The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-10-01
NIGHT PROWLBRs FREY.
a Midnight Scene in City Hail Park. n. Y.

s' Excuse me. sir" said respectable
looking huf bare-h headed man of middle
age stofVing Herald reporter In City .
Hall Park ABOUT half past eleven O'CLOCK
at night, " but have you seen any one
running away as YOU came along?
a" No, why 10 you asky'
well. sir I was on my way home I
from busine = this afternoon when l met I
a friend whom ! rad not seen In some ]
time. We had a few drinks together and I
parted 1 suppose I took a little more
than should have done At ry rate lu
crossing the Park % take the elevated
road at Park Place 1 became q1tte sick
i sat down upon the steps OF the City
Hall and fell asleep. Il was only a few
minutes ago that awoks at feeling some
one near me. Then the person ran
When I fully regained my senses found
that my new derby had been taken and
this hat. holding up weather beaten,
shockinC-looking old article, " had been
left in It's place 10y the thief.
Pretty sort of business to be going
on within a few yards OF police station
and with park policemen supposed 10
watch il. You have not seen the tuIett
Well, goodnight and the stranger,
very angry but still clinging to the bat
tered hat. passed out OF view
The reporter Gro sed 70 the City Hall,
seated himself on the top step, and pre-
tending to be one Of the sIeeI I1CTs-tuere
were nan a 0OLtu hlNLAlL Il AfrH -E-A "a
him-waited for something 70 turn up
He had not long TO wait. 4 park pO-
uceunan came by and disappeared around
the eastern end Of the building. In
about a minute afterward three young
4 men crossed the park from broadway.
When hey were half way across they
+ stopped, looked cautiously around Wills
. pered and then suddenly separated.
One walked over TO the wide stone
plaza in i-ont of the City Hall and then
. quickly seating himself ues.c &c steep
. ing individual pretended himself - pe
asleep.
A .ew seconds later he bent quietly
over toward the man and seemed TO be
assuring himself that he was asleep
Then be resumed his former attitude.
Seeing that his would be victim did
not stir. e leaned over toward him
again and began to gently feel his pock-
cts to see if they were worth picking.
His touch was not as cunning as il
might have been, for the man aw. ker
got QuicklyupOu his feet, mu-tered me
thiag IN an angry tone and walked away
The frustrated thief kept perfectly
quiet minute longer, preten ling 10 .e
still asleep, then arose and walkel over
toward the shaded walks Of the PARK
where the benches were filed with som
noient persons. Thither lis two con
federates had preceded iin. Ene e.ee-
tric lig T. made heir movements / re- y
one went to one bench and another to
another each apparently scle. ting 7'.-t
next to the s1.udezt Si-et er they co0a.'
find They sat there ike statues. The
rep.lrer II e4 to keep Their hands u
view. lut {. e I--rht was not strong Ell. uEt
T. do SO. He tia tlat the illeFe
sat holt up ghJ.
II they were examining the clothing
Of the persons II VI them It was so eau
tiou-lv carrie: on that It could not b
seen Ir.Iu Enat q stance.
Several ti. as The cOuleGerates chang"
place. Then, as if by one i'm Eulsa, Inc
all mot IL. ar,.ut Of the City Hall ag.a
and p. T.. ai.Jr or VIII sgcIed culi renee
T.tg. f..., lr, kel toward t-s STEPS q
Tia. gfLg.s ana advanced slowly ly"ar
if. They walked stra git HE al unt
within "a few Tcrt OF the reporter II
! eyes wrr, wide open, lo"Si.E rSAL
them. although Le did mol ~tr-
\ Te.- mast have seen mat he ~
: awake. for suddenly all IGra' turned g
a -r-fr heels and walked rapidly H@.
They hurried around the corner oi :
4 building on the Broadway side but }
% side OF ten minutes they returned one
one to the shaded walks, and once mo
o seated themselves alongside Of [
Q sleepers.
frv them eyeinC each one closely. IN
. "a, as still as if they were asleep but
> c9lI1 see that each one was Walsh
. IN. He tried To fi-d the park pylt
= man 70 tell him what was going on,
did not succeed.
A. he was prosecuting his search
heard someone call and imueoi-i'
r afterwarl the three pi1kpockeis -"
y huITyiuE toward broadway. Ihey
; our nj Si-lt a. the hands of the {
Hall clock marked the arrival Of u
ulEht.