The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-09-19
A THRILLING SNAKE STORY
Told by a Very Conscientious
Young Man.

| b6WaIe OI plChpOCAe6S L6pSa-
ted benevolent old gentleman as
he glanced at the placard pasted in
the car in which he was riding,
Dear me, how sad that such a
warning should be necessary in a
Christian land -
eyes, SIR" said a young man
next to him but it's best to be
careful, for there may be pickpock-
cts in this very car. | know all
about that, sir. I've been rescued
from the lowest depths. I was q
pickpocket once, sir
"Dear me-" said the old gen tie.
man, starting.
"rm a respectable person now.
Yes, sir, I'm very respectable. Ask
anybody about jim Tilks, and they'll
tell you that but was brought up
a thief. | was born among thieves
and took to the trade naturally, and
l used to pick pockets when | was
ten years old. You needn't to look
at yours. If you please, sir, I've
been converted sure, and go to
meeting regular. You could trust
me with untold gold now.
But as 1 said, was thief. and
I might have been one yet if it
hadn't been for what happened at
Rickady Station, where 1 was sit
ting waiting for any old lady's reti-
cule, or any forgetfuI PERSONS par
eel, or even an umbrella or pocket
handkerchief that might be dropped
by chance. For folks that's anx-
ious about getting on the right train
at the right time, and nobody to do
anything but snub' b'em which is what
the officials are apparently paid to
do, amt as careful Of their portable
property as they would be other
wise. When L was wicked sinner
/ used to take advantage OF that, you
know. You couldn't bribe me to do
it now-oh no. ..-.
.sBut, as l said, I was lounglng
about there, and in came a gentle
man with long basket. 1t was the
curiousest basket | ever saw. Had
two handles and paddock. Never
saw such basket. There was a
cord about it, too. He put it down
in the corner as he looked for his
pocketbook, and he spoke TO gen.
tleman who was standing near, and
seemed to know him. -..a5.
"'Got it, he asid, and it's cost
me enough, can tell you. But I
wanted it for the collection--couldn't
do without it. SO proud of it ]
brought it along myself. Whew
five minutes only, and I haven't any
ticket and he pushed toward the
office.
"The other man looked at the
basket a minute and then walked
away, and that was my time. l
crept up to the basket and took it
up and walked away in another
direction. Nobody noticed me. l
didn't run, Of course. just went
out of the station and down under
the trees, and what meant to do
was to take the yaluables out of it
and leave it there.
I'D made up my mind that it was
something very valuable, but what
it could be couldn't guess, | took
off the cord first, and then 1 took
the key that hung beside the pad
lock and unlocked that and lifted up
the cover a little. just then there
was a noise and turned my head.
81 "When l found it was nothing to-
be afraid Of turned back. | OPEN
ed the cover wider and peeped in,
but there was nothing there the
basket was empty--not thing in
it. s..s 9etla sts1
".Why. gracious me I says [ /;
only not in those words-1 was a /
wicked sinner then-'what does this
mean? An empty basket And
what did he mean by talking of its
being valuable? And there 1 was
running risk for nothing. A risk.
1 was done for, for nothing; for here
were the police after me, at least a
big arm went round my waist, all of
a. sudden like, and when | jerked, it
only held me closer; and what was
that-another arm? 4a.a
'Well, sir. 1 thought I should
give up just that minute, for then
and there I knew that wat was
twisting about me was something
worse than even a policeman's arm
to such as / was then. tt7it
s'It was a snake-a crate snake
the kind they have. in menageries.
Boa constrictors-yes, sir, that was
the kinda boa constructor and now
l remember the face Of the gentle
man who had the basket-he was the
menagerie man. I'd stolen a basket
with a snake in it. and it had slipped
out when / opened the cover, and
now it had me. A eTass
Tight, sir, was the word for it.
1t was twisted around me'until I had
very little breath, left, but with