The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-02

Gave Chase They Caught Him AM
Beat Him Up-He Gets Away by Work
Ing Clever Ruse-He Fought tn
Crowd for Short Time and Tried e
Cut Them-several Other Cases Re
ported tn the Police.
The pickpockets have mad. rich har
vest during the last two days. They di
not attempt 70 do work much at the be
ginning OF the fair. preferring 10 wal
until the crowds were dense, that the.
could 'swipe a poke" without much dan
ger Of being caught. The pickpocket be
l1ngs to the aristocracy OF thieves ant
consequently is snar. and eft time
they are we'll educated. As soon as the!
go; into town they sauntered about ant
took particular pains to sight the police
men who were likely &c be in the neigh
0oraood where they intended 10 do thei
wjrk. In this way they have the ad
vantage Of knowing who the officer.
are while they cannot tell the Dip un
less they see him in the act Of Stealing
| a pocketbook.
There was an exciting time just out
side OF the fair grounds yesterday after
| noon when the people began 10 return
10 the city. Two pickpockets were al
! work on the people as they were getting
, on the cars One OF them was seen Il
reach his hand into a mans pocket and
! the crowd gave chase. He was caught
| and the crowd jumped on him and pref
| ~ near beat him 10 death. He was
! game and ne fought his pursuers al
! every step until some fellow knocked
! him down. He got up and started 10
/ run w1en motorman took the iron
| brake handle off, threw it al the fleeing
| thief. 1t struck him squarely in the
| back cf the neck and brought him to the
ground. He got UP again although he
! was daiZed from the blow. Pulling on,
/ mis- knife ne tried 70 cut the motorman
but did not reach him. The crowd was
fast approaching when the thief took 10
his heels and ran toward a double-seat-
/ ed buggy that was coming toward the
city. The rig only had two men in ii
and they were seated on the front seat.
He got in and told the men that he
wanted protection and for them 10 take
him 10 the sheriff's office Immediately.
They had not seen the trouble and
thought that what ne said was true. He
persuaded them 70 whip the horses and
ne was soon out reach Of the Infatuated
crowd. When they got TO the Wichita
and Western track ne told Mr.. Wood
ring, one Of the men in the rig, TO let
ri ,ie
the mob had pretty near torn her clothes
off before ne left. Sill they suspected
nothing, and out OF kindness Of heart
turned around 10 do the pickpocket's
bidding. In the meantime word had
been telegraphed from the grounds to
mead off the pickpocket. Harry Sutton
and John Kerwin started to look for the
buggy and caught up with 1t after Mr.
WoOdring had turned TO go back to
the scene Of the trouble. Mr.. Woodring
a few years ago used to act as a special
policeman. and Il seems strange that
ne did not suspect something was
wrong. The pickpocket is now probably
we'll out Of town.
There has been quite a number Of
cases reported Yesterday as Judge
->tIl VI OhIdnDInb WAS entering lie
grand stand he felt hand go into his
pocket and before the thief could get MS
pocketbook out he grabbed mis- hand.
The confederate gave the judge
shove, and before ne could turn in the
crowd they were gone. But they didn't
get the leather. Mr.. Copeland, who
travels for Jet and Wood is said to
have had his wallet stolen which con-
tanned quite nice little sum of money.
M. George Ellis Of Chelsea. Kan, was
touched for $40. and a Mr.. Hays OF An
dover was relieved Of mis- pocketbook
containing S1S.
Mr.. and Mrs. Newell, living near
Cheney. came into the city yesterday to
pay a tax title. Mrs. Newell had S1S6
in a small satchel which she was carry
ing in her hand. They went out to the
fair and as the crowd was SO large Mr.
Newell wanted 10 carry the satchel
which contained the money, but Mrs.
Newell said that she would keep II. A
thief grabbed the satchel and got away
before they could realize what had hap
penei.
Mr.. Ransom Brown saw pickpocket
SHOVE MS hand into Mr.. John Beckwith's
pocket and he hauled off and struck the
thief in The mouth and knocked him
down. Tley got the pocketbook back,
but the thief got away.
\ young man named Hagen was ar
rested while in the &C, Of burglariziag
the house OF Mr.. Mise a. 2155 Lulu ave-
nue. yesterday afternoon. \ li,;le boy
saw the burglar enter the house and
told Mr.. John Shume about 1t and he
wen: over ana captured tae fellow He
looks ike an Italian. He said last night
"a he was being taken up 70 the county
jail that they had a clear case against
aim. He claims that his mother cooks
a, the Douglas Avenue House.
Dick Piunkett Of all Oklahoma IL a
visitor in the city. There Is only one
Dick. and ne was surrounded yesterday
a, fair grounds by MS numerous friends
wno wanted 10 hear him tell the la5es,
story. There is no one who is more
loyal 20 friends or who tells a better
story ;han the Hon. Richard Pluaketi