Year: 1873

as that, and they understand in a mo-
ment what such a movement means.


''The first thing they did when I got
on the platform was to knock up against
me and make me angry, for when you
get man angry you get him off his
guard. There was no seat, SO stood
against one side of the door, and one of
these fellows leaned against the other
side, SO as to make the passage as mar
row as possible. Then another went to
push through, and as he came rather
too much on my side, I pushed him off.
He drew back, and then, making another
push, got through, and then went on
toward the front of the car. Well, you
see, the first time he went to push
through he unbuttoned my pocket. The
second time, he slid his hand down and
very gently took out my pocket-book at
the very time that was resenting his
pushing against me. I saw it all when
I thought it out, but it was too late
then; SO paid for my lesson. y


".


A Young friend told the writer re-
Gently that his mother was sitting not
long ago in an omnibus, when she be-
came aware that the gentleman on
her right was feeling for her pocket
under her cloak. For moment cold
shiver passed through her, but as it
was broad daylight, and as there were
evidently many persons in the omnibus
to when she might apply for protection,
she took courage, and recollecting that
in the dress she wore her pocket had,
much to her previous annoyance, been
sewed on the wrong side of the skirt,
concluded to sit still and await the
course of events. After having been
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. by the vain eff
forts of her neighbor to find the pocket,
she turned to him and said quietly,
&c My pocket is on the other side, SIR
The man Immediately jumped up, pulled
the strap, and disappeared with most
amusing rapidity, the contemptuous
GOODNESS of the lady having been too
much for his artistic nerves.


The passengers at one of our crowded
ferry-boats were much amused one day
at seeing gentleman very deftly pick
his friends pocket of his pocket-book
and transfer it to his own. They were
still more amused at seeing third
" "gentleman" take the pocket-book even
more deftly from the amateur and dis
appear in the crowd. The denouement
soon came. Number Two asked Num-
Der One to let him see his pocket book,
and, when his friend could not find it,
proceeded with smile to restore it to
him. His smile, however, was soon
changed to look of intense surprise,
which was very much enjoyed by the
bystanders, for they expected that "gen-
tleman" Number Three would soon ap-
pear and unravel to his friends this
amusing mystery. But, alas Number
Three never came back. He was, it
seems, true ''artist, who had coolly
robbed the amateur as publicly as the
IL L. h Tn, fhn
hurry and confusion of landing Num-
Der Three made his escape, SO the anna
teur was obliged to compensate his friend
for the contents of his pocket-book,
probably resolving at the same time to
eschew ever after any such practical
jokes.


While the writer was one day con-
yersing in car with a friend on this
subject, he told the following story !:
The best joke I know of about pick
pockets is what happened to a gentle
man named A., who at the time was
President of one of our New York banks.
/ had occasion to go to Philadelphia to
attend to some business in which A.
was interested, and in the cars met q
friend, an old gentleman and his grown
up son. When we reached Philadelphia,





the coach of the hotel to which we were
going, preferring to go more cheaply by
the horse-cars. We had got to the
hotel before him, and when he joined us he
said he had his pocket picked on the cars.
He and Mr.. A. had been talking
with friend about something else, but
catching word or two of the converse
ton he asked me about it, and when I
told him what had happened, he said :
"Oh can never have any sympathy
with man who has had his pocket
picked. Why, when I was getting on
the cars at New York fellow reached
across me very roughly, pretending that
he wanted to reach the knob of the
door. looked at him and knew in a
minute that he was a pickpocket SO
I just put my hand on my breast pocket,
where carried my pocket-book and
papers, and kept it there, while looked
| at him so as to let him see that knew
who he was and what he was after"


We then went on conversing about
the business that had brought us to
PHILADELPHIA. After discussing it fol
some time Mr.. A. wished to show us
some memoranda he had made, and put
his hand into his breast pocket to gel
his pocket-book, in which they were.
saw him start, and asked what was the
maGtef, When ne EXCLAIMED, WIN cOun
tenance expressing the most intense
astonishment, Why, my pocket-bool
is gone.'


It was very clear that the man tina
reached across him had taken his pocket
book, and that he had been ever sine,
feeling the other papers in his breas
pocket, and been thus deluded with tn,


idea that his pocket-book was safe. I


was very nervous business for him, TO


he had brought on about $50, 600 wortl


of notes of Philadelphia merchants t.
negotiate for his bank, and he had be


sides some five or six hundred dollars il


bills. He asked me what he should dc


when advised him to telegraph i'm


mediately to New York, and put an ad
vertisement in the newspapers offerin
at least $4,000 for the return of th


papers. He replied, "Oh no; $50
will do" Very well, said I, "try it.
He did try it, and received note statin


that s.. 900 were required. He tried t
negotiate for less, but was finally CON
PEELED to pay the price named. Sine
then I have occasionally amused mysel
, by quoting to him his own remark
ooh I can have no sympathy with