Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-04-26


heard of, the young man who slut
tered went for policeman who did
not stutter. No policeman ever does.
1t is against orders. What the officer
could not see, and what Miss Clara
could not help him to see, was how the
pickpocket could have taken the purse
from her hand without her knowing
it. Each one Of the six women, all
talking at once, vowed that 1t could
be done and had been done and would
be done again, and the stutterer
backed them up. There was
only one man on whom suspicion
could rest-the young man who had
been fellow-passenger on the other
train. He was even then sitting not
over 80 feet away and trying to look
innocently unconscious. While telling
the girl that her fathers train was
late he had by some hocus-pocus man
aged to possess 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 a 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 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 interval the
six women related score Of instances
of robbery and pocketpickng, and four
Of them recognized the arrested man
as a scoundrel they had met before
1t was hard work for the suffering
young man to back them up and guar
antee at least a flve-year sentence,
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
returned he handed SIS bill for doing
his duty. To the women he extended
his thanks. OF course his daughter,
should go to the police station apd
prefer charges, and Of course he would
spend his last earthly dollar to put
that brazen-faced pickpocket behind
the criss-cross bars. BY thunder, but
things were coming to pretty pass
in Buffalo when young lady could
be robbed in her Union depot In broad
daylight and not know It.!
At the police station the young man
was brought out Of 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 a far stronger word and
followed 1t by exclaiming:
why, Davis, how does this come!
What have they got you locked up
fort"
"Pocketpicking, I 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 a business matter. He Is no
pickpocket. Clara, you have certainly
made wretched mistake. This is
Paul Davis. l have known his father
for 40 years. I have known him for
seven or eight. You can't mean that
he picked your pocket"
'But, who-who did," stammered
the girl.
AS no one answered. she opened
her reticule and took peep inside
and then staggered to chair. She
had dropped the purse into the bag
She took it out and held 1t 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. I didn't think you took |
it until-until-"
Until six silly women and q slut
tering boy all got to talking to you"
finished the colonel. well, sergeant.
there is no prisoner to be arraigned.
Come, Davis-come Clara II there is
anything more to talk over we viii
discuss 1t at the hotel!"
There was something more-lots
more. and perhaps the discussion
hasn't been finished yet. At least.
Mr.. Davis spends much Of his time in
New York now and is frequent caller
at the Brooklyn mansion, and the 30
ciety reporters are on his trail and
waiting to make the usual announce
ment.