Today’s post as it all*: Stalking! A high-speed carriage chase! Grand theft! An underdeveloped romantic subplot!
* Second Glance History is not responsible in any way, shape or form for the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability or completeness of the above information. Read at your own risk.
A lady and her daughter, while shopping in Regent street, noticed that they were being followed by a stylishly dressed man. The pertinacity with which he kept near them annoyed them so much that they drove to Charing Cross and entered an A.B.C. shop, hoping thus to be rid of him; and they were much exasperated to see, on coming out half an hour later, the unwelcome stranger standing near the door. The elder lady thereupon called a cab, and instructed the driver to take them to their home in one of the suburbs.
On arrival, when the daughter went to take her purse from her pocket, she found it had been stolen. She then remembered that as she had entered the cab the stranger had pushed against her. The purse contained only about 18s, but the loss was turned into a substantial gain by the discovery in the pocket of a handsome diamond ring, which the thief had presumably dropped when he took the purse. The ring has been valued since at £40.
Let’s not jump to any hasty conclusions. Maybe the alleged pickpocket was in love with the daughter and too shy/creepy to propose to her the old-fashioned way. After all, not everyone has the ice cream sundae-scooping skills necessary to win the heart of their one true love. He sounds like a great candidate for a matrimonial agency—I even have a recommendation.
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Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
Hah. Joke’s on her – the ring was stolen and getting hot, so he got rid of it by dumping it in her pocket.
So the 18s was still 100% profit.
That’s a criminal mastermind move. You’re in the wrong industry! …Or there’s something I don’t know. 🤔