Page:Newspaper writing and editing.djvu/92



city, they jumped into the big vault and shut the door.

When they tried to get out they could not. Some time later when the cashier saw the door closed, he opened it and found the clerks nearly smothered.

A Wilson banner, soaked with rain, had fallen across a trolley wire and caused the flash.

(2)

"What time is it, please?" asked an innocent looking blond boy in short trousers of Harry G. Lampe on the steps of his hotel at 101 Johnson Street last night.

"I haven't a watch," said Lampe politely. The boy pulled one out and explained that it was 7:30, whereupon they fell into a conversation and Lampe went upstairs in great good humor, only to come running down again. Two sets of false teeth were gone from his back trousers pocket—all the teeth he had in the world.

The boy was seen talking to a group of men and was taken to the White Street station.

Strange to relate, Sergeant William McCarthy, until recently a marine in the Washington Navy Yard, was there explaining to the desk lieutenant how a blond haired boy had just asked to carry his suit-case containing clothes, discharge papers from a twenty-three years' army service, and medals for bravery.

"Sure, he said he'd show me a good hotel and we came to a doorway that was dark. Just like that the wallops came, and me not being able to see who was hitting me. They took my bag and my watch and when I got up and felt for my purse they grabbed that, too; $140 was in it." The door opened on the stealer of teeth. "That's him, B' George!"

So it happened that the child stood before Magistrate Hinton in the