The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-07
HOW HE COT FREE
TRANSPORTATION
Played Crook and Rode From
Frisco to New York
for Nothing.

When Christmas comes around"
said the retired bookmaker, IT always
think of the Christmas 1 was out in
Frisco with big yearning for New
York and not even the price of a tick
ct to st. Louis.
That Christmas certainly looked as
If 1t was going to be the saddest ever.
l wasn't laying against 'em in those
days; 1t was some years afterwards
that got to be Willie Wiseboy, and in
them prehistoric times I was picking
EN- to win. Naturally, / was broke
most of the time.
HOW and why l was in Frisco that
merry season is another story. Anv-
way. there I was, and by ali signs I
was due to stay there unless l was
snIPped East In a wooden overcoat
with an address label tackled on top.
got to thinking of little old New
York until I was fairly batty. l could
imagine the gang chasing round and
ming up, with a big vacant spot where
nttle Willie ought to be, until 1 got
enYeloped in big COB of gloom. /
mad bad case of Newyorkomania.
ana the only cure for it was a through
tlcket to the Grand Central depot, with.
Pullman attachments.
Naturally, | started out to get tank
ed up, that being about the most fool
lsh thing l could do. I was lust
stepping into the bar of the old Occi-
dental when a No. II mitt grabbed
me and harsh voice murmured in
my ear:
We'll, Joe, we've got you at last,
Now. my name don't happen to be
joe l turned around real peeyish
to inform my handy friend so when
l found myself looking into the lan1ps
of a Mulberry Bend street fly cor I'd
seen many times.
That was the suspicious moment
when l did a heap of quick thinking
| saw that he thought 1 was some one
ne was after, and consequently New
ork cop on the trail of a man in
Frisco meant quick trip to New York
Tor that guy when he was pinched.
l argued out to myself that the genu-
Inc boy didn't desire a run to New
York, whereas I did; and if I kept a
shut mouth I'd get back all right and
I'd have no trouble clearing myself
when 1 landed here.
Says 1: You've got me all right;
what's the trouble?
We'll, I found I'd done a pretty good
job in Soakin' a bank messenger and
getting away with about So ,000 guess
those cops (there was another with
the fellow I knew were as anxious to
get back to this burg as I was, for they
put things through in good shape. and
by next day at noon had everything
fixed and tickets bought for here.
The bank had offered a big reward,
not for the sake of the money, but so
as to get the croo.t and soak him for
an example, and they didn't waste any
time hunting UP the $4,000, but lust
hustled for the train.
Just before the train pulled out
lady passed the section / was in and
slipped in such manner that she fell
against me: AS she grabbed me to save
hersef felt an envelope pushed inside
my coat and she whispered:
Hide it, quick!'
Il hid it all right, and the first
chance l got 1 examined it. There
were five centuries inside it-s500-and
piece OF paper which read: From
you know who. Play 1t out 1 guessed
the real thing had heard of nv arrest
and thought he would fix me so I'd not
squea1 until got to New York
Wen, slrs, never had such a real
good trip East before. Those fly COPS
were thinking of the reward, 1 guess.
and, anyway, the bank paid the bills:
so We had everything at to eat and
dflnk-especiaily drink-on the train
BY the way, they showed ME the photo
by which they had identified (?) me
and 1t sure was a ringer for your Uncle
Willie.
Well. we got back to the only town
before long and then I just sent for a
few people to identify me. Talk about
some sick looking fly copsi Well. they
were the limit 1 had too many good
friends in this burg for them to cook
up a case against me, and they had to.
let me go.
The real crook? They never got
MIN, SO far as l found out. What's
that? Did | return the five centuries
to the bank? WE'LL not 50 as you could
notice it. Besides. how did I know it
belonged to 'em?
But that little roll certainly went a
great ways toward spreading big
Jumps of Christmas cheer around this
town that year. New York Telegraph.