The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-03-03
WAY TO CATCH PICkPOCkeTS.
He Set I'm His Pockets and
BaIted with $40 Gold Pieces.

~ " 80
Baited with SEQ Gold Pieces.
A remarkable story came TO light
yesterday regarding an experience
Monday night OF CHARLES Osborne,
the mining man OF shasta County.
with a pickpOcket, in which he came
of UNNECESSARILY best Osborne has
Just sailed for South Africa. The
story is so unusual as 70 seem hardly
credible, but is vouchc | for in a way
TO carry belief.
Osborne arriXed here several weeks
ago. He is n Of the ~best-known
mining men OF California, having
mined for years in the North. He
was the ~discOverer OF the Gladstone
gold mine, French Gulch, which he
sold for $50, O00. AS he was on his
way 70 johannesburg TO take charge
OF some mines and did not know
when he would get back, he spenU
some time here seeing the sights and
taking his a $ preparatory TO start
ing. While here he sen 10 Redding
for 81, 900, which he received by ex-
press. Much OF this money he car
ried on his person, for Osborne is a
pSf "ahf VIZ hN@ ShNh
about the world and is not afraid.
One night over a week ago, when
he and his friend, Petty, were out
seeing the sights. a light-tingered man
touched him for two $50 gold pieces,
which he had In one OF his trousers
pockets. This was a surprise TO Os-
borne, and set him to thinking. He
had never had anything like that
happen before, and he was much an
noyed. He said nothing about it at
the time, however, but set TO work
devisiDg a plan for thwarting any
similar accident in the future.
In a dim way he recollected that
he thought some one had put a hand
In his pocket on the night he lost the
coin. Osborne, as is customary among
many mining men, wears substantial
rduroy clothes, and these are
equipped with unusually strong
pockets. In the right pocket OF his
trousers, therefore, he skillfully, ar
ranged half a dozen big tshhooks,
each carefully fastened TO its place,
and in such a way that they would
offer no resistance To a hand while
being inserted, but the hand would
be grasped by the barbs while being
Withdrawn. Any one Of the hooks
would hold a ten-pound salmon.
Thus equipped Osborne again
started forth. At the corner Of
California and Kearney streets a faker
was blitnesomely expatiating about
his wares, and the mining man
utnnnad m hnar uhat hn nod IN COW
DESTROYS OF testing his invention he
jingled two or three $40 pieces care
lessly in sight. and then dropped a
couple OF them in sight OF the yawning
nav below the fishhOoks. Then he
leaned back and became absorbed in
the street corne oratOry. In a few
moments, sure enough. he felt a hand
going down his pocket. 1t moved
slowly and carefully, but every time
the faker said anything to make the
crowd laugh IL went down with more
confidence. Pretty soon Mr.. Osborne
felt that he had a man at his elbow
who was doing some deep thinking.
He knew this by the commotion that
had taRen place in his pocket He
SAID nothing, but he knew something
was going to happen. 1t did, when
a voice said:
SAY, mister! Ive got my hand
in your pocket"
"What have you got your hand In
| my pocket for?:" said Osborne, cheer
fully. why don't you take it out?"
Il can't; it's caught" said the
man, looking up and turning pale.
"Well, come right down here TO a
policeman. He will help you take it
out" replied the mining man, and he
moved off as h spoke, the thief be-
ing forced TO trot along by the side
Of his captor.
80. | dind't get any money. For
heavens sake let me GO" cried the
thief.
Osborne did not are anything
about imprisoning the fellow and
furnishing him further. He declared
he would not have minded il a bit il
| he had lost the additional gold pieces.
All he wanted vas TO see if his trap
| would work. So he released the fell
low and let him &C. He Immediately
ran away, and Osborne returned TO
, his hotel, followed 10y several people.
II. X. Bemis and others examined
| the tishhCok-guarded pocket. 1t had
| considerable blood in it from the hand
| OF the would be-thief. San Francisco
Chronicle.