Evening star., 1901-12-21
ARRESTED Bf MISTAKE.


The only time that was ever arrested"
said former Washingtonian who has been
prospering Professionally in another city for
a good many years, was right here in
washington. wasn't guilty. They only had
me rounded up for a few hours. and at the
end OF that time they gave me an honora-
Die discharge. without sending me to trial.
But III never forget the experience.
1T was about twenty years ago. 1 was
kid Of twelve, and I had job. at the
remuneration M 81. 80 per week, in a trunk
and harness establishment that was then
located ron the avenue where the Postal
Telegraph office Is now. I certainly was
a-hustling for "a living In those days. I
was q sort of general knockabout around
the store, but the delivering business was
the main end Of my work. Used to pile
pusn-cart full of trunks and valises ard
sets OF harness and things and trundle the
pusn-cart all over Washington and deliver
the merchandise It was pretty hard work
2 Ior tWelve-year- but guess ii gave
me my constitution, all the same, and ma1e
me immune from dyspepsia in the after
years. II was part of my stunt to get
down to the store at half-past six o clock in
sthe morning and sweep and dust up and
take the coverings off the goods and get
enings IN shape for business.
'lt WASH t any snap getting up at half
past hve O'clock on winter mornings so's
TO reach the store at half-past six out it
was part Of the game, and 1t had 20 be
oone. tfraded off one Of litter of mongrel
pups that l possessed for a secondhand
aiarm CLOCK that was one Of the assets Of
another boy down the street from where I
, nVeo, ana / used to get UP at half-past
4Ve with the assistance of this clock. When
got up I'd tap on my mothers door and
sne get up and fix me some coffee aud
Dreao and fill my lunch basket and tnen
Ia -, start on the long walk down town-we
Hved In one of a little row Of houses On
~lztn street. between S and T.
ell, one morning the little old second
nano alarm clock did its terrific buZzing
Wnen 1t seemed as if hadn't been asleep
lors ta,. :. tnan ten minutes. But. for that mat
ter, II always seemed that way to me, and
50 reiuctantly-as always, too-got up and
dressed. Then 1 tapped my mother up,
suiped down the coffee and bread shS
het ana set out. 1t was in mid-January,
anu the snow was deep on the ground. 1t
was still snowing hard I struck up good
cilp down 18TH street. whistling to keep
nyseii company. 1t was as dark itch,
but it was always pretty dark when /
Started out on winter mornings, and I
oian pay any attention to the extra dark
ness, probably attributing it to the over
cast, snow-dripping clouds. When I got
oo"n to the church at the corner Of Massa-
chusetts avenue and 18th street heard
the muffed bell of st. Aloysius'. It struck
Two: Two: That seemed odd to me. but I figured
1
wondered. though, why it didn't get any
lighter. 1t was still black dark when I
reached the store. and I pounded my heels
on the pavement, wondering why the clerk
who usually reached the store at the same
time did didn't show up as usual. l
waited around the store, half frozen, for
an hour, and then, the darkness continu-
ing, 1t began to ooZe in upon me that I'd
perhaps got up bit too early. And so 1
proWled down the dark avenue toward the
capitol. When 1 got to a jewelry store
between 11th and 18th streets I took
look at the standard chronometer in the
windows dim light-it was the only article
left In the window-and saw it was a
quarter past 3 o'clock. was a very
gloomy boy. reflected that I might still
be in bed, warm and cosy If that alarm
clock hadn't played "a trick on me. re-
membered that had wound the clock in
the dark the night before, and I correctly
figured out that 1 had given the alarm
contraption a twist back by accident while
so doing. And SO there l was, cold and
half covered with snow, on that black
morning. with nary a whistle left in me,
and with deep idea that, on the whole.
life was the baldest kind of a bitter and
stupidlys at that chronometer when the
huge figure of snowy cop loomed up be-
fore me in the dim light of gas lamp.
Son., said he, placing a heavily-mit-
tened hand on my shoulder, I've been
watching you for some time. What are
you out this time o. night for?'
out word in reply.
NO home, Ell? went on the cop. not Ill
humoredly, but In a tone Of conviction.
Runaway boy, eh? That's about what I
think You are, son. We've got several de-
scriptions Of runaway boys over at the sta
tion, and guess you're one of EN- all right
l guess you'd better come along with me-
well, i realized the utter hopelessness Of
trying to tell that policeman that 1 had
started out to my work at something like
half-past 1 In the morning, and was too
frightened to tell him anything, anyhow
and so I just fell into step with him and
walked across the avenue to No. l sta
ton with him. Now, 1t just happen
ed that my exterior corresponded pre-
cfsely with the description Of a run
away boy from somewhere in North
Carolina. and when my captor and the man
behind the station desk read over that de-
scription they figured 1t a cinch that was
the North Carolina youngster. l felt pretty
warm and cosy and sleepy in the detention
room where they placed me, and so I didn't
say anything, but just went to sleep, being
half-numb. I awoke at broad daylight,
along toward o'clock, and just as the Of
ficers were about to wire to North Caro-
lima to the effect that they'd corraled the
missing kid. sent for 'em and told 'em my
little story In such convincing way that
they looked ehagrined. and one Of the po-
licemen escorted me over to the store to see
If my story was on the level. OF course, he
found that it was. and he turned me loose.
But it was a weird, uncanny morning,
tEal, lOr yOunSSleT OF Twelve TO De plOd-
ding through the snow of the then virtually
uniighted Washington, and every time
visit Washington and hear the mellow mu-
sic Of the bells in the tower Of st. Aloysius',
think of it. I would go through it ali
again. and lot more, too-wiliingly, will
iEglyl-just to be twelve again!"
CHRISTMAS PACKAGE.
How 1t Found the Person for Whom 1t
s--'-- 81 Was Intended.
kak oau