The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-17
peter SMITH.
The AgamaviIIe Correspond
ent Provides Another Story.

Just because the editor who has charge
of helping others tried to encourage an
ambitious young man last week 1t has be-
come necessary for The NEWS to increase
its bureau of information by employing
a man whose sole duty it is to assure the
hundreds of people who are inquiring
orally, by telephone, telegraphic and
special delivery that there is no such
place in Rhode Island as Agamaville and
that there was never such person as
John Agama felled by the blow of an as
sassin.
1t happened that the young man in
question came to The NEWS Office and
applied for az job in the shocking
tragedies " department., and the editor
told him he might work up something,
II he wanted, for the experience and that's
what he did. The result of his abor was
put in print by the editor, who again
allowed his heart to get the better Of his
head. Even since he has spoken sneer-
ingly OF ambition and new freaks of out
siders who would run paper that was
paper IL they had the chance.
Today that same young man, who, In o
jocular way, styles himself special corre-
spondent at AgamaviIle, came in with
more dribble, which THE News kindly
but firmly refused to publish. The writer
was taken out by the first assistant of the
janitorial department and q position Sc
cured for him in an important insurance
concern TO cover districts that all other
agents had failed to find any business In.
The stun which the paper wouldn't print
ran sosnething like this:
An old man went into down town bar
ber shop for Q shave and asked for cup
173. The barber told him that 173 be-
longed To regular customer and that he,
like all other strangers, would have to
put up with the free-for-all mug. The old
man looked at him in astonishment, said
that he had shaved there every other day
for four years and always had his own
cup. This made the barber mad who said
one of his own personal customers had
used 1Y3 ever since old Peter Smith mys-
teriously disappeared two years ago.
"Well, Pm Peter Smith," said the old
man. "What are you talking about my
disappearing for? i am going to the
Worlds Fair at Chicago next year, but
haven't disappeared yet and haven't been
out of this town for more than day at a
time in 10 years"
The barber quickly removed all the
razors and alum droppers out of the
reach OF his strange customer and then
got on the further side OF the next chair,
at the same time signalling to the boot
black and brusher off 70 go for an officer.
Now" he said, "what do you mean by
going to the Worlds Fair next year when
the Worlds Fair occurred last year ?r
be in position where you stand over
sane mems throats with a razor in your
hand. Call another barber and give me
l73. What do you mean by telling me on
September IL, 1892, that the Columbian
Exposition took place last year"
The officer arrived then and peUuaded
the old man to take n walk to see Overseer
Cummings who recognized him as Peter
Smith, who disappeared two years ago,
Several prominent physicians were called
In, and they pronounced IL case OF al
ternating personality In which the vict i'm
lad forgotten who he was for TWO years,
and when he had finally come to, IL was,
In point OF time, on the same day anu
year that he had lost himself. q.
There was apparently four more columns
to the story, but at this point the Agams-
vile freak had forgotten himself and
written on both sides OF the pa per, so the
copy was used to make pulp for car
" heels.