The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-21
RUINED HOnEs,
A Villain who has Wrecked the Peace q
Nine North side Families.

Nine North Side Families.
cstcagO Tribune.
While strolling about in Lincoln Park
yesterday afternoon admiring the flowers
watching the romping children, the lovert
and the dudes, a Tribune reporter reach.
ed rustic bench in an obscure path and
sat down to rest. The other end OF the
bench was already occupied by man
whose face was buried in his folded arms,
and who seemed to be either absorbed in
thought or asleep. Suddenly the figure on
the other end efthe bench Strengthened up,
and q face seemingly conyulsed with pain
was brought into view. The eyes wore a
dead look and the lips were tightly COM
pressed. All at once a light came into the
eyes, the stranger stretched out his hand,
and exclaimed warmly: "1'm so glad TO
see you. I've wanted to see some Of my
old friends, but this great trouble has so
Frustrated me that have been able to do
nothing."
1t took second look to satisfy the repor.
ter that the figure before him was that Of
an old friend who once lived on the West
Side.
~ hardly recognized you," apologized
the newspaper man. "You said something
about trouble. l didn't know that any.
thing worried you. Why few months
ago you were the jolliest man on the West
Side.
a know T was" aaid the other, as he
wiped away q tear; "but Just look at me
now. See how thin I've grown, and how
pale and careworn. Oh but I've suffered.
Listen.
He drew nearer to the reporter, pulled a
flask from an inner pocket, took a long
pull at it, and replaced 1t. The scribe was
thunderstruck. Mr.. Blank was deacon
Of West. Side Baptist church once and
was known as total abstainer.
Eyes, listen to me-" continued the man,
wiping his lips, sand learn how the happi-
ness OF Mint. families may be wrecked by
one heartless, unfeeling tlend, for II ever
there was fend that man is one. But to
begin at the beginning. When you knew
me last fall lived on the West Side, but
last May Mrs. Blank prevailed upon me to
move 10 the North Side. We found a
pretty fiat in a row Of new houses on Bis.
sell street, and got nicely settled by the
LIST OF June. Everything moved smoothly
until one day about six weeks ago the oc-
cupants Of the fats on the west side Of the
street discovered that one OF the flats on
the east side OF the street contained
a piano. Nothing strange in that, you
say? Ah, but wait, wait. The piano
was all right, perhapP, except that
It was sort Of 'tinpanny,' but
on the fiend incarnate who performs upon
1t. Performs upon it, did l say? Rather
let me say pounds 1t, hammers it, jumps
on it, smashesit. He seems to have no use
for any music but his own. We stood It
for a few days, and hoped he would die
from over-exertion, but it daily grew worse,
until 1t has wrecked the lives and blasted
the hopes Of the occupants Of the row,
your unfortunate servant among them. We
tried to get sight of the fiend who was
driving US mad, and neighbor sat for
three days with q Winchester rifle trying
to get sight at him, but to no purpose.
We have never seen him, but we know
from the way lie plays what he looks like.
He Is hump-backed and his body is cover.
ed with red hair. He has but one eye, and
that is in the centre Of his forehead. His
mouth Is cavern, and he has teeth like q
budl ks Lid IL no alo ~ ious thAt LILO hauNh
touch the ground as he stands before the
instrument Of torture. His hands are as
big as hang, and he has fingers like sec.
tons OF bologna sausage. No one but a
person who looks like this could be cruel
enough to do as this fiend does. He
laughs in glee as he runs his enormous
paws across the keys. He slashes, he
thumps, he slaps, bangs, punches, batters,
beats, whacks, pummels, bastes and lashes.
The instrument groans, yells and prays for
mercy, but he never LET'S up. The neigh.
bos are all beginning to look like me, thin
-careworn, and emaciated. There have
been two deaths in the block which may
be traced directly 10 this monster. We
seriously contemplate blowing up the
house, but have not quise decided what to
do. In the meantime We are graually but
surely approaching madness, and are driy-
en- from our homes" Poor Blank groaned
deeply and dropped his head upon his
breast.