The Republican., 1893-05-11
A BEATEN THIEF.
He Steals just One Pocketbook Too Many
for His Own Good.

|
the ground. Two policemen came and
fought back the crowd. The patrol
wagon arrived and they were lifting
the stunned man, when an oldish-look-
ing fellow with goat-like beard and a
foxy cast of countenance came up and
said:
Let me go with you. l know more
about this than anybody. In fact 1
know all about it.
Hop in," replied one of the officers.
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 man
you long have sought, or at least whom
you ought to have sought. I'll tell
you all about hin: when we get to the
station"
You don't know anything about
me-" the man protested. Il am a
stranger in town"
Yes, and you 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 man.
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 a crowd gath
cred about her-in fact IA 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.
"'My dear said /, don't you think
you'd better put that thing in kag
or something of the sort and carry it
under your arm?' She didn' reply but
went on down town with her pocket
book held out in front of her. l thought
at the time how much better it would
be to carry the pocketboolz on the end
of pole and thus hold it out in front.
1t would save the thief the trouble and
embarrassment of personal contact, and
would therefore enable him to transact
his business more quietly and with far
more expedition. Well. sir" the old
fellow continued, my wife brought
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 have
my wife identify the man.
NO one had been arrested, and how
they expected her to identify anyone
don't know. AS l say, | decided to
put my own wits to work. | went
down town and got a pocketbook. l
selected one that was fashionable and
putfed in appearance, and then went to
work in my laboratory. | am chemist
Well, this morning | had everything
ready. called my wife and said:
My dear, want you to take this
pocketbook and go down town with it.
Look out. Just let it alone until tell
you how to handle it. You take this
pocketbook, go down town and walk
with it just as you always do about the
time you are robbed. Don't open it, and
this command charge you particular
ly to observe She wanted to open it
right there. Then l explained with
such eXplicitness that she finally under
stood me. Well, we came down town
together, and just after we got off the
elevated road l told her to walk on a
few yards in front. She passed a num-
ber of people, and no one appeared to
take any notice of her pocketbook. is
it possible that my plan is going to
fail" mused. Surely my wife's active
and familiar thief must be along here
somewhere Indeed, he had so com
pletely fallen into the habit of robbing
her that | didn't see how he could
break himself of it so suddenly, and
vet was afraid that he had. Probably
he was taking treatment for it. Just
then he snatched my wife's pocket
book and darted away. | kept my eye
On him. Go on home, | said to my
wife. You have done your duty and |
will attend to the rest. Well l fol-
lowed the fellow and saw him when he
turned into the alley. l heard the ex-
olosion and knew that the pocket
book had worked all right when he
opened it. | didn't intend it to kill
him, you underestimate merely wanted
to stun him. Gentlemen, you may
nave him. When you want testimony
send for me. | think I've broken his
habit. ."-Opie Read, in Chicago journal.
Perfumes Used by Royalty.
The Empress Eugenie had, and still
,herishes, true Spaniard's taste for
q. e.