"pigeon Droppers" In Law

Iu the trial oL a case in a pólice court at Lawrence the other day the lawyers were puzzled to discover in an old city ordinance the words "pigeon dropper," which were evidently used to demónstrate a certain class oí criminal, &ays the Kansas City Journal. No one, liowever, knew anything about the class or their methods, and a discussion was started which lasted ior several days and brought out all sorts of tions. Fínally F. W. Reed solved the riddle. He said that forty years ago, when he was in business in New York city, the term was a common one in police court circles. About that time a new confidence game was started which required a brace of confederates to successfully opérate it. They would piek up a man on the streets who looked "easy," when one of the confederates would go anead and drop -what appeared to be a big roll of bilis. The second confedérate, keeping pace with the victim, so as to arrive at the spot a little in advance of him, would piek up the roll. Turning then to the victim he would explain that he had to hurry out of town; that the roll contained at least $1,000; that the loss would surely be advertised and a reward of at least $100 be offered; wouldn't the gentleman advance as maich as the reward was sure to be and take the roll? The gentleman usually hastened to accommodate the finder, only to discover later that the $1,000 roll was simply a wad of paper with a $10 bilí wrapped around it. Thls, says Reed, was known as "pigeon dropping" and the operators as "pigeon droppers."