The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-05-09
juVERfIE COLUMN.
STORY oF-A WALLET.
~, -awBr REV. GEO. +. a1AskIss.oa

Il sincerely wish that there were no worse
Boys 10 theei 7thanthose generally arrest ,
ed. If so, the commission of crime would
be extremely rare The fact is, the arrests /,
are made mostly of the awkward and un-,
inflated, and those unused to the business.
The real rascals escape. A police officer
has to exercise his wits, aye, his courage
also and muecplar siren 9Th. in prdertp cap
ture trained rogue; butt is comparative
ly easy to overtake their younger accompli-
ces who are frequently mere lockers on,
and will seldom run or resist. r
We have a notable illustration of this in
Dick eais of Oliver Twist where the
innocent Oliver, being accidentally in
company with the 4 Artfal Dodgern and
Charley Bates, when these two young
gentlemen committed robbery, was seized T
and dragged before the court, while the
real Galprits escaped. |
A case Or this kind came under my own 4
4ixno wleage id Boston. sOheaday 4feaBd q
wallet in possession of one OF the boys OF
! the House of the Angel Guardian. In 1t ]
were several current bills, and a gold
pencil case broken into halves. He said it
Dennis was rather d hard Ease for the city
of New York, and some days previous his
4 father had come on to see him, and took
4 him out for tile day. eonje at once
that this boy Dennis had stolen the wallet
But he denied 10, and declared that he had
found it on the Common. Then called on
the chief of police, and asked him if o
wallet had been stolen. He referred to his
records, and found that on certain day a.
small boy had snatched q wallet from lady
in Washington street. 1t was the very day
4 that the boy Dennis was out on hDerty.'
! ! He also Informed me that the thief had been
: immediately pursued and arrested, and was
n to be examined at the police eourtdnext
day. 1 informed him of the discovery L
, had made, and the same day policeman
called upon me, accompanied by the lady
0 who had been robbed. The lady described
3 the wallet SO accurately that surrendered
s. it to the officer, who stated triumpbantly
that he had arrested the thief, and that he
h was now. safe in jail, and would be tried
r tomorrow. - ..c..,.,,- :,
S When the officer had gone took Dennis
aside and told him that 4 had heard about
a the wallet, and that his only chance OF
r escape lay in telling the whole truth. Pale
g and trembling, he replied, 20 I ,snatehed it
out of a woman's hand.n "Where I" In
s. washington street, sFWhen 7" "That day
y 1 went OUT HDid you then ran 2" /" No
d sir. 1 mixed in with the people, and walk.
d Not once suspecting that the innocent
N boy could be convicted, and as no suspicion
30 rested on any other, l thought it best t.
send Dennis home to New York that same
l 10 afternoon, as an unfit subject for an asylum
- like ours.
. Next morning ], was in court among thu
:. spectators. Soon the prisoner was brongh
a a in. He was a haired, blue eyed, deli
~ looking child of about ten years.
> had never seen him before. The policeman
h.. and the lady were the only witnesses. H
10 had no. counsel. The lady testified that
VS. when her wallet was snatched, she, crie'
It out-s.Somebody stole my wallet" Jns
then she saw boy, whom she identified q
er the prisoner, running down the street. IN
is policeman swore that, hearing the cry, an
py seeing the boy running, he pursued an
D" captured him. He also swore that while i
jail the boy confessed all-that he ha
ay snatched the wallet and passed tito anotbe
IA boy; that on dividing the spoils, the walle
by and pencil-case, with some of the money
gu fell TO him; and that be broke the pencil i
,,5torder to sell it.
ne ne The boy was then asked what he had t
ON say. He. boldly denied all.
l." Policeman" Didn't you confess it
&C. Boy-'hrlat was because you mademe
re Judge-s'What do you mean, boy Z" *
it Bog-'.He shook me, and cutfed my, ear
ce- and said he would lick me ; and said NJ
it only chance to get off from prison was
de never done. 1 never saw the wallet befol
lef Jadqe-" How then did you know. Il
CIV tks.Boy-.sBecause yesterday the =policenaa
OF. OPP Judge-"But why did you say you brol
1S. .Boy-eBecanse he said if denied it
Dor couldn't get clear" %
JudgeS"If you were innocent why d
aer you run
es- Boy-44Because when the Iady-helleFt
. L Thief got frightened, and ran off as ia
hes as could"
ed The poor innocent boy, however, WI
=. not believed. The court and spectacle
the looked frowningly upon him, and SCENE
.,3Sl - to say-"What an artful young villai
tns What an incerrigahle rascal"
1mr At this crisis l rose from among tt
Jun spectators, and begged to be sworn as
- witness in behalf of the boy. 1t was don
it ae | stated the facts as already mentione
IAN No use.
, ,n The policeman, much excited, and d
,ou termined to have the boy convicted becau
IS a he had arrested him, then submitted to Il
court that my evidence was to be held
Der no account, as it was but hearsay evidenc
y SO ruled the judge, and the boy was bou!
Im, over for trial in the upper court, and Il
r. want of bail was committed.
ak Counsel was employed in the upp