The Opelousas courier., 1886-06-05
A BIG HAUL.
A TRAMP FINDS $4,000 WORTH
OF DIAMONDS.
Picking Up a Lady's Lost ReticHle
Filled with Flashing Jewels
The Heavy Reward which
he Obtained.

O1e udY d1tcf l. udu DCCH
around for several weeks as a gentleman
of leisure, says a tramp in the Detroit
Free Press, a policeman ran me in as a va
grant. next morning the judge heard
my story and asked:
care you a good travellers"
"splendid."
"Do you want to travel?"
~ do"
"Then you shall have an opportunity"
had heard a good deal about Detroit
and its kindness to tramps, and when J
left Chicago I headed for the East. Be
fore getting clear of the city stole a
copy Of the morning paper off a doorstep
and after a walk of three hours l sat
down to post up. Some tramps don't
care for the news of the day, but | have
always felt it to be my duty to look over
the dailies whenever | had a chance, and
to read every line of them, from congress
sional proceedings to advertisements. 1t
so happened that one of the first things
in this paper to attract my attention was
the following:
t'Three thousand dollars reward-Lost, on
the 18th instant, from a window of a coach
VI LII SNL4b "t "SSo
reticule containing diamonds. The Under
will receive the above rewar Comnunl-
cate with A. B., Room 112, Palmer House,
Chicago"
This was the 18th. Five days had
elapsed since the loss, and it was prob
able that a dozen people had been sent to
search over every rod of the track. l had
no more idea of finding that treasure
than you have of flying, but as l con-
tinued my way up the track | kept my
eyes peeled.
put in five miles of walking and then
sat down to rest again. 1t was midsum-
mer, and my old boots distressed my feet.
Icame to a spot where a small creek was
crossed by the tracks, and I followed it
down to the fence to find a place to wash
my feet. Just at the fence was a deep
hole and a shady spot, ard | tell you it
did my old feet good to sit there
and paddle the soft and cooling
waters. I had been there twenty
minutes when a bird few down on the
fence and hoped from that to a
stick of driftwood to secure a drink. l
was sitting stiff as a stone, not wanting
to alarm him, when all of a sudden my
eye fell upon that lost lady's reticule. It
was iammed among q lot of light drift
wood held against the fence. wasn't
half a minute getting possession of it.
The bag was provided with a loca, and /
out with my knife and cut a hole in it.
Out fell the diamonds-rings pins, brace
lets, studs and a gold watch set with
flashing stones. could hold all in one
hand, and Jerusha. but didn't the stones
sparkle and fash and simmer and bring
my heart up into my throat! l sat there
for ten minutes without daring to move,
for fear those sparklers would suddenly
disappear, but by and by ny nerve came
back and I made up my mind what to do.
I.had never though of appropriating the
jewels to my own use, but was in a hurry
to return to Chicago.
/ wrapped the reticule up in the paper,
put the diamonds in my pocket, and ats
o'clock hat night / was in front Of the
Palmer house. | was about to enter wher
a hand was laid on my shoulder and a
gruf voice called out:
t'Now, then. what are you trying &c
get away withg"
1t was a policeman, and he had spotted
me for a thief.
Tim carrying a parcel to a gentleman
in here" l replied.
"Ohi you arel Who might it be?"
stHis name is Brown"
"Oh! it is. Come along, my fine fell
low
ellis name is Brown, and his is
liz. Come in with me. If / have lied
to you you can take me in"
He hesitated for a moment and then
entered the hotel with me. As we reached
the desk he asked of the clerk:
docs a Mr.. Brown occupy H."
"No, sir, T" was the reply.
Snow, you rascal, come along"
growled the officer, as he seized my
arm.
s'It's the A. B. of room 112 who lost
the diamonds !" I shouted to the clerk as
/ was being dragged away.
"Here-wait! What do you know OF
the diamonds?n
Here's the reticule, sir, and l have the
jewels in my pocket. / found them
along the railroad track"
Well, you ought to see how mad that
policeman was, and how glad A. B. was,
and how tickled / was when So, 900 was
counted into my hands. I went out of the
tramping business and started a shop, but
at the end of two years was cleaned out
by the hard times and had to GO back to
Foot & Walkers line again. Pm there
yet, and, if this bit of adventure, scrubbed
off in a tramp's lodging on a rainy after
noon, is worthy of publication, give it a
place.-Detroa Free Press.