ACTRESS V. PICKPOCKET.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 39, 14 May 1907, Page 5

ACTRESS V. PICKPOCKET.

As most people know, when travelling by an American railway, the passenger at the depot of departure hands over his bagage to the officials and on payment of a fee receives a metal oheck, which he returns in exchange for his trunks on arrival at his destination. The system has its advantages, but it has also its draw backs—notably, the fatal one of occasional loss of the check, for the baggage-master will only hand over the luggage on receipt of the vouchers.

! A leading light of English Comic Opera, Miss C. P., was going from | New York to Philadelphia to join a company. Like a prudent young woj man, she had packed away her dol- ; lar bills in her swanbili corsets, but ! her baggage checks she had left in I her pocket. Presently she fell asleep ! and did not fully awake till, in a j "semi-dozy" state she fancied she felt a slight pull at her dress. Opening her eyes she found that a very gentleman-dike looking man was sitting next to her. She put her hand in her pocket. The checks were gone. At the moment she did not know what to do. The conductor was not in the car, an<| even had he been, what proof had she to support an accusation against her neighbour ? After reflecting, she resolved to bide her time and trust to fortune, for her friends would meet her at Philadelphia. The situation was peculiarly unpleasant, for her boxes contained her jewellery and costumes, besides her clothes. At last Philadelphia was reached. She got up. The gentleman-like man got up. The baggage-master appeared. An inspiration seized her. "This gentleman,'’ she said, pointing to her companion, "has got my checks." Utterly flabbergasted, the thief pulled the precious vouchers out of his pocket, handed them to the bag-gage-master, and vanished into the night.