Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-02-23
"DANDY BEN,S" DEVICE
o. 0Nn~TE
SUSPECTED AND SEARCHED But
ii

~@~@T A@@rRH% -
SUSPECTED AND SEARCHED But
WITHOUT SUCCESS.
He Takes the Number of a Car Apparently
for Reyenge-RetuTns in Disguise 10 Sc
care the Hidden Diamond.
An old horse-car conductor, telling a
Chicago reporter Of his experience with
thieves on his cars, mentioned the case
Of "Dandy Ben," a ~well-known pick
pocket, whom he had arrested one day
after q lady passenger had discovered
the loss OF a valuable diamond earring.
HE was searched" said the conductor,
from the crown OF his HIT to the soles
of his boots, but the diamond was not
discovered. 1t was not on his person.
I was beat; and when Dandy Ben sar-
casticaliy asked me If [ was satisfied. l
told him I was. We'll, then, l 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 i~nconsoIable."
"Was it never found q"
Eyes. One morning, a.3ev days after
this event, 1 was lettering about in the
oax-barn, having a half-hour between
trips. 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. dlapidated old
tramp came hmping along, looking as
forlorn and wretched as the last rose of
summer. 1t was a cold morning, and
the old fellow sided up to the door, and
then suddenly whisked inside to escape
a fiercer gust of wind than usual. With
a 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 a few minutes He
seemed SO harmless and tired and cold
that the fore man consented, and the old
chap shufled along into the barn. He
passed three or four cars. looking at the
number on each, but he finally clam
bered into one aud sat down in q corner.
/ noticed this, but not with surprise, fol
7 had recognized the man.
II don't know how I penetrated liz
disguise SO readily, but the minute 1 laid
eyes on that old tramp I knew it was
Dandy Ben. He didn't seem to notice
me, or if he did, he doubtless though
/ his disguise WAS, all sufficient Iwop
dered what new game the rascal was 1u1
to- now, and concluded 70 do q LITTLE
watching on my own hook without i'm
s.. parting the secret of my discovery t.
the foreman. I sauntered to and fro TO
several minutes trying to decide on tn
best curse to pursue to find out tn,
frisker's game; then, all Of q sudden,
thought struck me. Without any fur
Their hesitation I walked directly ant
rapidly to the car which the tramp hat
entered, jerked OPEN the door and steppe.
inside. While DONG this l caught tn,
sound of a hurried movement on til,
part of the occupant of the car, and b,
the time I got my eyes on him he wa
leaning back in his corner feigning sleep
But he had not had time to put out Q
sight>a chisel and a small saw whic]
were partially concealed beneath hi
coat. The sight Of these tools cor
frmed my suspicion. I caught tn
rogue by the collar and jerked him GU
of the corner, at the same time calm
on the foreman, who came to my assist
ance In another minute Dandy Be
was our prisoner. And what. do 20
think he had been doing? With hi
chisel and saw he had been outing
hole through q panel in the back of tn
seat directly under the window. l kne,
instinctively what he was after, andR
lost no time in finishing the work. he Ma
begun. Gropingirth the aperture-IfUun
What I expected toffnd-tES missin
diamond earring. This explained th
l-ethFf'aresl ehlpet.insteking bhe numbt
of my car that day. He had stolen. Ii
diamond out Of, the woman's ear, hues
she missed it before he could leave tt
car he knew that his only safe cours
Wal to get nd of it. AS he had no D,
! with him, he dropped the Jewel down il
crsvice into which the window slide
|, when it is lowered, hoping to be able,
! recover it af some future. time. 3
cahe very near succeeding, too, but.
miss is as good as a mile, they say.
suppose sthe lady thought SO when 81
0o back her diamond" =