The Delaware farmer., 1883-12-28
DANDY BEN'S" DEVICE.
SUSPECTED AND SEARCHED BUT
WITHOUT SUCCESS.
He Takes the Number of a Car Apparently
for Revenge-Returns IN disguise 10 So
cure the Hidden Diamond.


An old horse-ca conductor, telling a
Chicago reporter of his experience with
thieves on his cars, mentioned the case
of ssDandy Ben," a well-known pick
pocket. whom he had arrested one day
after lady passenger had discovered
the loss of a valuable diamond earning
"He was searched, said the conductor,
s.from the crown Of his hat to the soles
of his boots, but the diamond was not
discovered. It was not on his person.
I was beat: and when Dandy Ben sar-
castically asked me if was satisfied
told him was. We'll, then, am not,
he said; you will hear from me again.
And, taking a notebook from his
pocket, he coolly took down the number
of my car and stepped off. The car
was again searched for the earring, but
in vain, and the unhappy lady who had
lost it was inconsolable.
"Was it never found?"
eyes. One morning, a few days after
this event. I was lettering about in the
car-barn, having a half-hour between
rips. The only other person around
was the foreman of the barn, and he
stood in one of the wide-open doors
when a shabby, rusty, dilapidated old
tramp came limping along, looking as
forlorn and wretched as the last rose Of
summer. 1t was a cold morning, and
the old fellow sidled up to the door, and
then suddenly whisked inside to escape
q fiercer gust of wind than usual. With
rather fatigued air he asked the fore
mans permission to sit down IN one OF
the cars. where he could rest and be out
of the wind for few minutes. He
seemed so harmless and tired and cold
that the foreman consented, and the old
chap shuf1ed along into the barn. He
passed three or four cars, looking at the
number on each, but he finally clam
bered into one and sat down in a corner.
I noticed this, but not with surprise, for
I had recognized the man.
ST don't know how L penetrated his
disguise so readily, but the minute laid
ewes on that old tramp knew it was
Dandy Ben. He didn't seem to notice
me. or if he did, he doubtless thought
his disguise was all sufficient. Won
dered what new game the rascal was up
TO now. and concluded to do little
watching on my own hook without I'M
narting the secret of my discovery to
fine foreman. [ sauntered to and fro tor
several minutes trying to decide on the
best course to pursue to find out the
frisker's game; then, all of a sudden, a
Thought struck me. Without any fur
+bar hesitation I walked directly and
rapidlv to the car which the tramp had
entered. ierked open the door and stepped
inside. While doing this 1 caught the
sound of a hurried movement on the
mart of the occupant of the car, and by
the time I got my eyes on him ne was
leaning back in his corner feigning sleep.
But he had not had time to put out OF
siobt a chisel and a small saw which
were partially concealed beneath his
coat. The sight of these tools con-
firmed my suspicion. I caught the
rogue bv the collar and jerked him out
of the corner, at the same time calling
ON the foreman, who came to my assist
once In another minute Dandy BeI
was our prisoner. And what do you
think he had been doing? With his
chisel and saw he had been cutting
hole through panel in the back of the
seat directly under the window. 1 knew
instinctively what he was after, and We
lost no time in finishing the work he had
begun. Groping..in the aperture / found
what I expected to find-the missing
diamond earring. This explained the
Ehief's real object in taking the number
of my car that day. He had stolen the
diamond out of the woman's ear, but as
she missed it before he could leave the
car he knew that his only safe course
was to Get rid of it. As he had no pa
with him, he dropped the jewel down the
crevice into which the window slides
when it is lowered, hoping to be able tC
recover it at some future time. Ht
came very near succeeding, too, but
miss is as good as mile, they say.
suppose the lady thought so when she
got back her diamond" "
DUMFoUNDED: Snow" said the iratt
mother to her family of one boy and
&c., ,;,.I ,,I,O bad baan Tnisbehav