How a Minister's pocket was picked.
--A New York correspondent of a Sunday paper tells the following, which exhibits the character of
Col. Wilson's regiment.
It is too good to be lost:
‘
A good story is told of
Ex-Alderman Billy Wilson's regiment of pickpockets and city vagabonds, who are now encamped on
Staten Island.
A patriotic clergyman got his congregation in
Brooklyn to contribute quite a pile of money last Sunday, for the benefit of
Wilson and his crowd.
He waited upon the ‘"
Colonel"’ at the camp, made him a pretty speech, full of sympathy, explained the purpose of his visit, put his hand in his pocket to take out the gold — but it wasn't there!
He felt in the other pocket — vanished!--‘"Never mind,
Colonel,"’ said our divine, ‘"some of your boys have got it, its all the same."’ The fact being that the reverend gentleman's pocket was picked before he had been on the camp-ground five minutes. This story has leaked out slily, and makes a laugh here.
’