Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-01


SPECIMENS OF QUEER PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN DE-
TRoIT-s TRANCE VIEWS as TO WHAT 4 JOKE
Consist OF.
About midnight Friday night a man
named John Lenox, living well out on the
North erd Of Beaubien street. was reused
from su mber by some one kicking open his
front door. lie thought it queer way to
come down upon law-abiding citizen, but
hadn't time to study the subject thorough
ly before three men were in the room. One
OF them struck match and lighted the
lamp, and LenOx saw that they had mOsqui-
TO gauze over their faces, and were other
wise disguised. As near as he could Judge
from their voices none of the party were
above twenty-one or twenty-five We hrs of
age, and only one had any beard. lie lox's
wife died several months ago, and he and
his boy Samuel, lad of eleven, have been
keeping house since He sat up too as
tonished to speak until the fellows helped
themselves to chairs, when he asked them
what was wanted. They made no reply,
looking very solemn, and the hair on Mr..
Lenox's head began to reach toward the
ceiling. Atte-. three or four minutes ST.
lence one of t,he parties said :" Mr.. Len
OK, get out of that - The man thou ght
they meant to rob him, and he told them
they would find four dollars in his wallet
Mr.. Lenox, get out of that - reiterated
tie unknown in hoarse voice. Lenox
obeyed, and when he had the leader con-
tinued - Now giveus a song" Hepull-
ed on his pants and stood before them. The
man can't sing any more than grindstone
can play tune, and he told them so, but
the unknown replied; Mr.. Lenox, please
sing" Almost everybody, singer or no
sin boe h. he IL e
less songs, and presently Lenox ST ruck ont
with the " Old Kentucky Shore while one
of his visitors whistled, another l)atted his
leg, and.th third kept time with his boot
on the floor. The noise awoke the boy, and
he began to howl, when one of the men
helped him out of bed and ordered him to
shuttle while his father sung. The boy
obeyed, bowling as he trotted his feet up
and down, and the picture made the ruff
ans laugh loud and long. Then they made
Lenox dance and the boy sing, and then or
dered both to dance and sing together,
while knife was used to beat t fme on a tin
pan. Lenox begged them to Ia Ike his mon
ey and go, but they were not h alf through
yet. They made him turn Z" cartwheels''
AROUND the room, stand on his head, hold
the stove handle between his teeth. and
hnally allowed him to rest viii lie they put
the Doy through another progra mme. Len
OK offered them his money, but they would
not touch 1t. saying they were only sur
prise party. There was buncl Of onions
on the table. and spying them, tn trio made
the father eat two Of them, and : lirly howl
ed with laughter 70 see his tee.rs and grim
aces
Finally, about an hour and a, half after
their entrance, the rasca'.s got ready to
leave. The bed had a co I'd in it, and they
took the rope out and tt ed the flther to one
door and the son to Il le anoth sr, arms be-
were collected and lied up be fore Lenox
until he could scarce Nv be seen. and the wa
ter pail was inyerte / and the b oy made to
stand on It, The the fellows left the
mouse, the leader thanking Lsnox for his
pIomptness and ourtesy in furnishing them
psesanl pas5lm ), and they were soon out
" nearing W. ting awhile, the boy work