Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-06-01

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| Geld Of life. He grew positively faint
when one detective after another, men
who had known him for almost score
OF years, came up and scrutiniZed him
closely as though they had never seen
| him before. When he was finally led
up to the room TO be placed under the
| hands of the man who keeps the meas
ure Of the heads of those who are at
odds with the law he was almost too
weak to walk.
'Say, you've got NINE" he mumbiod
| to Brannan.
81 know" returned Brannan gently,
as he placed him in the hands OF the
measurer, but that was only as pick
pocket"
"Jimmy's" brain was working as it
had never worked before when the eX-
animation was finally over and he was
taken down stairs again and led into
the Captains room. This was another
| honor he had never known before, one
accorded only to the men who do mo-
mentouS things. Ee was overwhelmed.
His sharp eyes tried TO dig into the
brains. of the impassive Brannan and
the equally impassive Captain, but they
| could not. The Captain gave him one
| long, searching stare. then took up
some papers on his desk and looked
them over, glancing up now and then
at Jimmy"
"Great Heavens, Captain, what is
it?' he family cried, when he could
stand it no longer.
Come, now, don't give us any OF
that. You'd better make clean breast
Of it and throw yourself on tine mercy
of the court" The Captain spoke
sternly.
"But l amt"
"shut up" said the Captain" We
know what you've done"
So "Jimmy" sat, his brain awhirl,
While the Captains eyes seemed to
search him through and through De-
tact.ycs brought in other men. and he
WIS STOOD up with them, and a man
came in and looked them over ard
picked him out, saying:
"rh"ts the man,
lie almost fell 10 tho floor. His cyes
were starting from his head. every bit
Of strength in his body seemed to be
oozin@ out when they let him drop into
q chair.
"i'm surprised at you, Jimmy"
finally spoke IN the Captain when the
others had gone. Il thought you stuck
to the pickpocket game. I wouldn't
baye looked for you in this IIarbiaon
deal II everything wasn't such cinch
against YOU
The Harbison case! Jimmy" gGsped.
He had read all about Il in the morn
lng newspapers the cay before-how
sneak thieG cau2l5 in a house shot
down maa aad ,ae Whole police force
OF tha city vas ol tie lookout for lis
si2ye?.
cap, you're kiddin',' he finally
@asped though lis tongue seemed
double its size and his mouth and
throat were Barched.
Not 4 bit OF it. No use trying to
skin out of it," said the Captain.
We've got plenty OF evidence, and
you've been identified by the man who
saw it done. Sorry, bat I guess you'll
have to go to the chair"
God above, Cap, you know I didn't
do it. You know l couldn't do it. 1t
amt in my line I never knew how"
Jimmy was groveling on the floor,
| gripping the Captains knees with his
| hands. The Captain only looked at
him sternly and rang a bell that
| brought policeman.
| Take him down to court and ask
them to bind him over another day as
suspicious person." the Captain or
dered. The policeman lifted him up
and half dragged him out through the
| Office He managed TO walk after that
as they went out and up the street
ard took car leading down the Bow
cry. The policeman had put on hand
| cuffs that bound the two together.
| though it was scarcely noticeable tc
others on the car.
| They stood on the rear platform.
There were tears in "Jimmy's" eyes as
he passed places that he knew. He
was just beginning TO realize the hor-
| rof of the whole thing and the possi-
blity that he might, after all, be sent
to the electric chair-for he knew the
police could do strange things when
they had mind bent that way.
He had Just reached the conclusion
that lie was in It very serious situation
when something happened. He felt
the handcufr that held him to the
policeman give on his wrist He looked
down. The steel band WAS open. He
waited moment until the policeman
looked the other way. Then he gave
a quick jerk, was of the car like
fash, and was racing down the Bow
cry. Before anybody had time to
raise q cry he was through dark door
way that he knew led to freedom.
Somewhere. perhaps, an unhappy
man s. wandering longing for the Bow
cry. Maybe detectives in other cities
are puzallng their wits over the work
Of one Of the cleyerest pickpockets that
ever stole wOman's handbag. But