The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1886-12-14

HOW a tIuIoRlST MANAGED TO GET
AHEAD OF THE PlcKPocKETs.

Starting Out With Sheep-Skin wallet,
Big Brass watch Chain and Paste
Demonstrating the sights-The Biters
Badly Bitten.
"If you are going down to Coney Island for
the day." said a New York newspaper man to
me, "don't tempt 'em. 1t would be wrong"
@Tempt whoP
1.-THE pckpoclSets, my boy. Coney Island
Is their paradise. Leave behind you what
ever you don't want TO part with for good.
You've got western hay seed in your hair,
and they'll spot you ON sight"
"Do look g cent"
"Well--aheml Say, don't argue that ques-
ton, but take my advice. They'd rob even
Inspector Byrnes down there"
l left behind me some trinkets of no par
ticular value except to the owner, distributed
the sum Of SO in my seven or eight pockets,
and bought tickets at the foot of Whitehall
street.
In jaunting around New York had been a
liberal patron of the fiend who sells lemon
drops at five cents package and puts prize
IN the bottom Of every package. / had thus
accumulated sheepslSin wallet, big brass
watch chain, paste diamond pin and several
other valuable works of virtu and art | bored
chain into my pocket and stuffed the wallet
with pieces of newspaper until it seemed to
bulge out with about 5000 in greenbacks.
wanted to see what the old fraternity could
do when given fair show
On the boat going down to Bay Ridge n
very nice young man brought bis camp stool
over near mine and remarked that it was a
hot day. We settled that point inside of a
minute, and he was so pleased to find that
didn't differ with him that he stuck TO mo
when we landed. Between che Battery and
Coney Island he made two attempts on that
watch chain, but didn't get it,
When we got down to Brighton he was met
by two pals. They offered to take me into n
side show, where Joe-Joe, the dog-faced Rus
sian, and a dozen monkeys were holding
forth, and accepted. Among the crowd in
there were several other gentlemen of enter
prise and ability but they let me severely
alone. was the property of the other gang.
We were standingin front of Joc-Joe, and
was asking him few leading questions about
Russian religion and politics, when the man
on the right crowded me and the one on my
left flshed for my watch and chain. After
some little trouble he got the chain. He was
after the wallet, when l moved away and
baffled him.
was going Off TO see the rest of the sights
alone, but they wouldn't have it that way
Was | not "a stranger far, far from home,
and was il not a duty as well as pleasure
for them to mike things pleasant for met So
/ went over with them to see some more mon
keys in another show, and TO hear a fat girl
sing: "Gently Down the Stream of Time.
The monkeys stood ON their heads, and the
fat girl trilled her lay, and as the three
pressed me into a corner TO get closer view
of a pelican-the only living pelican which
ever accompanied herself on the harp, or
something of that sort, some one got the
stuffed wallet. | plainly felt the hand which
took 1t, but did not want to hurt his feel
ings.
BY this time was a little tired of side
shows, and wanted to go out and see the
marine railway My three friends would not
permit me to go alone. might get run over
by the engine, or fall through the trestlework,
md they should always blame themselves for
it. We went away while the fat girl was
thrilling her lay some more, but instead of
going to the railway we got tired and sat
down ON bench TO hear some music. 1t was
by an Italian opera company. There were
two fiddles and harp, and the performance
was entirely satisfactory TO the audience.
After a couple of airs had been rendered in
heart-melting manner one of my friends held
his hat upon his hand before my eyes and
asked me II l saw hole in the crown. While
was anxiously trying to discover enc to
oblige him he used the other to remove my
diamond pin. / knew the trick, and was
watching his motion, but he got the jewel out
very deity. 1t wasn't half a minute after
that before the three pretended to see some
one on the walk they had an engagement
with, and was suddenly left alone.
I went over to the railway and made the
trip to Manhattan and back, and was leaning
against post near the exhibition building
when one of the pickpockets walked up to me.
His brow was bathed In gloom. He looked
exactly as I did one day four years ago, when
j found myself In Richmond and remembered
that my wallet was under hotel mattress in
Washington. He had the three stolen snide
articles in his hand, and he held them out to
me and feelingly said;
"Say, what kind of galoot are you, any
howe"
l felt pizened mean, and / tried to make
him believe SO, but he flung the articles down
In deep disgust and turned away with the re-
mark:
ut Is just such western specimens as you
are who have given everything beyond Can
ada bad name There's your stuff, sir, and
III be hanged IL you are a gentlemanp
called and called to him, but he would moi
return to argue the point with mem Quad
In Detroit Free Press.