Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-02-02
NO. 5.
Letter from Piekpocket to his Victim

I AStteI 1IoIn d TlckpocReC TO MS f1c0m
| DR.. c. II. Roberts of Poughkeepsie
visited New York a few days ago, and
spent an evening at the Academy Of NIu-
sic. While there he had his pocket pick
ed of wallet containing forty or ffftv
dollars in bank bills and some papers,
After returning home, he received from
the pickpocket the following letter, which
he handed over TO the Poughkeepsie Ca
gle for publication:
NEw YoRK, Jan. 5, 1853.
! DIR. Charles II. Roberts-Dear SIR.
l had the pleasure of relieving YOU of
your pocket-booli on the evening of the
"a, IN crowd at the Academy of Mu-
s-c- i presume You soon became aware
ol your dlspossesslon, and have perhaps
lad some anxiety as 10 the application of
the funds It contained. You have NV
assurance that they have fallen into an
Frecla'lra hands, and that every cent will
oe applied n gratifying the taste and fam
c-es Of . 1eIlow-being whose ambition
scars higher than his calling. Youneed
not Halter yourself with the idea that YOU
have my acquaintance because | favor
you with my correspondence no, Doctor.
dIvest yourself of that ambition.
l write you IN accordance with the law
of honor among thieves, and to do YOU
the justice Of returning 10 You the en-
closed pieces OF paper which are of value
to you and worthless TO me,-one being
a note payable to your order, and the
other formula for making teeth,-nei-
ther OF which can ever be available to
me as my present employment probably
pays better, and as a business is more
pleasing to my taste. From the date of
the note | conclude that you had been i'm
town several days, which may account for
the hghtness of your purse. Now, doc
tor, proper respect for gentlemen of nv
calling should never allow your purse To-
become so low; 1t is hardly up to the av-
erage of usual collections.
Then, | have reason to protest aoains,
gentleman of your standing carving un-
current money. II is under serious con-
sideration to retnrn to YOU the S. on
Morris County Bank, n. j., which | find
at considerable discount; the six fiyes
on the Poughkeepsie banks go current.
and the few smaller bills can be easily dis
posed of by person of my habits From
the name and recipe which found in the
pocket-boOk, | conclude that YOU are the
we'll known dentist who long since did
me much service in your line of business.
while pursuing my avocation in POUCH
leepsie.
Now, Doctor, don't consider il New
York hospitality to extract purses in re-
turn for extracting tech, but remember
that all have to do something for livinzy.
You were following your avocation on
me, and | was only doing the same ON
you when you visited our city-and this
case affords a fair example of the COM
parative profits OF our business. You
spent much time and received a small
fee, mine was an operation of a moment
When L consider this difference and the
gentle manner in which YOU attended to
me, L am quite inclined TO return Your
purse and contents, but that would be un
professional, and besides would involve a
loss OF time on my part, fer such crowds
do not occur every day, even In New
\ orll; bat be assured that if | hal re-
cognized you | would have spent the time
appropriated TO you on some other person.
The only reason | can ascribe for not
remembering you is, that | never saw
you but once before, and | presume tha,
when you come 10 the city you dress up
in your best, and look very different thaa
when attending to your business at home.
This little lesson may be of service to
you and learn you that pocket books are
not safe IN crowds, and if you are ever
caught in one again, let your vigience
be directed to your purse In proportion
to It's dimensions. Yours, INCOG.