Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1912-01-02

She had lust satisfied herself that 1t
had not when she missed her purse
Sic uttered an "Oh-h-h-h!" and
dipped into a seat, and OF course,
haf dozen women gathered around
to see what was the matter. All mad
observed her carrying her purse IN
he hand. She had it in her hand
Wien talking to the young man about
the lateness of the train, or, rather,
Wien he was talking to her. They had
noticed that 1t was not in her hand
wien she came back from consulting
tn. clock for the twenty-third time.
There were six women and young
man who suffered, and while the Six
wmen expressed their unalterable be-
lie that it was one Of the boldest
cases of pocket-picking they ever
heard of, the young man who slut
ts'ei went for policeman who did
act 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 the
pi,kpocket could have taken the purse
! from her hand without her knowing
it. Each one of the six women, all
TALKING at once, vowed that it could
be lone and had been done and would
be done again, and the sufferer
bacfed them up. There was
only one man on whom suspicion
could rest-the young man who had
hoa, q faJlouy no q oapoor IN Tho 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
wllked over to the young man and
90 I've him the collar and had him out
of the depot and on his way to a po-
Tide station before inquiries could be
made or protests entered. The victim
wis to follow and prefer charges as
soon as her father arrived. A few
mbre minutes passed before that event
happened, and during this interval the
sit women related score of instances
of robbery and pocketpicking, 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 guar
antee at least five-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 S. bill for doing
his duty To the women he extended
| his thanks. OF course his daughter
should go to the police station and
prefer charges, and of course he would
spend his last earthly dollar to put
that brazen-faced pickpocket behind
the eriss-cross bars. By thunder, but
things were coming to pretty pass
in Buffalo when a young lady could
be robbed in her Union depot in broad
daylight and not know it!
Al the police station the young man
was brought out of cell to be con-
froned, 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 it by exclaiming:
why, Davis, how does this come !!
What have they got you locked up
forw
''2ocketpicking, 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 have certainly
made wretched mistake. This is
Paul Davis. l have known his father
for 40 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 no one answered, she opened
her reticule and took a peep inside
and then staggered to a chair. She
had dropped the purse into the bag.
She took 1t 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. We'll, sergeant
there is no prisoner to be arraigned
Come, Davis-come Clara. If there is
anything more to talk over we will
discuss 1t at the hotel!"