Being a petty criminal in old-time Phoenix

Time-travel with me to old-time Phoenix, and let's be criminals, specifically petty criminals. 

In a longish life I've known quite a few people that could be described as criminals, but nothing to get the attention of the local detectives, they were just petty. Of course I would never describe them that way to their face, to themselves they were gangsters, or desperados. To me, they were like racoons, simply opportunistic, and with a skill for breaking-and-entering, and stealing stuff.

Being a criminal has never interested me, by the way. I don't like the hours (which are usually at night) and the risks can be substantial, especially in a place like Phoenix in the 1890s.

But since this is a journey of the imagination, let's go ahead and be criminals. I doubt that anything we do would get the attention of Henry Garfias! I plan on stealing something from that buckboard - not sure what yet. Do you see anyone around?

Looky here! I just grabbed a fistful of dollars! What? Confederate money? What do you mean? Hey, let's get out of here, I just heard the ratchet of a shotgun! Yikes! That other guy has a Winchester '73!

Image at the top of this post: Looking east over 1st Avenue between Washington and Jefferson, Phoenix, Arizona.


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