The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-05
STOP ''TEEF."
But the Thief Knew His
Business and Refused.

Two dozen for 10 cents! Two dozen
bananas for 10 centsl Get up there,
Thousand Dollars"
1t was Bill, the banana peddler, NOV
Ing down Front street Saturday even
ing, calling out his wares, and moi
dentally speaking to his horse.
The thousand and one who were out
on promenade parade didn't seem to
care particularly about his bananas
but when he called that horse Chou
sand Dollars everybody stopped short
and looked at the animal. One of the
small boys in the crowd told Bill to
wake up, and so intimated that he had
been hitting the pipe"
That made Bill mad and he said
something saucy to the gamin.
That was the beginning of the excite
ment, and it all occurred in front of 220
where the Union Clothing company are
doing business. Out in front of their
big show window they had spread on a
wooden bench a lot of ''catchers' in
wooden goods, and on Saturday even
Ing were running special inducements
on pants.
An enterprising young gentleman
with a quick eye and a panther-l like
movement happened along that way
just about the time that everybody's at
tention was being attracted from the
trademarks, 220 in particular, to Bill
and the gamin. Like a flash he grabbed
a bundle of the ''catchers," mostly
pants, and blew off with the breeze
down Front street, looking for all the
world like a drummer, fearful of losing
the Boston express.
But a big Swede, with his mind bent
more on breeches than on Bill or the
bananas, and who had been watching
the benches with an idea of buying a
pair for himself, had seen the swipe, and
with an eye to business ran in and not
flied the proprietor, and then ran out
and shouted: stop teef! Stop teef!'
Then everybody on that particular
portion of Front street began to chase
everybody else but the thief. The pro-
prietor, somewhat of a sprinter him
self seemed to be the only one who
had presence Of mind enough to take
the right track. He spied the man and
the pants far down the street, and then
began q chase that was q wonder
Some ord went up to tell Tommy Con-
neff at the Sherwood, and the rest OF
the crowd followed in the man hunt.
BY the time the game had turned into
Hibernia street, the crowd had swelled
TO over half a hundred, and it was a
case of fox and hounds going neck and
neck. Those who were not in on the
game thought it was a case of run-a-
muck. The leader had clothes to burn
and he never dropped rag; the man on
his track was shy an overcoat for him.
self and bundle of pants for the COM
pany. But he kept warm, just the
same.
the young man Of the panther stripe
he, too. was a Splinter from Splinter
vile. and he went through Hibernis
street like a will -o- the wisp, and by
the time he had reached Mechanic
street the Union Clothing Company
manager was a loser for good anG
all.
Mechanic street. just at that point
on a dark night, is the one locality in al
Worcester for a game of hide-and-go.
seek. The young man who carries or
business at go is seeking yet; at least
he came back without his man or his
par tc.
II was but poor consolation that he
got from the policeman on the beat
lie obeyed to the letter the advice OF
Cissy Fitzgerald. and told the police
man all his troubles; but the autocrat
waved him off. There's nothing ]
can do for you, nothing" said Brass
Puttons. You've got no business max
-" all that display Of pants on the