Washington Sentinel

General Intelligence.

New Phrase of Rascality.--Some facts of recent occurrence have come to our knowledge which fully justify their caption. They are briefly these: While a bright, active boy, aged about twelve or thirteen years, son of Mrs. Walling, a worthy widow lady, residing at No. 87 West Thirteenth street, was putting in some coal, a quite genteelly dressed, farmer-looking, man stepped up and inquired if he would not like to live in the country, at a good home, and at good wages.

The little fellow's eyes sparkled with unwonted brightness at the idea. He thankfully conducted the benevolent applicant, as he regarded him, to his mother and referred the matter to her. The stranger represented to the mother that he was a professional gardener, in the employ of Mr. Lockwood, near Mount Vernon village, Westchester county, and after a eulogy upon the child and the glowing account of the advantages of the situation, he proposed to pay unusually large wages for a hand so young. Her maternal heart assented after a brief struggle, and the boy was got ready, and dispatched with nine shillings to pay his railroad fare.

Hugh Locklin, a lodger at the same place, getting wind of the arrangement, concluded to follow the party to the railroad station to see if all was right. On arriving there he saw them enter the cars. All things seeming right, he took leave, quite satisfied with the arrangement. Just as he stepped from the platform, some ladies asked him if he knew that man, and followed with the statement that he was a kidnapper, who was known to engage children in this way, and pocketing whatever money furnished, to slip off at the first station, and leave them to get home as best they could--that they had known him to obtain as much as five dollars at a time in this fraudulent and cruel mode, &c. The cars were off. There was no time for parley. He started after them at the top of his speed, shouting, "Stop thief! stop thief!" After chasing about half a mile, he finally got the ear of the conductor, who, influenced by his terrible energy of voice and limb, stopped the train. Coming up promptly, Mr. Locklin boarded the cars, and seizing the scoundrel by the throat, he first made him disgorge the money filched from the wronged widow, and then pitched him from the platform, whence he ran and hid himself. The child was soon restored to the care of its too confiding mother, whose surprise followed by joy may readily be imagined. Let other parents look out for the perpetrator of this latest novelty in the line of villany, lest it may fare worse with their children for lack of some watchful Locklin to take the law into his own hands.--N. Y. Tribune.