The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-04-26
ONE WAY TO CATCH PICKPOCKETS.

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 off i'm /
measurably best. Osborne had just |
sailed for South Africa The story
is so unusual as to seem hardly cred
ible, but is vouched for in a way to |
carry belief
Osborne arrived here several weeks |
ago. He is one 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 $4,000. As he was on his
way to johannesburg to take charge
of some mines and didnot know when
he would get back. he took some time
in seeing the sights and taking his
ease preparatory to starting. While
here he sent to Redding for 81 900,
which he received by express. Much
of this money he carried on his per
son, for Osborne is big, stalwart
man, who has been about the world
and is not afraid.
One night over a week ago, when
he and his friend Petty were out see
ing the sights. a light fingered 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 thinking. He said
nothing about it at the time, however,
but set to work devising plan for
thwarting any similar accident in the
| FIXTURE.
In a dim way he recollected that he
thought some one had put hand in
his pocket on the night he lost the
coin. Osborne, as Is customary among
many mining men, wears substantial
corduroy clothes, and these are equip
ped with unusually strong pockets.
In the right pocket of his trousers,
therefore, he skillfully arranged half
a dozen big fishhooks, each carefully
fastened to its place, and in such a
way that they would offer no resist
ance to hand while being inserted,
but the hand would be grasped 10y the
barbs while being withdrawn. Any
one of the hooks would hold ten
pound salmon.
Thus equipped Osborne again start
ed forth. At the corner of California
and Kearney streets fakir was blithe-
ly expatiating about his wares, and
the mining man stopped to hear what
he had to say DESTROYS of testing
his invention, he jingled two or three
$50 pieces carelessly in sight, and
then dropped couple of them in
sight Of the yawning NAV below the
fish hooks. In few moments, sure
enough, he felt a hand going down
his pocket 1t moved slowly and
carefully, but every time the fakir
said anything to make the crowd
laugh it went down with more conf
dence. Pretty soon Mr.. Osborne felt
that he had man at his elbow who
was doing some deep thinking. He
knew this by the commotion that had
taken place in his pocket. He said
nothing. but he knew something was
going to happen. 1t did, when a
voice said:
"Say. mister! I've got my hand in
your pocket
what in -- have you got your
hand in my pocket for?" said Osborne,
cheerfully. why don't you take it
out?"
II 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 he spoke, the thief being
obliged to trot along by the side of
his captor
20, l didn't get any money. For
heavens sake let me gor' cried the
thief.
Osborne did not care anything about
imprisoning the fellow and furnishing
him further. He declared he would
not have minded it a bit if he had lost
the additional gold pieces. All he
wanted was to see if his trap would
work. SO he released the fellow and
let him go He immediately ran away
and Osborne returned to his hotel.
followed by several people. H. r.
Bemis and others examined the fish
hook guarded pocket. 1t had con
siderable blood in it from the hand of
the would-be thief.