Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-30
He KNOWS IT ALL NOW

Il used to believe that the bulk Of the
humorous or pathetic street occurrences re-
counted In the newspapers were more or
less imaginary" said the Man who is Buy
ing Suburban Home on the Installment
Plan. but I've changed my mind as to
that since l got into the habit of using my
eyes. Only a. few afternoons ago I was a
witness of three odd little occurrences in a
bunch on one corner. Had 1 seen any one
of these minor happenings worked up into
newspaper story during my skeptical Pc
riod l should probably have dismissed it
with a Fudge. that's made up
i was standee in 9th street car, going
north. The car had been more than filed
at the street transfer station. Women oc-
cUpled all or the seats except one. The one
exception was a middle-aged man, who
seemed to be so much occupied with his
newspaper that he didn't notice that there
were women standing. But there were
several. one of them, standing directly in
front OF MIN, was an acrid-looking female
person whom 1 took to be a spinster She
occupied her time between F street and the
New YORK avenue transfer station in glar-
ing at the middle-aged man who kept his
seat: But he didn't appear to be bothered
he Just went on reading and let her glare.
"hen the car stopped at New York ave-
nue. the man with the newspaper suddenly
looked out of the window and saw that it
"e, ms changing place. lie jumped up ana
SAID TO the sour-looking woman, who was
still glaring at him.
off here
Huh she said. Hopping into his seat
i thought maybe you'd be wanting to take
it with you,
The man flushed and hurried out of the
car, Whlle several of the women. who had
overheard the remark Uttered.
Il left the car at New York avenue my
sell was waiting for New York avenue
car going east. when I saw a crowd gather
ing a bit up 9th street, at the junction of X
street and Massachusetts avenue. The rub
Derlng spirit strong upon me, l went over
10 see what was coming off there.
wen, 1t was policeman. with a middle
aged woman. She was under arrest, and
she was desperately f1abbergasted The cop
was waiting at the corner with her for the
appearance of the hurry-up wagon, for
which he had sent the CALL
The woman, it appeared, had been
caught shopllfting over at a 18th street de-
partment store. She had been permitted to
leave the store with Ier loot-a few little
articles of no great value-but an employee
or the store was sent after her, and when
he reached the corner of New York avenue
and 9th street the employee had told the
policeman to arrest the woman on the
charge of Shoplifting
'She was so weak and hysterical with
the excitement of the situation that she
could hardly stand. crowd, of course,
hastily gathered around the corner, as al
ways happens when cop is waiting with a
prisoner for the patrol wagon.
1.-The sympathy of the crowd. men and
women, seemed to be with the thoroughly
frightened-lookng woman.
Hey, what's up?' the newcomers joining
the crowd would inquire.
oh, they've pinched an old woman for
coping some tape or yarn something
like that Off a bargain counter down the
street, would be the reply Of the informed
member of the crowd.
It's a wonder they wouldn't be pinch
ing little girls for playing prisoners base.
one man on the outskirts of the crowd said,
and then burly negro, standing by the
curb. butted in as they say, with a re-
mark p! 4r
"Dey pinch nigguhs TO- stealn',' ne said,
an dey amt no 'scuse TO- dey not pinchin'
wife folks, same way
The crowd of white men turned upon
him with such menacing looks and growls
that he began to edge away from the circle
as soon as he had delivered himself of that
remark.
1.-The clatter of the horse hitched to the
patrol wagon was presently heard. and then
the terribly perturbed little woman in the
frame of mind She begged the cop to turn
her loose. and kept muttering to herself.
What will my husband say?
when theapatrol wagon was just backing
up to the curb she leaned over to the huge
policeman. 5.1 g.
Mister Officer. please, sir she said to
him, L have a quarter worth of car tickets
and dime here in my purse. If 1 give
them to you, won't you pul-l-lease for
mercy's sake let me go?
1T was. of course. rather pathetic but
the offer was SO supremely ridiculous that
the cop couldn't help but smile, although
it was plain that he was doing the best he
knew how to act right and not be brutal
Now. If l had only read that an arrested
shoplifting woman had been so absurd as
to offer the capturing policeman a dime
and quarters worth of car tickets to give
her her freedom am certain that I would
have looked upon the story as a fairy tale
But l heard her make the offer with my
own ears, and don't need any better evil
dence than that. The poor little uuaking
woman was bundled into the patrol wagon
despite her continued pleadings, and the
crowd quickly dispersed
Il had missed several eastbound New
YORK avenue cars, and l went back to the
transfer station to wait for the next Then
there was another diversion that caused me-
to miss several more cars
The dog catcherS wagon hove In sight
The black men with their nets made what
they called a powerful good haul over on
corraled three whimpering and whining
little dogs, two of which looked like pets
and had last years dog tags duly hanging
to their collars. Then the dog wagon start
ed down 9Th street, on further captures
intent.
I'm the middle of the SQUARE betvaar 7
street and New York avenue the wagon
stopped again, and the two lively black
men with the enormous nets jumped ont
and made sudden swoop upon a diminu
tive skye terrier seated in front of a little
frult shop on the west side of the street
THE dog k-yfd and yip-yapped with AN
his might. But the big net still held him
securely fastened to the sidewalk. and the
black man with the net was waiting for
the mutt to quiet down bit before gather
ing him into the net.
Then something happened again
young colored girl with her wool wrannad
up in a towel came bounding out of a hail
way with broom in her hand
What yo' common, 'onnery nipephs
dom wifi dat dawg! she demanded shriIIv
of the dog catchers.
Don't yo' all bothuh. gal, replied one
of the dog catchers. De dawg's done
snagged an OATS all dey is bout 1T
" Look uh-heah. man, dat dawg's got :,
taig-de taig's upstaiuhs.' protested the col.
ored girl with the broom
" 'Upstaiuhs amt no downstaiuhs' coo,,v
remarked the dog catcher, who was press-
ing the still whining terrier to the nave-
ment with his net. 'Ah got nh miilion
dolluhs. too, but It's home on de ny-ana.
" 'Yo' fresh coont snapped the black cir,
with the broom, and then she suddenIy
eli