Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-07-14
NV Pickpocket.

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guard against Miss Howard, is pick
pockets. They positively swarm on the
! lines of railroad Why, every station
house on every road in the land has its
sign up, Beware of Pickpockets, miss
| Borey with expressive fore6nger traced
| In the airthe legend OF the sign as if it
were visibly on the wall before herr and
they know what they are about, those
railroad men. Why, there was Miss
| Newcombe, only the other day had her
pocket picked in just coming from Yon-
| kers and when it was, done she could
/ not tell to save her; all she knew was
that most genteel and well-appearing
man shared her seat with her, who was
| no doubt the theft II is always the
incest looking, meekest, most elegantly
| dressed men who are the hkeliest to be
pickpockets, Miss Howard-always. Oh,
they are SO agreeable! and before you
know it your purse is gone, and he is
gone too. Why, i is not a week since
my friend, Mrs .Oadd, Of Port Jervis
was robbed of her poeket-book in that
long dark tunnel in Jersey City by the
incest appearing young man you ever
| saw He held her little girl on his knee
and gave her nuts, and was mighty agree
able and When they went into that tnn-
mel he picked Mrs. lCadd's pocket Of
/ every cent she had, and got off before
she suspected him Why, bless me, Miss
Howard with startling energy you
have 10 go through that very tunnel,
don't you 2 Wen, be careful of your
porte monnaie, that's all; if you adon't
I you may be sorry you didn't heed the
words of one who knows Beware of po-
lite and genteelyodmg niep--particulariy
if they are good-looking; / always do; /
make them keep their distance, | prom
Use you, ,...-,--- ,sv,,.-.. :.
This harangue was delivered by Miss
Borey one day last June, and that night
| dreamed / was robbed and choked and
thrown out of the car window in that
dark tunnel, by the. handsomest man
ever saw, with great beautiful eyes and
the air and manner of prince. y,-.
The hustle Of departure next morning
did not drive these thoughts quite out'of
my mind. / had no sooner got across
the river and taken my seat in the car
than | glanced out Of the window and
saw that staring placard
Ii seemed as if the train would nerer
start had come over in an early boat,
so as to make sure of good seat, and
hence had half an hour and more TO
wait. Look which way would, j could
not get my attention off that blaek-let-
tered placard Ny eyes would, in spite
of me, wander back to it every other
minute, and read it again until il settled
its shadow over me like nightmare.
Ia desperation / would shut my eyes;
but | could not shut out that placard.
There it was, and multiplied by tens. "a i
opened book and essayed to read, In
vaint / could not settle my mind on
anything but the nineteen letters that
spelled those three words Of warning,
They began to tumble themselves up in
my mind in the most aggravating way,
till my head ached with their mad freaks
Beware - beware pickpockets : pick
pockets --pic kets- neutrality-suspicious.
-ware-beware--pickpock-poek-be = be-
81 s"BEwARE OF PIcKrocKEfsl7 II
= And back my eyes wonld go as Il the
thing were fascinating me 1T a snake
and a bird. ...7-.-s. ii. 10 a.
Oh dear, how tired grew OF IT.
Il was great relief when, just as the
conductor called out " All aboard T.
good-looking young man came up to me
with shawl over his arm, and said, in a
respectful tone .e-orr~-fl
'sWill you allow me to occupy this
seat, madam m2NH.LskT Htk
The car was crowded Iremoved my
travelling bag from the place at my side
and he seated himself by me. He said
nothing to me, but took the morning pa
per from bis pocket and read It. ,s.f
{ Men say that women jump at conclu-
sioos--that their judgment is altogether
intuitive, aud that they can never give a
reason for the belief that Is in them. i
can give you, respected sirs, more than
one reason for my belief thatthe man at
my side was piekpocket
First, although well-dressed, be wore
peculiar pair Of black pantaloons with
narrow white stripes in them Second, !
his hands were white, though they looked |
nerveusly muscular, aud he wore three !
gold rings on his fingers Third, be wore \
a mnstaehe, and no beard. Fourth, his /
manners were precisely OF that quiet, |
unobtrusive kind that Miss Borey had |
named.
p There These are four reasons which J