The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-13
HONOR AMONG THIEVES.
A CASE or CLEVER ROGUERY TOLD
BY AN OLD DETECTIVE

BY AN OLD DETECTIVE
How Visitor to tho Metropolis Was
Robbed OF His Money Twiee-Neas
Scheme of Some Rascais to Prove the
Honesty of One OF Their Number.
Have met with much honor in my
careerS" replied an old detective TO report
er's question the other day.
''Yes, honor.h
what kind of honor and wherei"
Among thieves"
"Oh, that kind" said the rogue catcher
with a laugh. Yes, | have met with a
good deal of that characteristic you mean
when you say Honor among thieves, but
it's not honor, it's only selishness, self
interest, self preservation, and 1t wits
whenever it pays better TO cast it aside.
But have just heard of rather re-
markable display of this sort of honor.
which occurred in this city not long ago.
"An elderly man, typical hayseed, who
had come to town to see the sights, sccoSt-
ed policeman on the Bowery and told him
with tears in his voice that he must have
been robbed of ali his money, eighty dol
Lass, for he could not find it in any of his
pockets, and he did not know just where
or when he had last seen it.
1.-THE old boy had been poking about in
some of the worst dives and deus of the
city, and the wonder was that in his green
ness he had not met with something
rougher than mere pickpocket. Nothing
could be done, however, so the old fellow
was advised to pawn his watch, all be had
left, for enough money TO buy return
ticket and in future 10 keep away from the
wickedness of the metropolis.
1.-THE old man set out from the police
station for the pawnshop in wild despair,
but in a few hours time burst In upon the
police sergeant behind the desk with the
shout;
"'Tve been robbed agsinr
"'Againv exclaimed the sergeant angrily;
Have you been into the dives againi Did
| you pawn your watchT
ROBBED AGAIN.
"No,' cried old Hayseed; tiust as was
| going into the pawnshop a man touched
me on the arm and said he was detective
in plain clothes, sent by the police TO help
me to get back my money, and if would
! 60 with him he would have it returned
! to meP
".And were you fool enough to go with
| himp exclaimed the sergeant.
"'Of course | went said Hayseed-
"'Then you deserved 10 be robbed Of
| your watch tool
My watch?
ayes. your watch
| ."'My watch is all rightP
"'You said you had been robbed again
so have
"'But when you left here few hours
ago you said you had nothing but your
watch
Neither l had
| "'What in the mischief could they steal
| from you theni'
! my money
"'Youre drunk, you old idiot; III lock
! you in the cooler for while till you can
talk sense
Gosh all fishooks, am talking sense,
captainl Don't lock me up, but let me tell
you the truth, the whole truth and nothing
! but the truth, so help me George Washing
ton
60 on, them said the sergeant, threat
eningly but cut it short; Fve wasted
more than enough time over you already
"Then the old fellow told how he had
| followed the bogus detective, by devious
| ways and dark alleys, into a room on the
/ top floor of crowded tenement house.
| There his conductor introduced him to an
! other fictitious detective, who appeared to
/ the old man to be OF higher rank than his
| guide. owing to the bullying way in which
| he spoke and the Difference paid him. This
| fellow produced the old mans eighty dol
lars from a drawer and counted 1t out
slowly TO him.
There's your money, old man. he said,
and the vigilance of the finest police force
on earth is once more attested. No other
power could have recovered it for you.
| Now tell me, is that every cent you losti
Be particular and do not trifle with me, as
you value your liberty. Were you robbed
of one cent more than the eighty dollarsP
"'No,' replied the old man, trembling
with delight at the recovery Of his money.
That is all, captain, eighty dollars
GENEROSITY EXPLAINED
take it and CO. said the fellow, and
be careful TO let the same officer WHO
| brought you here conduct you To the rail-
way station. Speak to no one but him.
/ till you are safe again on your way 10 your
country home, and leave the wicked city
to city folk and the ali wstchful police
''The old man and his guide bowed them
selves out and departed They had not
gone far when a burning thirst seized the
conductor, and the overjoyed old fellow
| was not slow to appease it. More drinks
followed, and the way 10 the railroad sta
tion began to grow tortuoUs. Presently
| Hayseed missed his guide altogether "a a
crowd. and no efforts on bis part availed 10
find him The old man got on horse car,
and when he put his hand in his pocket 70
nav his fare be found that his money was
gone again.
He did not understand the case at all,
even then, aud it took the police sergeant
a long time TO make him gee that he bad
been played for sucker Of the rankest
kind Finally he took II ia and then he
exclaimed: Well, gosh darn u all dunno
which is the slickest. the rascais that done
me or the police that can see through their
I tricks
You see" added the detective by way Of
exclamation, "one Of tie Organized bands
Of criminals had spotted the old fellow the
minute they set eyes on his toggery and his
| guilsless manner. They set one OF their
light fingered mem 5ers. the one wbo played
the guide afterward, 20 rob him The
'swag,' eighty dollars, was much less than
they had expected 20 get, and they s1s-
pected the man who had robbed him Of a
lack Of honor among thieves and accused
hin Of keeping back part Of the pluader.
He had undertaken 20 show them that be
was square, and you have heard the clever
way in which lie led his simple old victim
% assure the captain Of the gang that
/ eighty dollars was al be had lost. and
/ honor among thieves Was once more eE-
/ e~nr,liGsd without costing the there's any