The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16
IN THE GOSSIP'S CORNER.


fall into the clutches of the holdup man.
He is right here i'm indianapolis, and in
many respects he is quite as artistic in
his work as his Windy City prototype,
though he usually is of a darker COM
plexion. That part OF the city lying be-
tween Ohio and Sixteenth streets and SEN
ate avenue and Pennsylvania street seems
to be his particular field. of late, but his
activities have been noted in other urban
localities. and he usually works with sue
cess. Occasionally he Is reported to the
police, and more rarely he gets into the
papers, but the half of his doings are not
chronicled. couple of weeks ago young
woman who lives on Pratt street was pass
ing the alley which intersects Illinois be-
tween Pratt and St. Clair. a younger girl
being with her. This was about $50 in the
afternoon. Two negroes darted out of the
alley and one seized the older girl and
dragged her within the shadow of the mar
row thoroughfare. She was so frightened
that she was unable to cry out Not so the
younger girl. She screamed Justify and the
negroes fed. but not before the woman who
was first seized had been relieved of her
pocketbook, containing three or four dol
lars. 1t also contained her night latch
key. That night the house where she lived
was entered by some one possessing a key,
and several rooms were ransacked.
A week later, at the identical spot, and
at an even earlier hour, woman living on
Capitol avenue was relieved of her purse
and watch by two negroes, who fed down
the alley as help was coming in response
to her screams. A night or two later
| house on Capitol avenue was entered and
some musical instruments taken, and on
night between the two hold-ups a house
on Illinois street was robbed of a consider
able amount of money and jewelry while
| the members of the family were attending
| the theater.
Closely following this episode. man Iiv-
! ing a little further out was returning home,
late at night. when a burly fellow jumped
| from behind tree just below the Charlie
mont. and demanded money. An umbrella
with steel rod was used as a weapon and
| a well-directed prod at the throat tipped
the predatory gentleman over the curb,
while the assailed, who is slight of
physique, took to his heels out Illinois
| street.
| XXX
But the situation, bad as it is, and pro-
| longed as the lawless reign is continued
is not without its humors. This story has
| just leaked out, evidently because it is
too good to keep: A man living in that
| part OF the city found, one Gay, that a
vacant house. adjoining his own. had been
| entered. the night before, and robbed of
part of its plumbing. The weather was
| warm, and he told the officer on the beat
that he would sit on his porch a few hours
that night. behind screen OF vines. If
| he detected anything he would call the Of
| ficer; if the officer located a marauder he
would call the citizen. Together they
would make a capture. Between 2 and 8
| O'Clock the officer found the citizen slum-
bering peacefully in a chair behind the
| vines. While he slept his hat, watch and
| pocketbook had been flched, and some
brass faucets and other light but ex-
pensive articles had been removed from
the house next doo-.
Xxx
There's a teacher in one of the city
schools, living out east, who had a brief
encounter with the gentry. last month.
She was hurrying home, there being yet
some daylight, with three or four small
bundles in her arms. when two negroes
stepped out of an alley and took position.
one on each side OF her. They were very
polite. One said: I'VE want your pocket
book. lady
The pocketbook was hidden in her waist.
She was badly frightened, but responded
promptly: II have no pocketbook"
THAT don't go with US, lady" said the
one who first accosted her. You've been
shopping, and ladies don't so shopping
without money. so hand it over
Her courage was coming back, and she
responded gamely: II can't run and ]
can't fight. but | can holler.'
And with that" she says, Il let out
the most horrible yell could muster. and
the next thing 1 knew one was going over
a high board fence and the other down
the alley, and half dozen men were run
ming to see where that fearful noise came
from"
Incidentally. in connection with the
above. it would seem that there are men
who believe women need something more
than car tickets when they go shopping.
Relative to the process OF elimination
which is going on in the childrens depart
ment of the public library, 10 which 1 have
referred heretofore. a well-known Indian
apolis woman who both reads and writes
and does both understandipgly. said to ne
the other day: II see no reason why Algel
and Fosdick and Castleman should be taker
out 1 read those books when was girl
and enjoyed them. 1 know l suffered M
harm from reading them. Boys want stir
ring books, and If they cannot get then
from the library shelves they will buy the
dime novel and the nickel library. Thes'
are detrimental TO good morals. l do mo-
believe the works of the three writer:
named are. AT all events, they are better
than some OF the namby -pamby children.
books which are written in these days
IL seems to me that most writers for chill
dren do not understand the children.
needs. Their stories are from the grown-ul
standpoint retrospective, and children d,
not read them with enjoyment. With few
exceptions. the earlier books are better"
|
One Of the leading milliners OF Indanapo
lis was at the Zoo the other day. following
that natural curiosity which proves tina