The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-13
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NUMBER NINE.
Muggins' Hoodoo Clutches.

When Edwin MuggIns decided to rattle
off his crutches he simply followed the Gus
tom which obtains on his street. Not that
the people there make speciality or crutches
at their rafting bees. but other equally use
full and valuable commodities change own
ers through the shaking of the speckled
bones.
For instance, when the newly married
McGees concluded 10 quit housekeeping on
the wane of the honeymoon and take to
boarding they issued tickets on their cook
stove and realized nearly so per cent on the
original investment.
Most of the tickets were purchased by
friends, but the butcher. the grocer and the
barkeeper each took five, by request, and
charged the transaction up to profit and loss.
And there was Petite Casey, who lost his
job as guard in the House of Correction
when the administration changed. He sac
rifced his watch, which had been in the
family 100 years, and which had a gong in
side that struck every fifteen minutes.
Friends came TO his rescue and he hasn't
done anything since.
Whole carg0es of cuckoo clocks. gilded
whatnOts, crazy quilts, meArschaum pipes
and home painted pictures of the Battle Of
Bunker Hill have, In times OK deep pecun-
iaty distress, gone TO grace other house.
holds. And tickle Indeed is the friend who
refuses TO buy chance or two when the OPP
pOrtunity offers.
So, In view of loug-estaDlshed precedent.
Edwin Muggins had no hesItancy in putting
up his crutches, though little did he wot OF
the ruin TO be wrought 1t may have been
because they were yellow crutches, and In
the matter OF hOodoOs bore the same rela-
ton to laynren as the yellow elarionet does
10 theatrical people, However. the crutches
"a a c
good as new.
Shortly before Thanksgiving day Edwin
Muggins was stepped ON by freshly shod
horse, thereby losing three toes and
toIerably remuneratlye job ut the same time.
When the foot got we'll he had no further
badly None of his young men friends az
pealed to were manned or buDged up in any
way. but they thoughtlessiy consented to
take chances in the rattle.
Seven tickets were sold al 80 cents each to
seven young men, all sound in wind and
limb. but evidently little lame in the head.
They shook the dlee-razZle-dsZZle dice
and a husky youth by the name of Billings,
who works in a carhouse, won the crutches.
Inside of three days the other six partici-
pants in the rattle were all crippled In the
legs or feet.
The first one-a tall. thin young man
while walking along Turk street, became
absorbed in the movements OF a chamber
maid at a third-StOTy window, and fell over
a dog. He fractured a kneecap. besides
getting himself dog-bitten in five places be-
fore the owner OF the disguised brute could
pull him away.
That same evening another of the party
under the spell of the hoodoo kept on as
cending dark stairway even after there
were no more steps to climb.
The jolt he received stepping down out Of
the atmosphere dslocated his hip Joint, and
ba iS in "a tn ha rHin Cd for iFo
with disease OF that important anatomical
hinge.
Still another came under the spell. He
yielded 10 temptation ana played football.
lie threw one of his pastern joints ont miss
ing the ball, and now the pungent aroma OF
arnica pervades his apartments.
The fourth victim fell off a beer-wagon
and had both legs crushed below the knee,
and his successor under the ban of the fatal
hoOdoo pared his corns too deep and is now
enjoying the pleasures OF blood poisoning in
the feet.
Then the sixth and last man, while trying
to avoid danger, walked into coal-hole
aud sustained compound fracture Of the
tiba Of the right leg.
During these awful days following tho
70 file the hair on the head Vt Billings who
won the crutches, stood on end. and when
the last man fell under the evil influence
Billings took to his bed, pale and trembling
He was afraid to move for fear something
would break.
All the bruises. breaks, fractures and
sprains acquired by his friends called tor
crutehes, which they did not o wn, and he
knew not at what moment his turn would
come.
Five days did Mr.. Billings lay abed,
scarcely daring 10 breathe. Then a large
pie-shared piece OF plaster with hair in il
dropped off the ceiling and knocked his eye
out.
This broke the hoodoO. and the cripples
are rapidly recovering. Billings presented
the crutches TO hospital, and has taken a
blood-curdlng oath never to be roped into
any kind OF rattle whatsoever.
CuAPTFS npynrN