From the March 17, 1902 edition of The Sun:

 

Robbed A Policeman.

Two Newsboys Old in Petty Crime Caught at It, Victim Unsuspecting.

 

Policeman John Finn of the Elizabeth street station, while strolling along the Bowery in plain clothes last Saturday afternoon, had his pocket picked by two newsboys who were experts at the trick. The boys were sixteen-year-old Joseph Hartmann, living at the Newsboys’ Lodging House in Duane street, and twelve-year-old Samuel Neuman of 105 Allen street.

They approached the unsuspecting Finn from different sides, and under cover of his papers, Hartmann got his fingers into the fob pocket of Finn’s coat and extracted a dollar bill. The moment he had it in his hands he ran, followed by Neuman.

The entire proceeding was observed from a doorway by Detective Sergeant Richard A Finn, who is no relative, although a namesake of the robbed man. Thanks to the second Finn the two little thieves were caught before they had run more than a few feet. The younger boy was sent to the rooms of the Children’s society, where a long record of offences, including one case in which sentence was suspended, was found against him.

Hartmann, the older boy, pleaded guilty yesterday, adding gratuitously the infomation that on Friday he rifled the pockets of six men without getting more than 30 cents, so he was willing to go to jail till his luck turned. The Magistrate held him in $1,000 bail for trial. The Neuman boy, against whom there was no binding evidence, was remanded into the custody of the society till he can be committed to an institution.