Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1867-12-18
From the Scranton Resistcr.]
!sDcyilre Of the Women

''DcWtire Of the WOmen.n
Mr. EDITOR I'm last weeks Register
you transfer from the Davenport (Iowa)
Gazette to your columns undcr the above
suggestive caption, the adventures Of an
Iowa citizen, accused by lady in the cars
Of stealing her pocket book. on reading
it, was "forcibly reminded" Of ''scenc"
SO strikingly similar in all its parts, and in
which was so prominent an actor that I
will, If you give the necessary space, giyo 1t
to your readers.
In January, 1865, I took the 6 A. NJ.
train at ny home station on tho L. e. B. X.
r. for Harrisburg. The single psssensc.
car was full, every sea. apparently occupied
by two On str;ding TO tho middle CT the
car, however I saw BY the dim light shed
BY the expiring flicker ofa solitary lamp 10
one corlNr OF tile car that one sea. had iu.
single occupant, an a lady" at that. I
politely said to her, MADAM, viii you al.
low me scat here 7" pointing to tho end
Of the seat ncxt. 70 the ais.: GOA, certain.
ly," said sha q. the same time taking in
several reefs Of crinolins to give me room
on tbs seat she occupied. thanked he.
both orally and mentally. hu. could not easi.
ly touch or take of my stove pipe" both
hands being occupied by satchel and UNI.
brel!a, seated myself and soon fell into a
sort OF distracted, moody half sleep, the
weight affairs Of state and the interests Of
my dear constituent" no doubt occupying
my cranium to its full capacity.
Now for the scene" On leaving tho
station this "lady" suddenly gave me VIC,
lent nudge in the ribs, (if Adam had never
parted with one should have escaped the
severe trial am about to relate and
screamed cut "O!d feler you better give me
my pocket book, +" and before I wss fairly
aroused to the situation" she had repeat.
ed the demand on ME some t'ircc to half
dozen times for her pocket book. Add t,
my greater horror saw My neish5or pas.
sengers s.rainins peeping and staring to
look ne in the face. Ny acoussr Loins
"lady," Of course could not put myself on
my 'musoel" and vindicate M. self ~ llII.l,ar.
acter in that way. I essayed a wordy 90.
fence, but was so effec.ually doored III this
that gave up in despair I though: Of
my colleagues, constituents, country viia
and children whom I had hut half an hour
before bid an affectiona.s goodbye. Wha.
could l do J? could no. ''get a wori il
edgswise, 60 thick and fast did the 'lady"
rain upon mo accusation aud threats Of ar.
rest By this time the whole car was
aroused most Of the people on their feet.
There stood THE observed of all cyzsarv-
ers, and who is he p fell occasionally
upon my ears, as the lady took breath
tor a fresh onset II en- q poor woman
she screamed on. Here attempted to say
1T makes no difference whether you ara
rich Or poor" but got only as far az ''uo."
/ could not get in difference" Or .he frst
syllable Of it, fer eyes it does, I wor. hard
for living" shokel me Of. Meantime
several Of my dear constituents" drew
near, and from them I expected help aui
sympathy, instead Of which they pitched in
in this style for the purpose of keeping up
the fun as the called it. 'Now, Dave, give
the poor woman her pocket book 20,
Squire, it's too bad to keep il" &c. I called
conductor Hughes; he told the "lady" sho
must be mistaken, and told her to feel in
her pockets She feels, but no pocket book.
Sulnmoniug little courage roarcd out to
her, Get up and dust yourself" She
busted. On the middle Of the seat lay
little red plush wallet Here i. is," was
said by several. / felt better. The 'lady"
to, suppose. On asking her if she wa,
satisfied that she had accused me wrongfally,
she answered in loud voice, 20 you put
it back on the seat old fe!lar, when 'cused
you" Can anything moro devilish'y mall.
c;ous be imagined. Here vas fresh thrus.
to the very hilt Of keen, long, bright
dagger into the wound now partially healed
up, already inflicted on my not o-sr-sensi.
tive feelings, at which some Of n,y aforssai'
constituents gave q cruc! laugh 'tc keep the
fun going"
took my seat with her again, thinking
that when things s;uimered down, the
'lady" included, sould try to &c: her to
confess her foo!ishncss or mistake, but Sh,
assumed lofty "sulks," as if she had been
the injured party and refused even to give
me her name. finally 80. from her that
she was going to Wilkes Barre, and I wrote
my name on card and offered it to her to
show the people who she had charged with
picking her pockets bu: Ehe would not touch
the card
At Kingston Senator S. Joined me and l
related at once = him the great tribulasion
I had passed through. That gentleman was
the frst Of human kind that seemed to
sympathise with me, a, least1 thought ne
sympathizod until he asked me Why | did
not ;sll the woman / was member OF the
Legislature told him | was afraid it
would only confirm the accuser in belief, II
she had any besides, which, there was some
strangers in the car. The Senator did not