; the needle is then twisted out, leaving a small hole through the opium to the opening of the bowl. This mass is termed a pill. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 He then unbosomed his reasons for leaving. He was going to ‘hit the pipe.’ I demanded he should take me with him. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The murder recently of a well-known sawdust swindler has had a detrimental effect upon the other men who made their living in the same way. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 ‘Second-story’ thieves, after locating a house that they intend to rob in the early evening, watch until the tenants in a private residence are down stairs at dinner. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 Some one from the inside inquired ‘Who?’ My friend replied ‘En she quay.’ (Chinese words meaning opium smoker.). Professional Criminals of America 🌐 Sharp as was Oscar Wilde when he reaped a harvest of American dollars with his curls, sun-flowers, and knee-breeches, he could not refrain from investing in a speculation against which he was ‘steered’ by the notorious Hungry Joe. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 Then the roper-in apologizes, hurries off and reports to the steerer, who pulls a book out of his pocket and hunts up Austin. The book is what is known as a bank-note reporter, and gives a complete list of all the banks in the country. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 The pipe is held in the left hand and the bowl warmed over the light. The opium, in a melted condition, is rolled over the face of the bowl until it is shaped into a cone, the apex being the point of the needle. This is termed chying. Professional Criminals of America 🌐 In the taking of a timepiece the system of jostling and crowding is resorted to while the ‘wire’ (one who actually does the work) is stealing the watch. Professional Criminals of America [Internet ] When a mob of pickpockets start out to ‘work a crowd’ on a train they break into twos. ‘Life in a New York Opium Den’ in Professional Criminals of America 🌐 This is termed cooking and takes months to become proficient in. To do this the needle or yen hock is grasped between the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand. The point is dipped into the opium, and on removing it a small portion, the size of a bead, adheres to the yen hock.