The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-11
a STAGE RUMPUS

} Dom Piatt, writing in the Ou1ito! Of stag
ride in New York, says:
W late the stage companies, to escape tn,
well-known robbery by drivers, have put thu
patent box in each stage. The drivers Civ,
change, but are not permitted to take the fare
We were seated, when stout gentleman en-
tered and crowded into a corner near the door
tor the s age was crowded. The newcomer
took from his vest pocket ragged note ana
passed it along the line The man nearest the
box was lneek-eyed creature in the ncle
breasted coat upon which confding pious
females are so fond Of casting their burdens
aud sometimes themselves, for he was evil
IDENTIFY 3 clergyman. This humble follower OF
the Lord lifted the note and dropped it int
the box.
| "Halloo - cried the indignant adipose near
the door; s'what d'you do that tur? It's a
quarter"
I'm very sorry, I'm sure" stammerea the
Gospel expounder
Much good'll your sorrow DO me- arswer-
ed indignation, working his way to the hole
| through which the driver conversed with the
passengers. He trod on several corns as he
pulled at the strap The stage came to
halt.
~ want my change. . he shouted up through
the lie.
What changer" shouted down the driver.
I put q quarter in the box"
"More fool You.
II want none of your impudenoe
% What do You want them"
II want my change"
&C. You can't fool me that way How do
know you put a Quarter in % And the driver
started. The clergyman sprang up and pulled
the strap and shouted:
~ put the quarter in, nv good man. il il
all correct"
1.-TWO of you," retorted the driver, driving
on. Both adipose and piety hung to the
strap.
"Damn your ornary souls" roared the dri-
yer. do you want to pull NV leg OFF, Eff you
tech that strap again III come down and bay
window yer countenances." Again the stage
rolled on.
Permit me, sir" said the clergyman, pail
ing out very thin pocket-bcok "A pocket
book that looked as if it had gone in
decline, decline to pay anything-and pre-
~ don't want your money" was the grufY
res oonse, II want my own, and l am going
to have it, and he seized the strap at the
moment hook-nosed old lady, who resem |
bled hawk in delicate health, seized it. TIE
feminine hook-nose wanted to get out The
driver made no response. In an instant the |
fat man. the clergyman and the old lady wers
swinging on the strap. The strap suddenly |
gave way, as if it or the drivers leg were
broken, and the three, tumbling over each
other, fell to the bottom, amid roars of laugh |
ter from all of us. The stage came to q halt. !
and we heard the driver shout ''P'lice! p'lice!"
as loud as he could bawl
policeman responding the driver in
formed him that there was riot going on !
among the lunatics inside bis stage, and he'd
better settle 'em before we had another cs--
hook murder" The policeman opened u.
door. The belligerents had So osided, save tbs
Did lady, who, attempting TO get out, wa,
arrested. The fat man explained
the case.
How is this, driver?" asked the police
man. "This man says he put quarter in
your box and You wont give him his change"
"No. I'd think not, was the dry response:
he way for him to do is to file an atlidavy with
he surrogate. It'l only cost him dollar"
There is but one course for a policeman to
pursue, and that is to arrest somebody. IF he
'annot arrest any one, he puts on dignifed
'ir and marches away In this case the con
ervator Of the peace compromised. He ar
es-ed the old hook-nosed female party-the
MY innocent actor among us-and held her
u durance as far as the sidewalk, and We
oiled on.