Punch (69.1875)

Augdst 7, 1875.]

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

45

" USED TO IT!"

Officer at firing-point (who thinks that it's raining). " Sergeant Mauchline, hadn't you better weak your Great Coat till
it's your Turn to Fire?"

Sergeant Mauchline (frae the " Land of Lome'). " Hoo 1 No the noo ! I'll pit it on when ir comes Wat I"

CABMAN EXTRAORDINARY.

It is not always that Virtue is its own reward, and gets no other.
At the Middlesex Sessions, the other day, one John Morris, a
shoemaker, who had stolen a purse containing £l 10s., the property
of George Hardwicke, from his person, was brought to justice.
This satisfactory result was owing to the exceptional courage, steadi-
ness, energy, and self-denial—if not honesty—of a certain cabman,
badge 5665, living at No. 17, Great Warner Street, Clerkenwell.
The offence was committed on the person of an old gentleman taken
into 5665's cab. The old gentleman was drunk and incapable. He
and the prisoner together were taken into the cab at Cockspur
Street, and 5665 was directed to drive them to Moring's Hotel,
Dean Street, Soho. Suspecting the old gentleman's companion,
5665 on the way was led to lift the trap on the top of the cab, and
peep in, to see what he was about. That, he perceived, was picking
the old gentleman's trousers' pocket. Thence the prisoner extracted
a purse of gold. He transferred it to the pocket of his own waist-
coat. Cabman 5665 called out to the prisoner that he was robbing
the man. The prisoner offered him a dollar to pull up short of, or
beyond, Moring's Hotel. The Cabman indignantly refused the bribe,
and threatened the thief that he would give him in charge. Here-
upon, the thief jumped out and bolted—5665 after him, leaving his
cab in the street, unattended. When he came up with him, the thief
threatened violence if he followed further, and 5665 saying he would
do so, struck him a violent blow in the face. The Cabman, showing
fight, the thief took to his heels.

"It's no use your attempting to get away," said 5665, "for
wherever you go I'll follow you."

He accordingly followed him through several streets about Soho
for nearly half-an-hour. At length a policeman was found. What
a wonder! The prisoner of course was collared.

In the meanwhile 5665's cab had stood where he left it, taking
care of itself. After a long search it was found with the old
gentleman safe inside. There is a sweet little cherub that takes
care of drunken men and fools. " The prisoner expressed his

willingness to go to the station-hoase, but wished to go there in the
cab with the prosecutor." But—

'•The cabman appeared to have had considerable acuteness here, for he
told the policeman that if he was allowed to go in the cab with the prosecutor
alone, there was no doubt that he would put back into his pocket the money
he had stolen from him."

No less downy than valiant and true. The thief having been
found guilty, the true man received at least some recompense
besides that to which virtue is proverbially limited. The Assistant-
Judge then ordered him to stand forward, and said that "the
Grand Jury by their presentment had expressed their high approba-
tion of his conduct, and of his great energy and Bkill in apprehend-
ing the prisoner." The Judge added that—

" He had much pleasure in endorsing their approval, and should order him
to receive a reward of £2, in addition to his ordinary expenses."

Virtue thus, for once in the way, got £2 reward in addition to its
own. It remains only to state the name of the gallant, resolute,
and honest Cabman, 5665. He is named Samuel Isaacs. There !
And we should not be surprised to hear that he had a hooked nose.
This is only a surmise; but we mention it in order to take an oppor-
tunity of doing all possible justice to hook-nose gentlemen of the
name of Isaacs.__

Appeal for a Lincolnshire Worthy.

(Once on, now under, the Turf.)

Dear Mr. Punch,

A Church is about to be erected to the memory of the late
"Mr. Launde." May I suggest that it should be dedicated to
St. Leger, and that the Bishop of the Diocese should lay the foun-
dation-stone during the pilgrimage to the shrine of the Saint at
Doncaster during next September. Is an Apology necessary if I
ask for subscriptions ?

Holy Friab.

vol. lsix.