The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-06
Young Man Whose. Pocket Was
Picked Proceeds to Hold l5 81
UP thse Thief. .f
CAR FULL OF PEOPLE
WERE THE 0 00KERS'
Young Lady Who Who II Had 4 Neyer1' y. l,,l,1.
Seen the Young Man Before
Entered Into Plot$to Detect'55
the FellowPistol at
His Head Did the l.5553ssI
Work. ,.liis.; 4 4


The cold cleaning lnuzzle of a revolvets
held in shocking proximity to one's fAccS 4
has at times wonderfully pers uasiye. 10
not a soothing. effect upon the entire 4
man. 5 te5 HI. .f u igstSS
Soft happened a day or two a 80 on q
Norfolk and Western train speeding SiH|
the direction OF Richmond. II wa s an Sin.s
cdent that caused tremor # to rum
through the limbs Of others than the +
man who gazed into the smuzzle. It! wa
n bold hold-up In {. railway car wl IN
about twenty people. including AsSnumber3
of ladles-old and young To- kin g On y BY
In this instance. the individual held up (
was the thief llmsl.A, und the m 4 ~ il1 i
manipulated the sudden and very effective i
pistol move was the owner Of q certai,
piece Of property that had a few moments l
before found It's way; Into the posses1
sion of the other. :{.ii2
WATCH STOLEN. s'S8
Il One Of the parties to the little Incident
was In Richmond esterdayi a tternoon and Il
1T is from his lips t tho account$lssa 4
obtained. The young ma y K IN d que stionS Us y
4connected with " prom In nent d, north ilern3
publishing house, & and Srna kes X freuuen ne
business trips 10 Sichniond and AZ ginin.t
where he is exceedingly vol lsrlo Wn.S OH
Monday liei ~ was Il on N Or folk q r,r 4
Western train running from Lync Injury
to Petersburg. He was accompany ing q \
young lady, who was on her wa y III oiS
school ut Blackstone. 5 d ,g5 81
rhe car WAS overheated anu the hen s.
became oppressive. The. young man open
ed his cout and his vest and let them
hang loose, In the rlghtvest pocket ho8
carried a handsome gold watch. which
he wore on q fob. AS the train pulled /.
into Blackstone he took out the watch !
and told the girl what ttmo 1t was. Then
he restored it to the place.
When he returned from the platforln
where he had gone 10 assist his COM
panon Off. the young man removed htI
seat, passing down 4 somewhat crowded
aisle. and by two men who had pre-.
riously attracted tliotsnttentlon Of the
car by their lively and loud conversation
Both were we'll dressed and one par
ticllarif so. II After he had passed them
and reached his former place. the yonE
man missed his watch. a. search through
Ills pockets produced nothing and In
realized that IL had been picked from
his pocket. Across the aisle the two
men sat. Whenever he looked up they
appeared buried In. q newspaper.
4 he young man wears glasscs,g and he y
TUNED his head away, but nttnued 10 h
watch the men by means of tho reflection
IN tho lenses. Their curious behnvior ~
fastened his suspicion Iii their direction
ana he set about planning to re ecoVert3$S t3S
his property. Flo managed to changsf
,,ia seat to ono Immediately behind, h,la I
getting on a line with tho two len. who V
We're Just across the aisle. Hc was now n
seated beside a young lady he had never
seen before. but he made rapid exp ana y
gtion to her and shc readily consented
tn enter into tho plot. They prasumeu5
to be acquainted. and at once ap pea red 4
dccpiy enGrossed.
Dramatic Situation,
Meanwhile both noted the actions of tha \
.wp mon. Their conduct confirmed the
suspicion OF the young man., and whel,7
one OF the men arosa and moved Oft
( lie resolved upon mesqulck action. for
tn, train was then entering the western
end Of the Petersburg yard. He renchetlE.
into his grip and drew forth a. pistol S
Tho man across the aisle saw It AMI.
ndgstted; about fifteen people in tho
ear saw 1t also and pricked UP their ears
al the sight, One or two ladies' became \
frightened and almost hysterical, But {
the young man calmly proceeded. He
stuck the pistol In his pocket, leaving the
barrels exposed and then for q whi',
sa; still. as if nothing had happened
SCddenly the young man whirleu ,out
Of his seat. across the aisle, and dropped 4
irto the vacant place beside the susrf
recled thief, At the same moment hs
removed the pistol from his pocket and
stuck It In the fellows face.
. II lost my watch as came by yoli
Just now" he said calmly III you have
anything to say about y you can say
1t now"
Th.2 man g;lnced at thayrsvolver and
then dropped his eyes. and didn't raise j
tkeT again.
.toh, I got that" he said,
He stuck his hand Into his right trous.
eys pocket and drew forth the watch
ard fob.
The young man took 1t and returned 70 T
his seat beside the very much frightened
gill. Tho train pulled into Petersburg
and the people got off The thief was
soen no more @ II j.
INSTRUMENT 0E nEATH