The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-30
The PickpocL

belief that 1t was one of the holdest
cases of pocket-picking they ever
heard of, the young man who stutter-
ed went for a policeman who did not
stutter. No policeman ever does It
is against orders. What the officer
could not see, and what Miss Clara
could not help him to see, was how
purse from her hand without her
knowing it. Each one of the six wom-
en-, all talking at once vowed that it
could be done and had been done and
would be done again, and the sufferer
backed them up. There was only one
man on whom suspicion could rest
the young man who had been a fellow
passenger on the other train. He was
even then sitting not over thirty feet
away and trying to look innocently
Unconscious. While telling the girl
that her fathers train was late he had
by some hocus-pocus managed to pos
sess himself of her purse, and was
now sitting only ten yards away to
brazen it out.
The tears of the victim aroused the
feelings of the officer who was new
man on the force. He also knew that
he had name to make. He therefore
walked over to the young man and
gave him the collar and had him out
of the depot and on his way to a po-
lice station before inquiries could be
made or protests entered. The victim
was to follow and prefer charges as
soon as her father arrived. A few
more minutes passed before that
event happened, and during this inter
val the six women related a score of
instances of robbery and pocketpick-
ing, and four of them recognized the
arrested man as scoundrel they had
met before. 1t was hard work for the
suffering young man to back them up
and guarantee at least a fve-year SEN
tence, but he finally accomplished the
feat,
Then the train from New York ar
rived. Colonel Williams found his
daughter surrounded by sympathetic
people and as soon as he learned what
had happened he made things hum.
To the policeman who had just return
ed he handed a So bill for doing his
duty. To the women he extended his
thanks. OF course his daughter should
tho nn1ipo gto
charges and of course he would spend
his last earthly dollar to put that braz-
en-faced pickpocket behind the crisis
cross bars. By thunder, but things
were coming to a pretty pass in Buff
falo when young lady could be rob-
bed in her Union depot in broad day
light and not know it!
At the police station the young man
was brought out of a cell to be con-
fronted, identified and put on the high
road to the penitentiary. Colonel Will
liams didn't say thunder this time. He
made use of far stronger word and
followed it by exclaiming:
Why, Davis, how does this come!
What have they got you locked up
for?"
'Pocketpicking, l believe" replied
the prisoner.
Yes, he is the man who got my
purse!' said Clara.
But there must be some mistake
here. | was to meet him here in Buff
falo on business matter. He is no
pickpocket. Clara, you nave certainly
made wretched mistake. This is
Paul Davis. l have known his father
for forty years. have known him for
seven or eight, You can't mean that
he picked your pocket"
But, who-who did?" stammered
the girl.
AS on one answered, she opened
her reticule, and took peep inside
and then staggered to a chair. She
had dropped the purse into the bag.
She took it out and held it in her hand
and blushed and went pale and the
tears started to her eyes.
Mr. Davis, my daughter, Miss
Clara said the Colonel to break a
painful silence
Charmed to meet Miss Davis
And Lit was all the fault of
those women. | didn't think you took
it until-until-"
Until six silly women and a slut
tering boy all got to talking to YOU"
finished the Colonel. well, sergeant
there is no prisoner to be arraigneG.
Come, Davis-come Clara. If there
is anything more to talk over we will
discuss it at the hotel"
There was something more-lots
more and perhaps the discussion has
not been finished yet At least Mr.
Davis spends much of his time in New
York now and is a frequent caller at
the Brooklyn mansion, and the society
reporters are on his trail and waiting