The Bold Fish Market Heist
A local man is robbed of nearly $500 in a busy market, leaving police scrambling to track a group of elusive pickpockets.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
With the $460 rifled from the pockets of Conrad Amon in the Mead fish market yesterday morning, the four young pickpockets who are credited with turning a clever trick have so far been able to elude all detection. Despite the fact that the police yesterday afternoon and evening ransacked every lodging house, saloon and hotel in the city and kept close tab on all outgoing trains in the hope of finding a possible clue, Mr. Amon, in his excitement, has been unable to give anything but vague descriptions. Two men who stood outside the market saw the quartet follow Mr. and Mrs. Amon into the store, but as customers were constantly passing in and out, little attention was paid to them. After touching Amon for his wad, the men left the market one by one so as not to excite suspicion. The police learned last night that two of the men answering the description were seen in an East Main street saloon Saturday afternoon, but since then no trace has been found.
“After touching Amon for his wad, the men left the market one by one so as not to excite suspicion.”
Pickpocketing rings were a common feature of booming turn-of-the-century towns, often targeting farmers in town for market day. Today's digital and street-level crime reports in Walla Walla still grapple with the challenge of 'vague descriptions' and tracking transients who exploit the city's thoroughfares.
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