The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-08-24
Sophie Lyons.


your pal, and now we're going to find OUT
how you robbed that bank this noon"
If I had really been guilty suppose
should have had great deal to say, but,
innocent as I was, my tongue stuck to the
roof Of my mouth, and followed my cap
tor out of the car In silence. The poor
minister, however, poured forth a torrent
Of protests, but he was so excited that
they were hardly tntelligible, and even II
they had been they would have done no
good. You see, the detectives we're thor
oughly convinced that his venerable ap-
pearance and clerical garb were only the
clever disguises Of a desperate thief
With no gentle hand the two detectives
bundled US into patrol wagon and hur-
ried US back to the police station l had
left only few hours before. The chief
was there, ohuckling with satisfaction at
having caught Sophie just as she was max
Ing her escape with her cleverly disguised
confederate
Come, now," he said, roughly, let's
have the whole story before we lock you
up. How did you rob the bank and what
did you do with the money? It's no use
keeping anything back. now we've got the
pair Of you
"But I'm no thief-Tm minister Of the
gospel" the old man cried.
"a minister! That's the best l ever
heard" laughed the chief. "You ought to
stick to your pulpit instead Of trying to
walk away with a banks money. Go ahead
and search him, men. Perhaps some Of
those bonds are in his pockets now"
A burly patrolman seized the minister's
silk hat and turned the lining inside out
TWO others grabbed the sleeves Of his
sombre frock coat and started pulling 1t
of. A sergeant, who aspired to be chief
OF detectives, tweaked his beard as Il he
expected to find 1t false.
This was more than the poor old man
could stand. He was trembling In every
muscle and the tears were splashtng down
his withered cheeks like rain It was
more than my sympathetic heart could
stand, too,
"Oh chief" I cried, sinking to my
knees and raising my hands as my babies
did when they said their prayers, lock
me up or do whatever You wish With me-
but please let this poor old man go. He
has done nothing wrong, and swear by
all that is good and holy cnat never saw
Incredulity was written on every line OF
the chiefs hard face, and he was about
TO wave me away to a cell when one OF the
officers showed before his eyes a Testar
ment. cardcase and bundle Of letters which
they had found in the pockets OF the bank
robbers" frock coat These proved COM
clusively that the old gentleman was q
nninister-the pastor Of a weN-known 81
Louis church.
1 bear policemen no Ill will BECAUSE
like all other human beings. they fre-
quently make mistakes, This is why !
do not undertake to describe their chagrin
on this occasion. It is sufficient to say
that the poor old minister and I were
promptly released and sent on our way
In cabs, with the contrite apologies Of the
st. Louis police ringing In our ears.
The fact that l was wholly innocent
in this instance does not lessen the force
of the moral l am trying to bring out
that 1t Is a dangerous thing to become too
intimate with chance acquaintances, par
ticularly when travelling. ! know from
experience that every criminal when he
thinks he Is hard pressed by detectives
will try to throw them of the track by
scraping an acquaintance with some hon
est man or woman, and that, II necessary,
he will not hesitate to involve these inno-
cent people In trouble
SOPHIE LYONS.