The Van Buren press., 1893-05-20
sAeEATen THIEF.
He steals just One Pocketbook Tso many
for HIS Own Good.

There was loud explosion in an
alley. A man was violently thrown on
the ground. Two policemen came and
fought back the crowd. The pa.roi
wagon arrived and they were lifting
the stunned man, when an oldish-look
ing fellow with goat-like beard and 9
foxy cast of countenance came up and
said:
"Let me 90 with you. know more
about this than anybody. In TACT
know all about it"
Hop in" replied one OF the ofhcers'
Before they reached the police sta
ton the man had so far recovered from
his violent shaking up that he declared
his ability to shift for himself. Indeed
he insisted upon getting out OF the
wagon. Then old goat-beard spoke up;
Don't let him get out He's a man
you long have sought, or ut least whom
YOU ought to have sought. Ill tell
Won all about him when we get to the
station"
"You don't know anything about
me- the man protested. II am q
stranger in town."
Yes, and yo1 deserve to be taken in.
Don't let him out"
After they had arrived at the station,
the old fellow made this statement to
| the desk mani"
"About two weeks ago my wife came
down town carrying her pocketbook
held out in front of her, and in the
street a fellow snatched it and made
off. She shouted and stirred the air
with her umbrella and crowd gath
cred about her-in fact great deal OF
attention was paid her, but the fellow
was gone. Well, about three days later
she went down town again with an
other pocketbook.
"sMy DEAR said l, don't you think
you'd better put that thing in kag
or something of the sort and carry il
under your arm? She didn't reply but
went on down town with her pocket.
book held out in front of her. thought
at the time how much better it would
be to carry the pocketbook on the end
of POLE and thus hold it out in front
It would save the thief the trouble and
embarrassment of personal contact, and
would therefore enable him to transact
his business more quietly and with fal
more expedition. Well, SIR the ole
fellow continued. my wife brought q
few links of steel chain home with her
but her pocketbook had been grabbed
presumably by the same gentleman
who had so hastily made her acquaint
ance a few days before. Right then
sir. set my wits to work. The police
could do nothing, or at least they said
they couldn't. They asked me to hav'
my wife identify the man.
mo one had been arrested, and how
they expected her to identify ANYONE
don't know. AS / say ! decided t.
put my own wits to work. l wen
down town and got pocketbook.
selected one that was fashionable an,
puffed in appearance, and then went t.
work in my laboratory. am a chemist
Well, this morning I had everything
ready. I called my wife and said:
my dear. l want you to take thi
pocketbook and go down town with IL
Look out! Just let it alone until tel
YOU how to handle it. You take thi
pocketbook, go down town and wall
with it just as you always do about th
time you are robbed. Don't open it, ant
this command charge you particular
ly to observe She wanted to open
right there. Then l explained witt
such explicituess that she finally under
stood me. Well, we came down tow
together, and just after we got Off tn
elevated road l told her to walk on
few yards in front. She passed nun
Der of people. and no one appeared I
take any notice of her pocketbook. 4
it possible that my plan is going t
fail.' mused. Surely my wife's activ
and familiar thief must be along her
somewhere Indeed. he had SO CON
pletely fallen into the habit of robbin
her that | didn't see how he coul
break himself of it so suddenly, an
yet was afraid that he had Probabl
he was taking treatme ent for 1t. Jus
then he snatched my wife's pocket
book and darted away. | kept my ey
on him. Go on home | said to m
wife. You have done your duty and
will attend to the rest Well. fol
lowed the fellow and saw him when h
turned into the alley. heard the eS
plosion and ! knew that the pocket
book had worked all right when h
opened it. l didn't intend it to xii
him. you underestimate merely wante
to stun him. Gentlemen, You ma
have him. When you want testimon
send for me. l think I've broken hi
| habit "-Onia Read in Chica oo Journal