tly to
the point where the vessel they mean to rob is lying. Their oars are
muffled, and their boat glides along noiselessly through the darkness.
Frequently they pause for a moment, and listen to catch the sound of the
oars of the police-boats, if any are on their track. Upon reaching the
vessel, they generally manage to board her by means of her chains, or
some rope which is hanging down her side. The crew are asleep, and the
watch is similarly overcome. The thieves are cautions and silent in
their movements, and succeed in securing their spoil without awakening
any one. They will steal anything they can get their hands on, but deal
principally in articles which cannot be identified, such as sugar,
coffee, tea, rice, cotton, etc. They go provided with their own bags,
and fill these from the original bags, barrels, or cases in which these
articles are found on the ship. They are very careful to take away with
them nothing which has a distinctive mark by which it may be identified.
Having filled their boat, they slip over the side of the ship into it,
and pull back to a point on shore designated beforehand, and, landing,
convey their plunder to the shop of a junkman with whom they have already
arranged matters, where they dispose of it for ready money. They do not
confine their operations to vessels lying at the East River piers of New
York, but rob those discharging cargo at the Brooklyn stores, or lying at
anchor in the East or North rivers, even going as far as to assail those
lying at quarantine.

[Picture: THE RIVER THIEVES.]

In order to check their operations as far as possible, a force of about
thirty policemen, under Captain James Todd, is assigned to duty in the
harbor. The headquarters of this force are on a steamer, which boat was
expected to accomplish wonders, but which is too large and clumsy to be
of any real service. In consequence of this, Captain Todd is obliged to
patrol the harbor with row-boats, of which there are several. These
boats visit all the piers on the two rivers, and search for thieves or
their boats. Sometimes the thieves are encountered just as they are
approaching a pier with their boat filled with stolen property, and again
the chase will be kept up clear across the harbor. If they once get
sight of them, the police rarely fail to overhaul the thieves. Generally
the latter submit without a struggle, but sometimes a fight ensues.

The thieves, howe