Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-02-19
AN AMATEUR CABBY.

Young Van Bibber's success as an am
ateur crook SO excited the members Of
his set who had lost money by it that
young Mr.. Travers said he, too, would
go out and prey upon society and in five
hours steal $50. He would do this in the
guise of hanson cab driver. His friends
wagered that he could not make the
sum he named between the hours of z
and midnight. Travers himself selected
these hours, as he was afraid some one
would recognize him if he drove through
the streets in the daytime. He had great
difficulty in procuring a hanson cab.
He finally found one who consented to
give up his turnout for the evening for
go down and guarantee that it would
be returned in order. Travers borrowed
the mans shabby capecoat and sent his
man after high hat of his own which
was most disreputable. Then he climbed
up on the box, wrapped the blanket
around his legs and waved his whiplash
in charmingly professional manner.
His friends applauded in dumb show
from the club window, and he saluted
them sedately as he turned into the
avenue.
He had not the least idea what the
proper tariff of prices was, but as he had
never found a hanson cab driver who
did, he did not allow this to disturb
him. He felt rather all the more quail
fed to rob and blackmail his passengers.
He was crawling slowly up the street
when gentleman came down the steps
Of large private house, hailed him and
jumped into the cab before it had stop
ped. Tfavers lifted the trap and said
"Where to, sir?' to the top of the gentle
mans high hat. The high hat turned
and twisted, and the gentleman said:
broadway theatre in a hurry"
Travers had his own idea of hurry.
He hit the horse vigorous lash across
the head, which caused it to start for
ward so suddenly that the fare inside
was shot out over the doors, and Tray
ers only saved himself from going over
backward by clenching the reins They
reached the theatre in five minutes. The
doors had just been opened.
"Well," said Travers, cheerfully, 81
got you here in time to avoid the rush,
anyway"
"How muchT said the fare.
"Oh, anything you please for myself" !"
said Travers. "and five dollars regular
fare.
"Five what" gasped the stranger.
"Five dollars" said Travers; "what
do you expect to pay for a ride behind a
racehorse like that? You said to hurry,
and didn't l hurry It'll cost me FIVE
dollars to doctor that horse up, as it is.
can't use him no more tonight"
"Well, I won't pay it," said the gen.
tleman, Indignantly; "it's robbery, and
I'll take your number. It's downright
extortion."
Travers calmly unwrapped his blanket,
stuck his whip in its socket and prepar-
ed to descend. Over two dozen men
gathered around the gentleman, some Of
them telling him to have the driver ar
rested and the other half urging Travers
"to take it out'en him."
Travers merely went forward and
rubbed his horses legs tenderly. "Look
at that" he said to the most offensive
looking individual in the crowd; "look
at that swelling in that leg. All through
racing him for this man that calls HIM
self gentleman. Pretty gentleman he
is, isn't her Laming horse and trying
to rob poor driver of his fare. guess
Iwon't be able to use that horse again
Sor two days, and where's my earnings
coming from while he's laid up? That's
what want to know"
The offensive individual said the swell
ing, which was not at all evident to any
one else, was the "worse he ever seen,"
and the crowd began to murmur indig-
nantly.
The gentleman pulled out a roll Of bills
nervously, and gave five dollar bill to
Travers, who sighed as he took it.
"Pd like to punch your head for it,
said Travers gloonlily, but the gentle
man did not wait, and Travers drove
slowly away until the corner shut him
out of sight, when he whipped his horse
into gallop.
"That's very good for a starter" said
the amateur whip.
At the next corner two men, very
much the worse for dining, waved at
him, and fell and tumbled into the cab.
"Oh," gasped Travers ecstatically,
"this is where I live. I'll take every
cent they've got"
"Where tor" he asked again.
"Wherever you please" shouted back
one of the occupants, ''and get there in
q hurryp
Travers drove them directly to the
Thirtieth precinct police station, and
called to the sergeant.
"These men," said Travers, "took my
cab at this afternoon, and they've kept
me ever since, and now they don't know
where they want to go, and they won't
get out or pay me my fare"
The two passengers, who had prompt
ly fallen asleep as soon as they were set
tied in the cab, staggered drowsily into
the station house, where the sergeant
assigned them to two cells, took Travers
name and number and gave him $1(
from the roll one of the men carried
which he declared was little enough fol
Eve hours service.
ssThat dissipation win cost them quite
a little sum-" soliloquized Travers grim
ly; "it illustrates the evil effects oi
strong drink"
he was passing too well known
gambling house on Twenty-sevantf