The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1891-05-21
VOL. XII.
SUMMONS SERVERS.
They Must Be Possessed Of En-
ergy, Ingenuity and "Cheek."
A Business That Requires Man to Al
most Go Through Fire and Water to
Attain Success-The Clever Ruse of
Genius in His Line.


mined and, above all, cheeky" says
the New York Times, that man is the
unfortunate server of summonses.
Serving summonses is a good deal like
driving q skittish horse-anybody can
do it until something happens, and then
when something does happen, unless
the driver or the server can do some
thing more than hold on to the reins or
hold out his summons, he is done for.
The tricks that are taken to get the
best of the summons-server are legion.
Defendants in suits, even if they have
'scruples against lying at other times,
feel that to lie to summons-server is
perfectly legitimate, and, as it were,
only making one of his own moves
against him. For the server himself
never hesitates to lie. 1t is one of his
most useful tricks. He is any thing
while trying to get near enough to Mr..
Blank to serve him with the summons
he is paid for serving. He is a particu
lar friend just come to the city from
lIoboken or the West, and has not seen
Mr.. Blank in years, or he is the real
estate agent who was talking with MIR.
ibilhh ldoC WCCh dOOuV NiiOoO NuludUiC
lots in Harlem, or he is special mes
senger from a business friend of Mr..
Blank who wants to see him at once on
the most important business and can
not possibly come to his Office. ANY
and all and mazy more such personages
is the summons-server at different times
of his arduous career, until it is II
wonder that he doesn't himself forget
what he is, and when he catches his
victim fail to recollect to hold out the
little official piece of paper and say:
''Mr. Blank, here is a summons in a
suit brought by" But the summons
server never forgets.
AS general rule the summons-server
carries on his disagreeable business
quietly, but of course well-equipped
server never hesitates to ''make stir"
if it is necessary. If his victim jumped
into the water, very likely he would
Jump in after him if there wasn't boat
handy and serve his summons before
attempting to save his man from drown
ing. In fact, q summons-server with
out a large bump of determination
would be of little good, while the one
who is determined and at the same time
quiclx-witted enough to make his deter
mination valuable is never out of job.
He gets up reputation as a reliable
man, one who always nails the defend
ant he is set on, and a lawyer who
knows the man he wants to serve will
be difficult to catch, doesn't put his sum-
mons in the hands of his office boy, but
sends for the server with the reputa-
ton.
1t sometimes happens that piece OF
ingenious summons-serving is done in
public, and sometimes SO neatly that
those who see it done are SO taken UP
with the admiration for the ingenious
server that they quite forget to sympa
thize with the victim, which ordinarily
they would do, knowing that the chances
are in favor of their at some time being
in his place, rather than of their ever
having to try to serve summonses them
selves.
Such q case occurred in East Fifty
ninth street the other night, and wa
witnessed by twenty or thirty passen
gers on Belt Line street-car and half |
dozen pedestrians. The car was bowl
ing along rapidly. Suddenly two mel
tdashed out from one of the avenue
ecrossing Fifty-ninth street, one Of then
:tlbouttwenty feet in advance of the other
who was shouting at the top Of h!
Voice: '"Stop thief! Stop thief!' One 0
two pedestrians joined in the pursuit.
and the policeman at the corner got hi
unwieldly frame into motion. But tn
supposed thief was faster runner tha
any of the others, and jumping o
to the front platform of the car Il
gasped to the driver: II am no THE
Whip up your horses, and here's 90
lar" Then he went inside and ST
down, and all the other passenger
looked at him askance.
The conductor evidently Thought
was his place to get his car through {
time, and not to stop to let man aft
whom ''stop, thiefl' was being cal,
be captured. But when he saw the p
liceman in the crowd of pursuers
pulled the bell-strap and the car can
to stop. The man who had first a
peared in pursuit leaped on board al
rushed up to the man whom he hi
called thief. The other passenge
looked to see him take the man by Il
collar, and the policeman was just
the rear platform ready to put him u
der arrest. Pulling a paper from l
pocket the pursuer held it out to t
pursued and said: ''Mr. -, here is t
summons in that suit.of -"
And then the policeman swore |
cause he had to run block to heir
summons-server, and the car went on
way. The man who had been serv
looked detected, but he remarked
his next neighbor: 'It's just as well
suppose. 1t was bound to come Sol
time. knew at the start that that
low would serve his summons so
way. He's been after me for we
and has played all sorts Of sharp gan
to get ut me. That last one was bril-
trick, though, wasn't it? He was w,
ing for me outside my house but l S
him just in time to get good start. ]
think l ought to sue him for defar
tion OF character for calling after
Stop thiefp,
Fishing In England.
n