The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-25
The aaiehta aairy Eagle saurda. nriug April Is
A TRAMP WITH NERVE
HEWAS USED TO DIGGING UP CoRPsEs
AND DIDN'T FEAR GHOSTS.

A Trick That Failed to Work in One Cas-.
The vagrsnt Was At Home in q Grave
yard rs Some Prominent Business Men
Learned After An Attempt to Scare Hin.
VIII J. Davis told the saunterer q tale
that smacks Of the flavor of frontier life
and Is so different from the usual type Of
floating anecdotes that il is worth a place
In a newspaper. He calls 1t the story Of
the tramp with nerve. The scene is pros
porous little town On the Union Pacific
road. There the engine had to stop for
water and from there also q stage line or
two diverged, so that it was 8 busting
metropolis for small town on the wide
plains. But the place bad Q greater repu-
tation than the stage line or its CONNER
cial importance could give it. It was the
station where the tramps were fired"
from the trains coming east and going
west. They were so many in number that
they became great nuisance, for they had
to be cared for in some way, else the results
of their predatory excursions would cause
general sorrow.
The business men were all healthy, TO
bust, jolly lot of fellows, every one ready
and anxious to play practical joke when
he could do it without endangering his own
physical welfare. They put their heads to-
gether-for there is wisdom in multitude
of counsel-and finally plan of campaign
was agreed upon. Each new tramp visitor
was TO be met by q committee of one, who
would formally wish him all sorts of bodily
comfort and material success with mental
serenity. He would be escorted to the
leading restaurant, and at the towns ex-
pense the best dinner was given him,
topped off by a satisfying drink and good
cigar.
THE GREAT SCHEME
And when the victuals and viauds had
warmed him up to a condition of mellow
ness and the fumes of first class cigar
had lulled his brain into placid state this
committeeman unravsled to him a scheme
that would pan out rich to any one under
taking it. 1t was this, A rich and misery
woman, so the narrative ran, had died a
few days ago. and her last request was that
her diamonds, valued at 10000, should be
sewed up under her left arm and buried
with her. 1t was the desire of the commit
teeman to undertake this job of resurrect-
ing the body and getting the diamonds,
and there was only one obstacle in the
way. He could get no one to go in with
him.
Every one in town was too cowardly and
dared not do it in spite of the confidential
offer made by local jeweler that he would
give $500 spot cash for the jewels IF
you go in with me-" the committeeman
would remark. you can have one-half in
hard dollars, or go" The offer was al
ways accepted aud the fun began Without
delay. The citizens had on hand a. lot of
the tools of a grave resurrectionist, all
ready for use. This joke was played on
every tramp on the day of his arrival, and
so that no limo should be lost and no more
money expended in his care than was abso-
lutely necessary the same night was the
time fixed for the deed
In anticipation Of the arrival of Migrants
a committeeman was appointed each day
There was great disappointment in the
town when the diurnal tramp failed TO put
in an appearance. Generally they were
quite punctual. Their visits averaged five
a week. The tramp of nerve came on the
day that VIII Davis, calmly waiting his ar
rival when the train pulled in, was to OIL
ciate. He was a dirty, greasy, wholly di-
lapidated appearing fellow, with desper-
ate air and determined peck marked face
The word was passed round that the vic
tim had come. VIII Davis treated him rs
the other distinguished visitors had been
treated-with an excellent dinner and CT
CARS. He was at the top notch of physical
comfort. A hearty dinner, old rye and a
Havana have a wonderful effect on Z
tramps nature.
rrrv