The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-09
sTUMPs THE POLICEMAN.
Reformed PickpOcket Gets Even
with His Conscience.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The plain clothes policeman wormed his
way through the crowd, keeping his eyes
closely fixed on a well dressed man just
ahead of him.
81 know that face, I'm certain" the
officer remarked to himself. II know we'll
enough 1 have seen him show up at
Central many times, and think we took
him down once and had him mugged.
He's a pickpocket, I'm certain, and one
of the best in the business. I'll just keep
my lamps on him and when he tries his
funny work IN pinch him"
Down through the crowd of holiday
shoppers in State street went the police
man and his prey. Several times the Of
ficer saw his man acting as though he
had his hand I'm some one else's pocket
but each time the man sided away APP
parently without taking anything One
time the policeman was certain he had
caught him in the act and hastily step
ping to the side of a man in whose pock-
cts he had seen the pickpocket slip his
hand said you've just had your pocket
picked, sir; what have you lost?"
The man excitedly slipped his hand in
his pocket Then he brought it up with
a puzzled expression. why" he said,
I've lost nothing, but here's a dollar bill
that wasn't there before
The policeman was amazed, but his
supposed pickpocket on whom he had
kept his eyes fixed was going on down
the street and there was danger of los
ing him; so the policeman, with a hurried
''all right, them" FASTENED on after his
prey. He saw the man slip his hand into
the outside pocket of a plainly dressed
man limping along on crutches. The
policeman stepped up to the cripple and
asked: Have you lost anything? Feel
in your pocket"
The cripple felt in his pocket and pull
cd up a five-dollar bill why" he said
in mingled joy and surprise, how came
that there? didn't know 1t was there"
oh you must have made a mistake
and slipped that bill there instead of
putting it back in your pocketbool ;" said
the policeman, tmpatiently.
Affairs had taken such strange turn
that he couldn't pretend 20 understand
them and he was losing his temper
But I haven't cent in the world >"
said the cripple, that is, l mean. I
haven't much money, and don't suppose
l have a right to this
"Oh, that's all right" put in the police
man II know how you got it. 1t was a
little present It's yours, all right enough
Keep 1T for your Christmas present"
The policeman hurried away again after
his strange pickpocket Hes the queer
est kind of a pickpocket l ever heard Of"
said the policeman. "Of course this Is
some new kind of graft but I don't see
where he makes his money out of It,
What kind of a game is this, anyhow"
He followed on behind his man and
saw the latter slip a bill into a ragged
boys pocket. Then he next saw him slip
a bright piece of silver into the reticule
Of a poorly dressed woman Then he
stepped up 90 his man and touched him
on the shoulder
The man gave a guilty start and turn
ed pale. Then he regained his self-pos-
session and asked: well, what do you
want of me?'
II am a police officer" said the police
man. II have a notion to arrest you as
a suspicious character"
1--WE done nothing wrong" said the
man. COME into this side street, out OF
the crowd, where we can talk"
The two walked down the side street
and the man said Now. then, officer,
what have I done wrong?"
We'll" said the policeman. 'T think I
remember your face as that Of former
pickpocket ! saw you to-day with your
hands in other peoples pockets We arrest
men for that"
do you know that ! picked anybodys
pocket?" asked the man.
mo" replied the policeman But, see
here. You're up TO some game. want
to know what II IL, that's ALL You tell
me or I'll pinch you"
III you have spoken 10 any OF the
people In whose pockets you have seen
me put my hand" said the man, you
viii know that instead OF taking any
thing I left something"
Tho policeman nodded. That's right"
he said.
Il don't like 90 tell about this" con-
tinued the man, but Of course there's
no other way now, 70 IN tell you the
whole story. II Is true that / used 20 be
a pickpooket, and one Of the best, too
! was arrested q half dozen Zines and
went over the road once. and put In three
yearH la the 'Den.' -Four years ago
reformed and went 20 work made
money, specuiated. ana made good deal
more, and to-day--Weli. to-day, I'm rieh
and respectable ! married splendid
oman and hsYe - nico . home af
fhsre Il 10 ma whole Town. The only shinr
thet isofheff me if fhe mffnory ~ the
past. N Z ooi1d 80 - each pernon from
whom steis . purse ~ a watch ~ .