The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-06-07
THE IRON HAND.
How . Would-Be kobbef Found / Frlend
Id lt6 Intended Victim.

THE IRON HAND.
dow . would-Bs hobbef Found / Friend
Id ltIS Intended Victim.
John Rcamer, Of the firm Of Kern E.
Reamer, is strong, active and wiry young
man, whose right hand was amputated at
the wrist, writes Toledo correspondent of
the st. Louis Globe Democrat. In place of
the original member he carries q heavy
iron bara. which stood him in good turn re-
Gently, preventing his robbery and proba-
bic murder, and, as the sequel shows, caus-
ing him to- turn philanthropist under Pc
culiar circumstances. There mas been but
brief reference to the matter in the To-
ledo dailies which have neglecte6 an op-
portunity to give particulars Of very in
toresting case.
The night was dark rs Mr.. Reamcr
walked down Cherry street on his wav to
his homo In West Toledo, with a consider
able sun Of money on his person. When
he reached lonely spot in the woods near
the Metropolitan pork he was halted by 4
man who demanded his money or his life.
Mr. Reamer instinctively dropped q small
basket which he carried on his lott arm, 80
a. to mako resistance, whom the highway.
man drew : knife and thrust it at him,
grazing his body and passing it under the
arm and partly through bis intervening
clothes. Mr.. Reamer struck his assailant
a terrific blow In the face with his iron
band, telling him to the ground, aud fol-
lowed this up by pounding his prostrato
antagonist with all his might and MAN, I'M
til he finally groaoed and cried for mercy.
Presently he left the man leaning up against
fence, and with the remark II wasn't
fixed for you this time, but next time
will b." started out on the road. But
before he had gone far he felt the blood
trickling down his left side, and the thought
that after all he might be seriously, il not
fatally, wounded so enraged him that no
started back to further wreak his venge-
ance on the would be road agent The lat
ter saw him coming, and, making desrcr-
alto effort, succeeded in getting away into
the woods and disappearing in the darkness.
Some days after tho encounter Mr..
Rcamcr CHANGED to hear through q ply
stefan about man being very sick in tho
vicinity of Tremainsville. His suspicious
being aroused, he went to sec the man, and
found him dangerously i'll in howell Two
persons lay on a ~retched couch-a man
and wife-both very low, the attendant
told HIM. As soon as the sick man saw
Mr.. Reamer he tried at first to hiIe his
features from him by turning away, but
his visitor thought he recognized the face
Of the patient, swollen, disGgured and
black-and-blue as it was. The sick man,
with great emotion, said: II see you know
mel will have to confess" He then told
Mr. Reamer how he had seen him display a
roll Of bills on the eventful night, and that
he heard him til some one that he could
not get back from certain place until late
that night. Ho added: MY wife was sick,
my children hungry, and l out of money.
and determined to take this chance Of
making raise. How have been punished,
God knows. You certainly will not inform
on me, will yous"
MIR. Rear1cr was deeply affected. Sub
sequent inquiries convinced him that the
man was driven to the decd Of desperation
by poverty and sickness, and he decided to
help him. From intended prosecutor he
turned friend, and is now helping the mis-.
cradle family daily.
FLOWERS AND BIRDS.
They Tako tho Places of Friends witt,
Busy Working Girls.
What class Of persons are your best
customers?" asked reporter for tho New.
York Mail and Ezpre.s of bird fancicr rc-
Gently.
Shop girls, seamstresses, milliners and
other working women" was his unexpected
reply. Erich folks buy the parrots, cdu-
Gated canaries, tho raro foreign birds and
the expensive aquaria, but tho prctcy
working-gi arc tho best and stcadcst
buyers Of the common varieties, and with.
out their custom we should fare badly.
spect''
IL
"Wcll, just you ask tho florists-I mean
tho cheap sidewalk florists of the market
and street corners-who arc their best Gus
toners, and you will get the same answer
that have given you. can't understand
it, either.''
"These pets and flowers" said modest
working-girl to the reporter a half hour
later, they cheer us and we should feel
lost without them. Why, VIC can almost
always tell when one of our companions is
going wrong, that is, coming homo late,
becoming bold and gay, and entertaining
longings for dress and ornaments, by her
giving away her pets and plants or neglect
ing them"
The canary is by long odds the fayorito
pet with working-girls. The little sky-bue
nonparcil birds, Us they are called, lovo
birds, Java sparrows and others arc well
represented. Guiena pigs and white mico
also occasionally receive their share of fos-
tcring attention in these humble homes. AS
to flowers, the harder, cheaper and prctticr
of pot plants are the most popular. Tho
geranium is the most common; then comes
tho hcliotrope, then tho fuschia, and they
also cultivate the all-fower, the primrose.
several varieties of the pink, the oxalis or
wood sorrel and whatever will thrive in cir
cumscribcd quarters with limited care. Tho
worklng-g,rls arc often put to their ingcnu-
ity to have their pots and flowers attended
to during their absence from homo in tho
pursuit of their vocation, especially in cold
weather, when tho moro delicate specimens
arc apt tc suffer severely in the lofty, un.
warmed tencments if not cared for. Some
times one who is too i'll to seek her daily
work, but able to be about within doors, will
minister to the wants of a dozen or more of
such possessions on behalf of companions
lodging in the same house. Sometimes a
kind-heartcd landlady will volunteer SINH
lar off2ces for trifiing reciprocation in tho
way of stitching, mending or of some cheap
but pretty worsted or cardboard ornaments
for her vacant walls.