The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-11-15
GREEK MET GREEK
HOW THE coNToRTloNlsT's GREAT
SCHEME CAME TO GRIEF.

and Smith Laid Trap to Beat It-onoe
That the spaniard Didn't Unite Himself
Inside of Two Minutes.
In down town cafe, where theatrical
men sometimes gather, half a dozen old
timers sat one afternoon last week. They
had talked about everything when one Of
them suddenly asked;
Say, boys, did l ever tell you about
that game that Jim Hyde and Ike Smith
put up on Spanish contortionist about
10 years agoS'
Tho others had not heard tho story, SO
the speaker resumed:
ut was away back in 1884. The theat-
Fical season had been very dull. Many
managers were on their uppers, and, as for
fhe ticket spectators, they couldn't mako
b living Hyde and Smith were specula-
Fors Both had families depending upon
Them for support, and for months they
rackod their brains for some scheme by
(which TO make money. They finally hit
IT, but they had to lay low for some time
hfterward, as the man they made vic
tim of threatened to shoot them on sight.
I'm 1884 the hrion saloon, on lower
Broadway, was quite resort for sporting
men. Ono night u wlry little Spaniard
walked into the saloon and got in CONVEX
sation with % couple of sporting men.
Would either of You gentlemen like
to make little money!? he asked. Both
remarked that they were not at all averso
TO Increasing their capital, and then the lit
tlc Span'Ird unfolded his scheme. Ho
WAS professional contortionist, he said,
hnd, in addition to being able to twist
himself into all sorts of shapes, ho was
hlso able TO wrirgle himself out of any
ropo with which no might be tied. His
scheme was to have the two men make
bets on his ability to do 1t. The men fell
right into tho scheme.
The next night the Spnniard went TO
THE saloon again and announced that he
would bet s., that no 10 men in the
place could tie him so securely that he
could not free himself in two minutes
Jack johnson, IL gambler, took him up,
And the two sports succeeded in placing
about $500 in bets Tho Spaniard let
himself he tied up with n rope and was
then placed in big potato bag. The
| mouth of the bag was tied securely, and
! with watches in hand the crowd watched
| the bag. There was ono or two wriggles,
| and thCn the Spaniard shouted to be let
| out The bag was opened, and ont stepped
| the Spaniarti, carrying tho rope in his
hand.
Tie scheme proved u vcritable mint
| for the two mcu and the Spaniard. Ev-
| and wont through tho same game.
| Jim Hyde and his friynd smith heard
| of The Spaninri and devised n little scheme
1 to beat the man at his own game and di-
Ininish the bank rolls 81 his hackers. Both
| Hyde and Smith were broke, and as it
needed money TO put their scheme through
| they went to an old physician who was
| sporting man himself, and who was known
is Dr. Stitch. Hyde laid the scheme be-
fore him and finally succeeded In getting
| something like 81 900 from him. Smith
borrowed several hundred dollars from Il
friend and then the two went around to
! the Arion and waited for the Spuniard
! and his friends to show up. For three
| nights they waited, and on the fourth
night thoy were rewarded Tho Spaniard
calno sauntcring in aud made his usual
oller. He repeated il several times before
! he got any answer, and then Hyde jumped
/ up aud said
= Do you mean to tell mo that ven can
unite yourself in two minutes if l tic you
| upS'
| - Yes, replied the little fellow.
| 'Betcher can't, said Hyde. 'Bctcher
wine for the house thu6 you can't
IN go Won and $50 on tho outside, ;
returned the Spanlnrd.
& Done, said Hyde and then tho fun
began Smith began bawllng out that lie
didn't believe it could BE- done, and then
tho SpaniHrd's hackers offered TO lict him
money tha6 il could. Hyde bet more and
more, and finally Smith and Hyde had
about III, 500 wagrrnd on the result. Those
who had seen the Spuniard before looked
in pity on tho two men Tho Spaniard
said nothing, but sat quietly in chair,
while somebody got u rope and somebody
else procured "a bis potato bag.
Then he stau1 mp and Hyde and
Smith began To tie him They tied his
hands tish lily together behind his hack
and then wound the rope securely around
his body His feet were then tied and
more rope wound around his legs. 1t
locked impossible for the man To escape,
bat he never once Stopped smiling, and his
hackers looked equally confident. When
the tying WAS through, the crowd edged
up close to the bag Ia sec the man put in.
= No, You don't, exclaimed Hyde.
Everybody must stand nc ieust 10 tccs
back. don'r prop $50 TO have any accom-.
plicc get in bore.
Tho Sp;.niard md his hackers ins =teti
that the crowd sJhna buck and when
everybody was at respectful distance
Hyde and Smith picked up the S9auiarti
and put him lutp The bag II was noticed
that Hyde let ono hand rest over the man S
face and thai lie kept one hand in the bug
inter the Spaniard was in ana white Smith
was fooling With thl strlngs. 1t aec,uad
as though the two men took more time
than was necessary to tie the, ~pauIard up,
hut tho job Was llnslly dem, AMI ;hen
Hyde and Smith stopped bue!s ard waited.
IA hundred men had their atchcs out,
and hundred pair OF eyes watched the
bag Only once did the man inside make
a move. AID that was WHOM tho baS WAS
first laid down. After that there was :,
deadly stiffness everywhere. Gao minute
passed ard not sign rom the iuan IN the
bag The time lunEthpned into / = min
n:es, aud siiil he uuEa. Every one in thu
room fclb decidedly nervous Hnl IT was 8
great relief when The two minutes wcrt
up and Ilxde stepped '.p TO tho ban and
said
= l guess WE won.
Smith followed him, and the money,
something over S3.CG9 in all, WAS handed
over. While the SpaHiar@'s hackers welt
ut work opening the lag. HYDE and 'm.tt
quietly slid udt OF the front door aud dis
appeared. hen the two SPORTS sLtUt edeG
in opening The hag, tho reason Tor tn,
spauiartl inactivity beo;Amu npaT, Mt
Tho Spaniarl was sleeping peacefully. ans
In thc l. & was n small spoEEs s;iurutat
With chiuroform. physician WAS sen
for To- take care Ct the Spsninr1, ana il Dol
him al hour and 81 minutes TO bring TIN
fellow To his senses. The Spun,nrI salt
he struggled Il iittle when he found tina
Hyde Mas chlor0iorming lin, but he wa
bound too security. New York sun.
The British museum contains no les
than 70o theological brooks writton cen
srrning the creation Of tho world
Eohb"d n shoe Store.
:, The shoe finding store Of 4. IS. Jones a