The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-01-13
DISTINGUISHED MEN WHOSE POCK-
ETS HAVE BEEN PICKED.

EX-President Harrison, Former
Speaker Reed and Our Own In.
imitable Chauncey Have Lost
Their Time Pieccs-A Celebrated
Cook, Too, Was DispoiIed on One
Occasion Numerous Methodist
Ministers Robbed-The Prince of
Wales Failed to Prosecute Fa-
nous French Pickpoclet.
Until the circumstance was recalled by
dispatch from Indianapolis the other
day nearly every one had forgotten the
theft of Benjamin Harrson's diamond
studded watch. worth more than $1,000,
and given to him by the senate on the
expiration of his term as a member Of
that body. The tiniepiece was Stolen
about five years ago, but just how and
by whom does not appear to have been
made public as yet, though a crook named
Williamson, under arrest at Knoxville,
Tenn, on the charge of burglary, has
been trying to arrange for its return to
the owner. Like many other stolen ar
ticles, it could not be realized on without
danger that the thief might be detected
while the value of it's cases and works,
if separated and melted down, would be
so much below its value as a complete
watch that such disposition was not to be
thought of. So it was buried, pending a
favorable time to negotiate for it's resto-
ration. and whether Williamson stole it
or not, says the New York Press, he now
has diogram showing just where it was
hidden, and has offered to exchange it
for his freedom. Color is given to the
story that the diagram was furnished to
Wilson by the original thief whom on his
deathbed by the circumstance that Wilson
Was on his way to the alleged place Of
concealment when arrested.
Should he recover the watch the loss of
which was a real grief to him, the former
president will be luckier than have some
other eminent personages from whom val
aaoles nave been stolen. Chauncey M.
DepeWs pocket was rified of his watch
one day away back in the COS and he
never got it back. Depew was done I'D by
regularly organized picket-picking
mob.' He had been invited to Join a
yachting party at Philadelphia and was
standing on the platform of a horse car,
on his way to the Cortlandt street ferry.
AS he once told the story, he was think
ing good deal more about the pretty
girls VINO were to be members of the
yachting party than of his immediate sur
roundlngs, When there was a comnotion
among the passengers just as the car was
-passing- e.s-sTle. rsl,1,,,,
made by two or three men who suddenly
seemed moved to get out of the car in
great haste. AS they passed DeDew they
Jostled MIN and hustled him so much that
ne thought them real rude. Desiring to
know the time soon after they had
Jumped off, he felt for his watch Then
ne understood the haste and rudeness of
the men, for his pocket was empty. The
tlmeplece was costly, and, moreover, like
ilarrlsons, was presentation watch
having been given to Mr.. Depew by his
associates during his term as secretary Of
state IN tnls state. from which he had Just
retired.
He gave up his yachting trip to report
the theft to the police, but he might as
well nave continued his Journey to Phil
auelphla, Tor the watch never came back
lhomas Acton was chief Of police at the
time, and he advised Depew not to ad-
Vertlse MS loss, declaring that the watch
could be recovered in due time if pub
lefty were avoided, but not otherwise
DepeW waited year. Then he lost pa
tlence and advertised. One day q man
went to him and said the watch might
nave peen recovered had the ADVERTISE
ment been put in earlier. The man knew
the proprietor Of a crook hotel in Harlem
to whom the thief had taken the watch
directing him to return it to the owner
providing 1T was advertised for AS no
'ad. appeared, the thief finally melted
the case and sold the works.
Thomas Bracket Reed was desDoi1ed
OF line watch, said to be worth $3.50 or
more a few years ago by a pickpocket
a
great man from Maine. The stoky goes
that this meeting was held in Cooper
Union, in this city; but that's only a de-
tail. Anyway, the audience was large
and enthusiastic, and Mr. Reed who was
the chief speaker of the evening, COW
ered hlmself with glory, as he always
does when he has the chance. After the
speechmaking and most of the audience
mad gone home a few remained ostensi-
bly, to shake hands with the star of the
evening, and Mr.. Reed shook hands with
several. Naturally his feelings toward
all mankind were of the friendliest when
he went away from the hall, but they un-
derwent 9. severe revulsion an hour later
when he discovered the loss of his watch
It is said that he then declared he'd
never enter the hall again, and that he
has kept his word.
The most wholesale lifting Of watches
from men of some prominence in New
meeting of the New York conference of
the Methodist Episcopal church. The
meetings of this body, the supreme local
organization Of its denomination, are at
tended chiefly by ordained ministers of
the church, and no one in the audience
dreamed 1t was necessary to guard
against pocket picking in so sedate g
crowd. That simple fact seems to have
been the undoing of Lot of men, for the
audience was sprinkled with thieves.
They were skillful, too, for though half
a score of 'clocks'' were taken from the
eminent -clergymen present and as many
"Ieathers"-by WHICH ne pickpocket
means Notwithstanding amisS was
discovered till after the dispersal Of the
audience, when it was too late to do any
thing. Complaint was made to the po-
lice; also the news was given to the re-
porters, and they published it the next
day. Next night every fifth or sixth man
in the audience was a defective, in plain
clothes. but, of course, there were no ar
rests for, warned by the publication Of
the story, the pickpockets took pains to
remain away.
From the other side of the water comes
tie story of how the prince of Wales va:
robbed by the most successful, most IA
nous French pickpocket whose name vas
ever written down in the books of the
Paris police. This man was known by
his intimates as "Prince Fred, - both be
cause of his surprising skill as thief
and his elegant personal bearing and ap-
pearance. No one seems to have known
prince Fred's" name or anything about
his family. He dressed with exquisite
taste, was tall and slender and always
wore pearl kid gloves, even when prac
ticing his profession He was suspected
of being a pickpocket long before Setec-
ton. but the trouble was to catch him 81
it. His downfall came because of 7wom-
an at the Vincennes race track nea
Paris. There he put his hand into the
pocket of an army officer, and would l.av,
got away with the purse it contained ne i
not the woman whom the officer was es-