Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-02-24
SUMMONS SERVERS.

If there is a man in the world who
needs to be energetic, ingenious, quick.
witted, patient, long-suffering, deter
nined and, above all, cheeky" says
the New York Times, that man is the
unfortunate server OF summonses.
serving summonses is good deal like
driving q skittish horse-any body can
10 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
scruplcs against lying at other times,
feel that to lie to a 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. It 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 particu-
lar friend just come to the city from
Hobol5en or the West, and has not seen
Mr.. Blank in years, or he is the real
estate agent who was talking with MIR.
Blank last week about those valuable
lots in Harlem, or he is a special mes
senger from q 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 may more such personages
is the summons-server at different times
of his arduous career, until it is
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:
MIR. Blank, here is summons in a
suit brought by" But the summons
server never forgets.
AS a general rule the summons-server
carries on his disagreeable business
quietly, but of course a well-equipped
server never hesitates to ''malle a stir"
IL 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, summons-server with
out large bump of determination
would be of little good, while the one
who is determined and at the same time
quicl1-witted enough to make his deter
mination valuable is never out Of a job.
lie 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.
It sometimes happens that piece OF
ingenious srrnmons-serving is done in
public, and sometimes so neatly that
those who see it done are so taken ur
with the admiration for the ingenious
server that they quite forget to sympa,
thize with the victim, which ordinarily
= they would do, knowing tn at the chances
nre in favor of their at some time being
il his place, rather than of their ever
having to try to serve summonses them
selves.
Such a 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
dashed out from one Of the avenues
erossing Fifty-ninth street, one of then
about twenty feet in advance of the other
who was shouting at the top of Iii
voice: "Stop theft Stop thiefr' One O
two pedestrians joined in the pursuit
ind the policeman at the corner got hi
nnwieltlly frame into motion. But tn,
supposed thief was faster runner thai
any of the others, and jumping o.
20 the front platform of the car h
gasped to the driver: 81 am no thiei
Whip up your horses, and here's a 90
Tar" Then he went inside and sd
down, and an the other passenger
hooked at him askance.
The conductor evidently thought
was his place to get his car through O
time, and not TO stop to let man afte
whom "stop, thiefv' was being calle
he captured. But when he saw the pt
Keenan, in the crowd of pursuers h
fulledth bell-strap and the cor cam