Scientific Watch Stealing

A prison official relates tho following story: "When speakingono day to aconvict, a professional pickpocket. to whom I was grving a word or two of friendly counsel, I asked him why he could not turn over a new leaf and lieconie an honest man. 'I could not, sir,' he replied, 'I must piek pockets. I would take your watcli to-morrow if I met you in the strand; not,' he added, 'but what I'd give it back to you, for you've been very kind to me. Would you like to knovv how to prevent your watch being stolen?' he contmuod; 'just let me have it for a minute.' Cariota to learn a useful hint, I was about to draw my watcb from my pocket, when I found it was already in this expert's hands, without my experiencing the slightest touch. He then explained to me that the most approved method of detaching a watcli from it3 owner was to hold the ring to wfaioh the chain was attached firmly betweeii tho finger and thumb, and then, witli asharp twist, snap the steel pivot connecting watch and ring, leaving tho watch free in the thiefs hand and the ring on tho chain. 'A dead loss to us,' he added, with cool effrontery, 'of six shilling.' He then showed me that if tho ring and watcli were connected by a swivel joint, the difficulty of watch stealing would be increased so much as to make it -carccly wortli the