Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-05-08
TRAINED INTO -rHIEvERY.
Az Inedept In "a Store ss Narrated by tho
Catcher OF the Criminal.

=
Catcher OF the Criminal.
A ;a:i scuare-shouldered man, with
florid face dropping black moustache
and shrewd eyes was walking leisrEely
about tho floor OF a large silverware
establishment in New York, taking
quick chances at the faces Of the crowd
trading Mt the counters. A close OBJ
server might have seen him stop shors
in his walk at ono point, and fix hke
gaze upon boy who stood with q lady
before one OF tho showcases. Then
he dropped back into the shadow OF a
staircase and stood watching tho pair.
What he says no saw was as follows:
The lady was looking at silver
spoons. She was elegantly dressed,
handsome, and possessed the air OF one
occupying an enviable social position.
The boy at her side, who might have
been 10 years old, was also expensive
ly dressed, and his face resembled thai
Of the woman sufficiently enough to in
dictate that the two were mother and
son. The boy, however, had n sharp,
wicked expression Of the eyes, and
there was hang-dog droop TO his head
quite remarkable in one apparently 80
well born.
The man watching him from behind
the staircase emerged presently from
the shadow and advanced to the moth
err of the boy. When he had got the
lady's attention he said: Madam, is
this lad here your son?'
Yes" she replied.
"Well, / am detective and | shall
have to ask you and him to como 70
the managers Office. The boy appears
to be dishonest"
The boy had heard the words, and
his sharp eyes were uptur-ed to the
face of the detective.
"She didn't have nothing 10 do With
it, said he, indicating his mother by Q
nod of the head. She's only been me
mother for little while. Big Slim
will tell yer who ! am"
The face of the lady had turned ao
! pale as death, and the detective looked
| perplexed. He saw that the case was.
mysterious one and when no repeat
ed his request that the lady shouia
accompany him to the private Office or
|
matters could be explained. Trembling
the woman followed the detective, and
with them went the boy, to the Office
designated. There the detective in
formed the manager that he had dis
covered the boy putting silver spoone
in his pockets while the mother was
examining the wares; that tho lady
seemed innocent, ana might wisely be
allowed to make an explanation OF her
sons conduct The manager looked al
the diminutive thief and then at the
high-bred woman.
well, well" said he; this is most
extraordinary. Madam, what possessed
your boy to do this thing?"
The lady told the manager OF the o.
Enlistment who she was, the wife of q
reputable and wealthy broker, and said
that the boy with her was her SON.
Owing to circumstances which it would
be impossible to explain, the boy had
been placed in the hands OF woman
who had been tho mothers nurse, and
from that moment until a month ago
this woman had reared him. The wo-
man was thought to be honest and re-
spectacle, but, rs was learned by the
real parents nearly ten years after she
took charge of tho child, she had mar
ried a notorious criminal, who. as the
adopted father OF the boy, trained him
to the profession Of a thief The lady
begged her confessor to believe thai
only the most desperate circumstances
had compelled her to forsake her chila
during its tender years, and as soon %
she was able TO acknowledge it Us her
| own she had gone to the city where 10
was living and taken it home. The boy.
she said. would change. He was only
doing what he had been taught from.
his birth was right.
The manager listened attentively to-
the lady's story, and when she had
finished he advised the detective to
allow her and her child to go. The
boy turned over the half dozen spoons
he had appropriated, looked sullenly
at the detective, and took his mothers
arm with the air Of having made all
| the restitution that could be expected
! of him.
When the detective had told that
story, he added: That's the first time
| ever thought thieves were made and
not born. just think of it."