Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-09-18
A PICKPOCkET's HEROIsM

As Recsunted by a Benevolent Old Gen.
tIeman Who KNEW Him from a Boy.
View York Sun.
The subject was pickpockets, and a
detective had given number of inter-
esting incidents of the skill and dexteri-
ty of this class of criminals, as well as
striking instances Of their complete re-
formation.
81 met reformed pickpocket once"
said benevolent locking old gentleman,
and the means he took of reforming
himself were probably such as no other
member Of the fraternity ever took. I
say meet THE party once, but the fact
is I knew him from boy. His family
is one OF the best that lived in Philadel-
phia, and the young man received a
good education and had everything that
heart could desire to make him good
and useful citizen. He seemed to have
no faults. He never drank or gambled,
and it was not until he was past his ma
jority that the crushing fact was brought
home to his father that his son was a
professional pickpocket and an associate
with criminals Of his class. The father
for years paid large sums to keep his
unfortunate son out of prison, but finally
gave him up as totally lost, and cast
him of. 1 used to meet the young man
frequently, his family being intimates of
mine-in fact, have trotted the boy on
my knee many and many times-and
always pleaded with him to change his
course. He felt his degradation keenly,
to all appearances, but declared that he
could not control his inclinations for
pocket picking. 1 finally lost sight of
him, and did not meet him again until
about year ago. Then came face to
face with him on Broadway. He looked
like well-to-do young business man,
and when he recognized me he greeted
me cordially. He noticed my embarass-
ment in speaking with him, and said:
'Oh, I've turned my hand from the
old business long ago. The fingers that
made me an outcast and a thief make me
one no longer. And how do you think
I overcome their irresistible Inclination
to enter every pocket they encountered"
II replied that I could not tell him
how, but assured him of my unbounded
pleasure to hear that he had overcome
them.
"'Tn tell YOU said he, 'one day I had
been plying my detestable vocation, and
on reading the paper the next day I
found that I pilfered from a poor woman
money that she had in her pocket to pay
for coffin for her dead child, and that it
was the last cent she had in the world.
I was stricken with remorse. walked
about the streets haunted by the wrongs
Of this poor woman. thought of end
ing my miserable existence by suicide,
and actually rushed in frantic sort of
way toward the river. As I hurried
along, a prey to the most terrible
thoughts, I came to shop where they
we're hammering bars of iron with pom
derous trip hammers. The doors OF the
shop were open on the street. I stopped
in istless way and looked up at the
honest workers. As I watched the heavy
hammers drop with their powerful blows,
and saw how they fattened the tough
metal beneath them, strange thought
came suddenly to me. 1t was fearful
thought, and I tried to put it away, but
something kept saying: "Be brave! Do
it'll Save yourselfw Led by an irresist-
able power entered the shop. walked
to one of the great hammers. watched
it as it was lifted up and came rushing
down again on the iron below with the
velocity OF the wind. I tried one more
great effort to resist the power that
urged me on, but failed. I stepped close
to the hammer. It was lifted high in
the air. Before it fell again, and before
any of tho workmen OWNED my inren-
ton, I placed my hand on the iron be-
meath it. The hammer fell. Every one
Of the fingers on my pilfering right hand
was severed. They'll never lead me
wrong again. I cried and tainted.
When l came to was in drug store,
and the bleeding stumps Of my severed
fingers were being bandaged by skillful
hands. In time they were healed, and
now-see p
HE pulled his glove from his right
hand and showed me the stumps of his
fingers, still red from the cruel hammers
blow. I could not find words to tell this
brave youth how noble his act was
crippling his good right arm to save him.
self from q lie OF shame. After q few
minutes talk we parted. I was filed
with admiration of this exhibition of
nervy manhood. would be filed with
it yet, I suppose, if never had had oc-
casion to consult my 5000 watch again.
But I did have occasion soon after leav-
ing my brave young fellow, and the watch
was gone. So was $50 in bills in my
vest pocket when met him. learned
afterward that in trying to escape from a
policeman, three or four years before, he
had tripped, and falling, his hand was
crushed beneath the wheels Of truck.
In my admiration of the noble motive
which he told me had bereft him of the
fingers OF his right hand I had failed to
notice that those on his left hand were q
long al ever"