The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-15
A LITTLE BREAD THIEF.

onto n bakers man had propped his board OF
new bread on two barrels, while ne TOOK some
loayes into shop close by wheI, before us
hack WAS well turned, small raganuinh
darted forward, seized half LOAF, ana ran
off at full speed. From the fact that the ooy
ro, nm the street instead of down, 1t was eNl-
dent that ne had lost his head in gaining the
loaf for every one knows that 1t Is much
easier 70 pnt in desperate speed gong down
hill than ND Then he was 50 miserahly small
two of mis- maddest strides were scarcely
.oual IN one of the enraged baker and, be
sides the thief was hampered 10y tearing the
beart ont Of the loaf and deVourng rs he
ran. -,
One cannot beat all previous records ana
not az tbe Same time. The terrible thud Of
tho baker's feet close behind him, and the
cries of the crowd closing in on him, al last
warned him 20 "A Special effort, and he turned
down New street which is steep enough.
A clear headed thief would have darted
into tho first narrow close, but this one lacked
experience. lie got up terrific speed ana
even stopped the woliish tearing at the breau'
Int nm apnrohcnsive look backward dld inc
mischief. ..nd arrested him more eilectualiy
than twenty detectives armed 10 the tectl.
His foot caught on a stone, and down he
went smash on his forehead, the loaf rolunS
from his grasp, and he himself lying stunned
and bleeding till ne was dragged TO ms leet
bv the baker, who, 10y the way Of counter
irritant, speedily kicked him into conscious
noes Al that stage the crowd was augmented
nv n policeman and myself, who had Wit
messed the rush from above New street. and
got down as quickly as possible, expecting
much larger game
"Cauglt him in the act, cried the baker
triumohantly. handing over the prisoner 70
me and the torn loaf 10 the policeman. saw
b;,, snatch If up and bolt. but was tooqu.ck
for the young devil
"Did Won do thatf ! asked quietly, indi-
eating the cash On the brow OF the daring
criminal.
"No. Inc went down on the ca,Dey- served
him right
looked the boy all over. lie had very
lit-lo clothinr on him, and less flesh. lie
mi-ht have been or s. hut 10 is hard 10 tell
CORRECTLY tnca.e Of "a skeleton The ghasiy
little face was turned up TO mine with the
Ewes dilatod with terror so great as To com
tlctcly stop tine How Of tears. il was not the
face of am ordinary young thief; crime had
put no stamp there, though suffering and
want had been busy.
"D.dauy one tell you 20 steal the loaf ' !
askcd. pityiug the baby face and terroriled
eyes
"No.n
did you mean to give it to any oner
"No.n
at was for yourself"
dyes
No handcuG would have been Of any use
on s6small a wrist, even il had been inclined
To use one. so took his hand in my own and
led tine way up the street. The policeman
carried the torn loaf. and the big baker kept
close at hand to prevent any desperate at
tampt Of the great criminal TO escape
The crowd also was on the alert, so the
law was well supported. Only there were
some women on the outskirts of tie crowd
who shouted aloud their pity for the 'puir
BARN" and ran with us, commenting loudly,
ind evidently considering u monsters, which
we felt There are times when even de-
tective does not feel altogether hero
"Whats your name ! asked, wishing e.
shut out the sound of those womens voices.
FREDDY Ford
"Have YOU a motherF
He said "Ye-es" 50 doubtingly that | re-
peated-
"Have vouf when he answered;
eyes. have another mother
"And father"
ayes, he's "A sailor"
as he at homer
"NO, he's away"
"And your mother-is she at homer
"No, she's out.
ashes often out, supposeF
"Yes.n
"Any more OF youF
He said he had another sister a baby
and that was nearly all he had to tell.
So we detained him-not locked up in the
deepest dungeon-but sitting before a fire,
with a bandage on his brow, and eating q
good, solid dinner, while | went TO see his
"other mother"
He had freely admitted that he did not
know what made him take the loaf, he had
never thought of such thing till the steam
OF the new bread caught bis heart, and made
him snatch and run He was hungry, and
did not have meals regularly. Sometimes
neighbors gave him piece, but often he had
nothing. He thought he had had something
the day before, but he was sure he had not
that day till he ran of with the loaf. His
mother was often out, and so could not give
him anything.
The address he gave was Lochend's close,
near the foot Of the Canongate, and had no
difficulty in finding the little den which he
called home, but the mother was not there.
She was stepmother-a great, big Irish
woman-and sometimes went out TO wash,
though the neighbors believed that she got
part of her husbands pay. When she was
not working she was drinking. They de-
scrbed the boy as gentle and quiet, and often
nursing and tending the baby for days to-
pether, when the mother had no chance 70
take it with her.
failed to get hold Of Mrs. Ford that day,
and next morning Freddy was placed at the
bar Of the police court and charged with the
daring street robbery. The bailie on the
bench was startled when the small owner OF
the name of Frederick Ford was brought in,
and had to rise from his seat 10 see him at all
"What is that BARN brought here fori' he
said, impatiently, as the little corpse-like face
was turned up To him. The case was stated
and then added what had learned
1. -