Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-22
4 TRAMP WITH NERVE.
sEWAsUsE0 TO DIGGING UP coRPsEs
AND DIDN'T FEAR GHOSTS.


Learned After an Attempt to Scare Him.
VIII j. Davis told the saunterer a tale
hat smacks of the flavor of frontier life
nd is so different from the usual type OF
boating anecdotes that it is worth a place
a newspaper. He calls it the story OF
he tramp with nerve. The scene is a pros
porous little town on the Union Pacific
load. There the engine had to stop for
water and from there also a stage line or
Two diverged, so that it was a bustlinR
metropolis for small town on the wide
plains. But the place had greater repu-
alton than the stage line or its CONNER
bal Importance could give it. 1t was the
tation where the tramps were ''firedn
rom the trains coming east and going
vest. They were so many in number that
they became a great nuisance, for they had
10 be cared for in some way, else the results
f their predatory excursions would cause
General sorrow.
The business men were all healthy. TO-
bust, jolly lot of fellows, every one ready
Ind anxious to play a practical joke when
be could do it without endangering his own
physical welfare. They put their heads to-
Eether-for there is wisdom in a multitude
bf counsel-and finally plan of campaign
*vas agreed upon Each new tramp visitor
Fvas 70 be met by n committee of one. who
would formally wish him all sorts of bodily
comfort and material success with mental
Serenity. He would be escorted 70 tho
leadinS restaurant, and at the towns ex.
Eeuse the best dinner was given him
Popped OF by satisfying drink and a good
EIgar
TIE GREAT SCHEME.
And when the victuals and viands had
warmed him up to condition of mellow
hess and the fumes of a first class cigar
Pad Iuiled his brain into placid state this
Fommltteeman unraveled to him scheme
Fhat would pan out rich to any one under
FakinC 1t. 1t was this; A rich and miserlv
woman, SO the narrative ran, had died a
Pew DAYS ago, and her last request was that
per diamonds, valued at $4,000, should be
Fewed up under her left arm and buried
with her. 1t was the desire of the commit
Keenan, to undertake this job of resurrect-
png the body and getting the diamonds.
hnd there was only one obstacle in the
way He could get no one to 60 in with
him.
Every one in town was to- cowardly and
Haired not do it in spite of the confidential
FHer made by local jeweler that he would
give S2,JOO spot cash for the Jewels 'If
you go IN with me-" the committeeman
would remark, you can have one-half in
Phard dollars, or s., $50" The offer was AL !
ways accepted and the fun began without /
Felay. The citizens had on hand a lot of /
/ he tools of grave resurrectionist, all |
feady for use. This joke was PLAYED on |
fvery tramp on the day of his arrival, and |
p that no time should be lost and no more |
money expended in his care than was abso- |
I utely necessary the same night was the |
PINE fixed for the deed.
In anticipation of the arrival of Migrants |
committeeman was appointed each dav. |
There was great disappointment in the |
fown when the diurn8l tramp failed to put |
N an appearance. Generally they were |
pune punctual. Their visits averaged five |
week The tramp of nerve came on the |
pay that VIII Davis, calmly waiting his ar
fIval when the train pulled In, was to Off |
Eiate. de was dirty, greasy, wholly di- |
papdated appearing fellow, with desper-
ate air and determined peck marked face.
The word was passed round that the vic.
tim had come. Will Davis treated him as
the other distinguished visitors had been
treated-with an excellent dinner and ci-
CARS. He was at the top notch of physical |
comfort. A hearty dinner, old rye and n |
havana have wonderful effect on a |
tramp's nature
Il THE CEMETERY.
Then the grave robbing scheme was
preached. The man thought it capital |
idea and mighty good way to earn a pile |
of money. "Pard, / can give you some |
points on raising 'stiffs,' " he said to Davis. |
I'm an old hand at the business and no |
one can do better piece of work in that |
line than ! can" So the preparations |
were completed and the two waited for |
nightfail. The town jokers also got ready.
In due time Davis and his friend went to |
the cemetery with their tools and rigging |
and commenced to work.
By way of depression it may be stated |
that twelve or fifteen fellows supplied |
with white sheets and revolvers |
and also went to the graveyard before
hand. Each one threw the sheet about
him and hid behind a convenient grave
stone. In the midst of the resurrection
course it was on mound
for the purpose that they oper-
ated-these figures would rise up stimuli
taneously and with a series Of unearthly
yells would fire off the blank cartridges
with which the revolvers were loaded.
The committeeman would beg his friend
the tramp to fly for his life, and in every
case heretofore the tramp had dropped
spade and tackle, and with yells outlying
the ghostly apparition would take to his
heels and get him out of sight as far as his
legs would carry him. He would never
come back again, and that was the way
the town got rid of it's tramp visitors and
had heaps of fun in securing that result.
But viii Davis tramp was another kind
Of breed When he had dug big hole and
seemed to be in a fair way of reaching the
buried treasure the figures rose up accord
ing to custom and began firing. Davis
rolled over and exclaimed: ooh, Pm shot
I'm killed. Run, run for your life" Did
the tramp run? Not bit of it. He turned
to Davis and in q courageous voice said;
Partner, I'm here with you, and Pm 60
ing to stay with you" And he took big
revolver from each of his hip pockets and
began to fire, directing his bullets where
he thought the other shots came from. He
fired real balls, and Davis said that he
could hear them ringing against the grave
stones, and he trembled for the safety of
his joking comrades.
The way those jokers got out of that
cemetery was a caution. They did not run,