The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-02-24
The Lost Pore Fineer.

Joe Grimaldi, the famous English
clown was walking hone one evening
from a friends house at Euield, when be
was stopped by a foot pat, who, present
ing a pistol TO his head, demanded in s
fierce voice. his money or his life p
Glimaldi was compelled to surrender his
purse, but strange to say, the robber left
him his watch, although there was sufi.
cient light to see the glittering seals al
the fob. Grimaldi noticed when the man
held the pistolup, that he bad lost bis
fore finger. Some three months after
wards, rs he was sitting at the Tigers
Head, Higbgate, a laboring man came in,
aud sitting down at the next table, called
for a mug Of ale. The voice arrested
Grimaldi's attention, and lie came to the
conclusion that it was the robher; he
the. efore watched him as he took out the
money to pay, and sure enough, the mah
had no fore-hDger. As they were the on
IT, two in the room, Grimaldi rose aud sat
down opposite to him. The man seemed
uneasy, and was about rising to 60, when
Joe said
I want to say a word to you. You
arc the man that stopped me on the road
lately and robbed me. Why should i
AOb Tvs JO0 IhSO 0oiO0
The poor fellow trembled and said
For Gods sake, listen first. L was
then, and am now, almost starving. l
have q wife aud three children at home
nothing but distress drove me to that
crime. 1t was the iest and last time l
was ever guilty of dishonesty
How do know that you are not lying
now p said Grimaldi.
will you come to the end of the village
and see where / live 1 swear it will be
quite safe but don't expose me to my
wife
lob, I don't fear the devil himself re-
piled Grimaldi, when l am prepared, l
will go with you
In a few minutes he entered the cottage.
There he found a poor genteel, half
starved miserable woman, and three chill
dreu. Sure enough, there was misery.
He gave the poor fellow what little
change ho had, and also his address, and
said:
when you are in distress, come to me-
The man accompanied him back to the
village to buy some food, aud with a full
tering voice uttered 4 few words of graft
tude.
Some two or three years afterwards, on
the morning of Grimaldis benefit, a gen.
tleman called at his house when he was
out, and bought \ largo number of tickets.
This was repeated TOR several times
whenever the great clown mad q benefit.
curiosity was raised, and he
to watch when his uext benefit
csme. The morning passed, but no mys-
terious stranger came, aud Grimaldi was
obliged to go out. He had not been gone
long ere the stranger came, bought his
number of tickets, and went away.
o. his return in the afternoon, he cross
questioned bis servant closely, as to the
personal appearanceo of The gehtlepan.
Oh said the servant, TIE only thing 1
noticed about him was that he had no
fore fuger-it seems to have been cut off.
This explained the whole, aud the clown
knew who his friends was.
Some years ago Grimaldi received a
letter enclosing a bank note for a hun
bred pounds. L, was from the man who
him. He stated he had prosper
ID, that money had been left him by a
and he was going to America
he thanked Grimaldi most fei vently, and
babe him farewell by a letter, not daring
again to look him in the face.-GrimaldI
often quotes thif as q proof of the, supe,
rior efficacy of Judging gently of our fell
creatures.