A Victim of His Honesty

• 1908
• Other, Drama

We see an unfortunate outcast begging of the passerby on the meet. Soon hungry and weary, he falls asleep on a bench, but is not allowed to slumber long, for a policeman comes up and orders him to move on. We next see him trudging down a thoroughfare, when he picks up a purse that a careless woman has dropped. He opens it to see if it contains anything of value, when part of the money and some of the papers slip out. The woman, on missing her purse, hastens to the police station to report her loss. While there the poor beggar, who is too honest to keep what does not belong to him, enters and hands the bag over to the officer at the desk, who gives it to the woman. She is overjoyed to get it back, but on opening it discovers that part of the contents are missing, and immediately accuses the poor man. Grabbing him, they throw him into a cell, refusing to listen to his plea for mercy. As all this is taking place at police headquarters, another pedestrian, passing the spot where the tramp found the purse, sees something on the pavement that attracts his attention, and when he picks it up, finds greenbacks and valuable papers rolled together. He also hurries to the station, where the woman recognizes her property. When they realize the injustice that has been done the beggar, they hasten to his cell to release him without delay. But, alas, they are too late, for the lifeless form of the discouraged and heartbroken beggar is seen hanging from the window bars as they enter.