Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-08-26
He sTaucK IN seLF-pEFENcF

How the "Boys" of Rehoboth Beach
RaPed in Cnptain Frederick, az
s'JimmY's" Expense.
There is a good and oft told Joke told
Oh Rehoboth Beach pioneer Really 1t
is D good that it will bear telling again,
without losing bit of It's rich flavor
Early in the history of Rehoboth Beach.
or as the late General Assembly will have
IL, Cape Henlopen City there lived there
on an eccentric individual by the name
of Captain frederick, who owned much
Of the land lying thereabouts
He was good natured, close and
popular, but the fishermen and others
who lived in the nelghborhcod never
tired playing jokes upon him
Frederick kept q saloon, the only one
In the neighborhood. and II there was
any thing he desrised II was TO be stood
Off by man who ordered drinks This
the boys" knew full we'll, and 1t was
seldom, indeed, that one went for the
lIauor THAT biteth like serpent snd
stingeth like an adder" unless he had ten
or more cents ia his pocket.
One cold, winter night some OF the
boys found the body Of drowned
sailor on the beach. It was frozen
straight and stiff. The finders of the
body told several others aud together
they concocted the details Of practical
joke to play on old TredeDiek.
Two Of the lustiest Of the boys"
hooked arms with the corpse and the
others crowded around them. In this
manner they marched into Tredenick's
tavern, ard up to the bar They stood
the stffened corpse up against the bar,
and ranged along back OF il and on both
sides
Now. It so happened that Captain
Trs der ick at that time had an affection
OF the eyes, and therefore he did not
notice the deception.
He turned towards his customers al
cheerily asked
What will it be, boysT'
well, Cap, said one Of the men. who
had been chosen as spokesman, Wed
just take a drink around. It's Jimmys
treat AS he said this he slapped the
corpse on the back to indicate to she
proprietor that that was Jimmy.
The captain handed out the bottle and
glasses and each man took big drink,
aud one of the men poured out drink
and set It in front Of Jimmy
They then walked out and left the
corpse and bis glass Of liquor at the
counter. just outside the door they
halted to see the fun
Frederick got bis rag and began TO
mop the spilled liquor from the bar, re
marking TO Jimmy
.0ue dollar, please
There was no rspl . Tiedenick looked
at his man and almos yelled:
Il want a dollar out of you
Jimmy maintsined stolid silence.
This set Frederick wild.
"You want to stand me of do you
Well, d--n your eyes, take thatp
he let 20 with his righs hand aud
caught Jimmy" full ia the face The
allow felled him to the floor like an OK.
He was rushing around 10 the end Of
the bar to administer heavier punish
ment when the door was showed open
and ''Jimmy's" companions rushed IN.
Before Frederick could reach the body
two of the boys" knet by Jimmy -"
side. One of them put his ear to bis
breast aud looking up with a scared and
strained look said solemnly:
NV God, captain You have killed
this man
What You don't mean itr'
Yes he is dead. ="
Tredenick grew white AZ sheet. he
saw the gallows loom before him Quick
as fash he said
Well, boys don't care a d--n. The
id cutthroat drew knife on me
Slowly and tenderly the boy raised
Jimmy and bore MIN from the place
Tredenick suffered untod agony until
next mora log, when some Of the boys let
the cat cat OF the bag
II is said that when the old captain
understood things fully The air, sky snd
water 10 the neighborhood OF Lewes we're
as blue as they ever we're along the Msdit-
terranean. The old captain is dea, and
IL he and Jimmy have met in tbs
other world, the latter has doubtless re
fused to psYa 81 whiskey sill which
frederick presented to him.