The Great Egg Heist: A Drunken Chase Ends in Laughter on Pike Street

A street had an excitement last evening that will not be forgotten. James Quinn started it. Coming by Williams' butter store, on First avenue, near Pike, he saw a case of twelve dozen eggs. They seemed to be fresh, and Quinn seized the box in his arms and set off up the avenue on a trot, with Williams following behind.

"Stop thief!" cried the pursuer. "You measly son of a saginaw hen!"

As the chase swept up the avenue hundreds of people caught the excitement and came speeding along behind. Then Lieutenant Cameron tightened his belt, telephoned down to his tower extremity to get a move on the marauders, and was soon forging ahead at full speed with a revolver in one hand and red light gleaming from both his eyes.

"Halt!" he shouted, "Halt, or die!"

Simultaneously his revolver exploded, the fugitive gave a yell, and the case of eggs came down with a crash on the sidewalk.

The crowd cried out, "He is dead!" but he wasn't. Picking himself up quite briskly, the purloiner of eggs said to the officer, "Here I am. Take me in; you are yours to keep."

Then, as the crowd gathered round, the prisoner remarked, "Boys, I want a cigarette. Will somebody supply my need?"

A citizen thereupon handed over his tobacco pouch, which Quinn deliberately proceeded to empty into his coat pocket and then returned the sack, to the great amusement of the crowd.

"Nothing of an excitement, is it?" said Quinn to the officer. "I have only been in town for a few days, and this is the most fun I've seen yet. Say, won't you take a dollar for the eggs that got broken and let me go? Sure, on my honor, you've got the wrong man, anyhow; a drunken fellow stumbled over the case of eggs while I was passing the store, and I had to run for fear that the proprietor of the store would have me arrested by mistake."

Officer Cameron telephoned for the patrol wagon and took Quinn off to jail.