The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-12-03
FOOLISH FRANK.
Billings Prediction Proves Correct
in an Unpleasant Way.


Salamander City was mining camp
Nesting in Q little valley in southern
New Mexico. This camp, like the ma
jority of camps Of the kind, was made
up Of men of all classes, kinds and ma
tionalities. There were good men, bad
men and men of Indifferent character
in the camp, but If there was. any diff
ference the bad men predominated ESQ
it will be seen that the camp would not
. be easily surprised, no difference how
odd, how unique the specimen of hui
manity might be who dropped in upon
them.
But one day a newcomer put in an
appearance whose like the citizens of
Salamander City had never seen be-
fore. He had every appearance of an
idiot, being wild eyed, long haired and
crazy looking. He had peculiar way
of lodging every once in awhile, just
MS II he thought some one were stril-
ing at him. He was almost starved
when he appeared in the camp, and it
- took several days. to get his hunger APP
peased, the miners giving him only
such scraps as they did ottwant them
selves. When asked his name he an
swered frank" but to all other ques-
tioning he returned no answer, and the
miners quickly placed the word fool
ish" before his name, and as 'sFoolish
Frank" he was known.
lie took up his abode in an empty
cabin, and here he lived, the citizens Of
the camp coming presently to look
upon him as a permanent fixture.
- But while the citizens looked upon
Foolish Frank as a simple, harmless
fellow as whole, there was at least one
among them who thought differently.
This was Mark Billings, big, burly;
savage-looking fellow, half miner, half
gambler, who gave it as his belief that
Foolish Frank was not what he seemed.
you can't fool me!'' he declared,
with an air Of conviction; ''that fellow
isn't what he seems Thar's something
wrong with him, and I'll bet my hat
on it,
'Yes-he's FOOLISH" laughed q miner.
Maybe he is, and maybe he isn't, !"
said Billings, doggedly; ''just you fell
happen around here before longl'
well wait" said the miners, and
nothing more was thought of the mat
ter until about a week later when the
camp was thrown into a state of ex-
element by robbery. The partners
of-the Gold-bug mine had been robbed
of about three hundred dollars worth
of dust, savings of the past two months.
The miners were wild with rage.
Woe to the thief, should they succeed in
laying hands upon him! 1t was now
that Mark Billings words of suspicion
regarding Foolish Frank were remem-
bered, and many were the dark looks
bent upon the poor fellow as he went
stumbling about among the cabins of
the miners begging for something to
eat The majority laughed at the idea
of his having had anything to do with
the robbery, however, and he was not
molested.
Although diligent search was made
the thief or thieves were not Sappre-
hended, and the owners OF the Gold
Bug had to stand the, loss of the dust
as best they could.
A week passed and another robbery
occurred, just as mysteriously, just as
inexplicable as the other. The thief
to his identity.
That is, it was mystery to all save
Mark Billings. He knew who was the
robber.
Its that Foolish Frank, tell we,
fcllows!" he said. when it's too late
You'll find I've been giving it to you
straight. He'll steal all the dust in the
camp and then skip out, and after he's
gone after it's everlastingly too late
You'll wake up to the fact that you've
kept viper alive, only to have him
rob vel"
miners were unwilling to take
this view of the case, however, until a
week later, when, another robbery &C..
CURING, they rose up in arms.
eMebbe it's tibet air blamed Foolish
Frank, arter allr' cried one miner,
aHgrily. ~. s;w
Il tell We, fellow citizens, ct air time
VIC war lookin' inter this hyar matter.
III it is Foolish Frank we must find ct
out, and / reckon he won't do it no
more; an eff it amt we wanter know
it So we kin look somewhat else fur
the thief Thar's ben enuff dust stole
IN the last three weeks, and ct hez got
ter be stopped"
That's fackr' the miners cried,
and they lost no time in hunting
Foolish Frank up.
They found him sound asleep in his
cabin and when three or four OF the
miners yanked him outsof his bunk and
appeared with him before the crowd
outside he simply winked and blinked
ltNc an owl suddenly transferred from
darkness to light, but he said never a
word. He did net seem to be surprised
+ or frightened and II he was other
than he seemed he was certainly a good
tctor.
The mayor of the camp, one Doug
las Jerrold, took Foolish frank in
hand
See here" he said. stepping for
ward and laying his hand on the nom
descript's shoulder, thar hez ben a.
lot nv stealin' nv gold dust done In the
: past three weeks in this hyar camp,
an you air accused NV doin' the stealth.
We hev stood tibet sort NV thing jist
onge ez we're goin' to, an we've
40 up hyar to find out whether or
netyou air the thief
Who my aocuser?" suddenly asked
the accused man, these being the first
words. aside from his name, that he