The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-09

N NEW YORK thief who now lan- YO guishes in the tolls of the law says that he was led to commit robbery through his admiration for "Raf- fies" the gentleman burglar, as played by Kyrle Bellew The susceptl. e thief did not rob for lucre especially but sim ply because he thought the excitement and the danger would be interesting At present he no doubt believe that th pro- fesslon of an amateur cracksman has it's drawbacks. The case is interesting as showing that while the baleful influence of "dime novels" has been often preached to the multitudes, reformers seem to have overlooked the demoralizing tendencies of the higher class detective story. both in book form and as dramatized for the stage It is in order for the long-haired gentry to get busy and put an embargo on any further output of such fascinating but altogether impossible characters as Sherlock Holmes and Rallies.
 He came into the office in a way that was meant to be unobtrusive and in quired for the literary editor In his hand he held a poem which he averred was perfect and he requested that he be permitted to write up the story of his woes for the careless ear of the world ir the hope that some other unfortunate would be arrested in his downward ca reer. His clothes were well made and ex- pensive but his ace and hands were soil ed with travel and from outward indica- tions he was on the ragged edge" of a nervous strain. He was an alumnus of a great university, a southern gentleman and well known in several states He had stood high in the world but now he was down and all because of a wo- mans deceit" He did not care for money but did want sympathy His poer. was jerky and the .-rst page of his story, which was all the editor read, was not in the best literary form After a while he apologized for intruding and stumbled out. Perhaps his tcle of woe was true. | There was something half ludicrous, half pathetic in his misfortunes and his desire for solace but there are many such | wrecks in the world and it wearies of their plaints
 The man who invented chewing gum is dead. leaving his wealth behin. him. Perhaps he was not as great as the man who invented the telephone, or the man who invented the telegraph, or the steam boat or the cotton gin or the sewing machine, but still he was something of philanthropist in his way for it is aw- full to contemplate what great many individuals would do if they did not chew gum Moreover. he made fortune, which is also something worth while.
 There is a good story going the rounds regarding Paula Edwardes' song Was It You? As an encore Miss Edwardes sings verse directed at a bald-headed man who occupies a seat down in front
 He appears to be very much confused claps his hat on his head to hide the bald spot and hurriedly leaves the the atre, tripping and falling in the aisle in 1 his haste to escape. Of course the bald headed man is connected in a business capacity with the company and the lit tie trick is worked at every performance but great many Birmingham people were fooled who ought to have knowr better local contemporary had a seri- new one by any means, as one car | easily trace it to the old time circus trick when a bogus countryman came dowr l from his seat In the audience and tried | to ride the trick mule