St. Landry democrat., 1888-04-28
CAUGHT A SUCKER.
Experience of a Man Who Fortified FL Ia
Pocket with Fish-Hooks.

Experience of a Man Who FOrtift ed FL ia
Pocket with Fish-Hooks.
bill Charters was a very original
man-that is if he was out Of q job
| he'd devise some way of his own to
procure the whcrewithal to keep fire
in the CRATE and provisions in the
pantry said Il man in Main street
cigar store. Bill was also fond of
fishing On winter evenings at home,
if he had nothing better to do he
would haul out his fishing tackle and
inspect it thoroughly and then. after
making two or three new-fangled fly
hooks he'd place the outfit back in its
box, at the same time knowing that
he d be unable to use his tackle for
probably six months.
"Bll lived in Boston when I first
twenty years ago. He was a tinsmith
by trade. went up one night to see
him concerning some work he had
been engaged on for several
days. Bill was in the dining
room examining his fshing-tackle
when l entered. After settling our
tinsmithing business he began explain
ing the different methods used to catch
the various species of the tinny tribe.
This hook was fine for trout in the
early morning, that brown hackle was
immense at noon when, the sun was
shining, and that white moth-hy hook
was simply perfection in the evening,
just about the time the sun was set
ting.
''One huge batch of hooks attracted
my attention. There were probably
thirty very small eyehooks, all sewed
securely to a Jagged piece of cloth
string drilling-about the size of your
hand.
"'Bill. said I, taking the hook-cov-
cred cloth in my hand did you ever
catch any fish with this arrange
mentr
Yes, SIR he answered with a
laugh, i caught sucker on that coll
lection last fall that weighed 100
pounds
Where and how?' | asked. hardly
knowing what Bill meant. az | had
never seen sucker that weighed more
than three or four pounds.
just this way replied Bill. One
night my wife and I decided TO go to
the theater. When we reached the
box-cffice there was perfect jam OF
people. I left my wife near the door
while 1 struggled bravely to reach the
ticket window. | asked for two dress
circle tickets, and when put my hand
in my pocket to get the money to pay
for them discovered that my pocket.
book was gone. "Stolen!" exclaimed
], and retreated,
Mrs. Charters and l walked home.
She felt disappointed; she wanted to
see that play. A thought struck me
instantly, and just as quickly as posi-
BILE I put my plan into execution.
Turning my money pocket inside out
l hastily sewed all the small fist-hooks
had to the inside of that pocket in
such manner that when my pocket
was showed back to its proper position
the barbs of the hooks stood out and
pointed downward
~ took some more money with
me-but Iplaced it in another pocket
and again we started for the theater.
There was still considerable of
crowd in the neigh borhood of the box
office, and once more began edging
my way through for the purpose ci
procuring tickets. allowed my fish
hook money pocket to take care OF
itself
." just as was being handed my
tickets felt q bite. / attempted tc
turn round, when found had hook
ed a very fne-looking sucker in the
shape of well-dressed man who wore
shiny tile. / paid no attention to
his Juggling at my pocket, as knew
after one or two tugs he'd quit. When
Preached my wife she said: Will
lam, who is this gentleman with youp'
l told her he was very particular
friend of mine.
IAN officer standing at the door
accompanied my friend and me, at my
request, into an adjoining room, where
| explained matters. / recovered my
lost pocket-book and greenbacks. 1t
was keeping company with seven
other similarly situated purses. Ihad
to cut the pocket out to hand the thief
over to the officer, but it was returned
to me after the doctor succeeded in
getting the hooks out of the fellows
hand.
Yes concluded Bill, he was the
biggest sucker ever caught-muss
have weighed at least 100 pounds
And this is no fish story, either. -
Stockton (Cat. Mail.