The age-herald., 1900-08-25
PICKPOCKETS ON MR. BRYAN'S TRAIN Democratic Leader Was First to
 Detect Them. THIEF FINALLY ESCAPED Jumped from the Moving Traiu and Disappeared in Patch of Corn
 The Incident Occurred
 at Barneston
THIEF FINALLY ESCAPED

Beatrice, Neb, August PA somewhat exciting incident marked MT. Bryan's first stop in his own State upon his return from the Topeka meeting today. This incident was the detection of pickpocket by MT. Bryan, a lively chase through the cars for the thief and his capture and subsequent escape. The incident occurred at Barnes ton on the line of the Union Pacific Rail road. A dense crowd had gathered to bid MT. Bryan welcome. As the train slowed up there was rush to the rear Of the train and MT. Bryan appeared on the platform of the last car. He was shaking hands with the people when there was suspic- ious movement in the center of the as semblage.
 Look out for those pickpockets, shouted the Democratic leader, remember ing their movements from his experience He had not pointed out any person. but three or four men started immediately to move rapidly through the crowd.
 The movement excited the attention of people in the crowd and also those on the train. Everybody gave chase. They. how ever devoted their special attention to one individual tall, rawboned young fellow, who was easily distancing his fellows. He jumped upon the train, but as he did so he fell into the arms of Sheriff Wadding- ten. The man protested his innocence, but the Sheriff took him in custody. The train was getting under fair headway when the prisoner turned. and. rushing by his cap tor, dashed down the crowded aisle on to the car platform.
 Jumped from the Train
 He jumped to the ground before the peo- pie on the car platform realized what had happened, ran swiftly until he reached plowed field fully half a mile distant and disappeared inca bach Of corn. The con- ductor declined to hold the train, which had come to stop, any longer, although some of the passengers expressed a desire to pursue the fugitive. The occurrence en- gagged the attention of all the passengers, and the fact was brought out that there were a number of men on the train who had gotten aboard at Topeka whose ac- tions had aroused the suspicious of the train officials.
 There had been some thefts in the crowd at Topeka, newspaperman in MT. Bry- ans party having been among the vic tims. This fact was connected with the presence of the men, and they were under suspicion before the Barnston incident occurred The fact was also remembered that when the train had stopped at Barns ton the men under suspicion had jumped from the train to mingle with the crowd calling loudly for Bryan as they went. Their action served to direct attention to the men in question, and some of them evidently felt that they were gaining un- enviable notoriety. At any rate, when the train slowed up a few miles further on, before crossing a bridge, a member of the suspected party jumped off the train He lighted on his feet and disappeared in a grove of weeds and brush. So far as was learned only one man lost his pocketbook at Barnston, and the thief threw it the ground as he fled. MT Bryan was among the most interested of the passengers in the occurrence. and he related many incl dents of similar character in the cam pagn of 1896.
 When the train reached Beatrice the members of the party under suspicion were detained in the smoking car by the sheriff of this county. They were locked in with the intention of taking them out of the State on the same car on which they had come in. There were eight or ten men thus held. and they made no resistance.