Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-10
CAUGHT WITH F,SHNoOKs,
Clean Capture Of . San Francisco
Rlckpookst.

Vlckpockots
A remarkable story came to light
yesterday regarding an experience on
Monday night Of Charles Osborne, the
mining man of Shasta county, with
a pickpocket, in which he came of
immeasurably best. Osborne has
just sailed for South Africa. The
story is so unusual as to seem hardly
credible, but is vouched for in way
to carry belief.
Osborne arrived here several weeks
ago. lie is one of the best known
mining men in 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 did not know when
he would get back, he spent some
time here seeing the sights and TAX
ing 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
person, for Osborne is a big, stalwart
man, who has been about the world,
and Is not afraid.
One night over week ago, when
he and his friend. Petty, were out
seeing the sights, light-fngered
man touched him for two twenty.dol-
lar gold pieces, which he had in one
Of his trousers pockets. This was a
surprise to Osborne, and set him to
thinking. lie had never had any
thing like that happen before, and he
was very much annoyed. He said
nothing about 1t ut the time, how
ever, but set to work devising a plan
for thwarting any similar accident In
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, wear SUBJ
stantial corduroy clothes, and these
are equipped with unusually strong
pockets. In the right pocket Of his
trousers, therefore, he skillfully ar
ranged half dozen big fishhooks,
each carefully fastened to its place,
and in such 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withdrawn.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 n ten-pound salmon.
Thus equipped Osborne again
started forth. At the corner Of CAL
ifornia and Kcnrny streets fakir
was blithesomely 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 care.
lessly in sight, and then dropped a
couple OF them In sight Of the yawn-
ing nav below the fish hooks. Then
he leaned back and became absorbed
In the street-corner oratory. In a
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 II went down with
more confidence. Pretty soon Mr..
Osborne felt that he had u man mt his
elbow who was doing some deep
thinking. lie knew this by the com.
motion that had taken place in his
pocket. He said nothing, but he
knew something was going to hap
pen. 1t did, when voice said:
Say, mister! I've 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?'
~ can't: it's caught" said the
man, looking up and turning pale.
Well. come right down here to q
policeman. He will help you take II
out" replied the mining man, and
he moved off as he spoke, the thiei
being forced to trot along by the side
Of his captor.
"Oh, didn't get any money. Fol
heavens sake let me go!" cried tho
thief.
Osborne did not care anything
about imprisoning the fellow anC
furnishing him further. He declared
he would not have minded 1t II bit l
he had lost the additional gold pieces
All he wanted was to see II his tral
would work. So he released the fel
low and let him 60. He immediatel!
ran away, and Osborne returned I,
his hotel, followed by several people
II. r. Bemis and others examined tn,
fishhook-guarded pocket. 1t had con
siderable blood in it from the hand o
the would-be thicf-[San Francisco
Chronicle.