Evening star., 1894-03-08
RICH AND ECCENTRIC.
The Franks Cut by Edward Drouin at
Atlantic City.

An Atlantic City special to the Philadel-
phia Press says: 1t is the opinion of many
people in Atlantic City that 1t is only
question of time when Edward Drouin,
whose eccentricities have recently become
the talk of three states, will become so very
eccentric that some coercive measures will
have to be applied to him. He several times
has come perilously near to being put in
Jail. He came here some two months ago.
and from the day of his arrival up to the
present moment has indulged in one wild
prank after another
Only a short time ago a policeman saw
Drouin stalking down the street at a.
m, with double-barreled shotgun on his
arm. The policeman followed him to his
livery stable, where Drouin ordered a man
to get out his carriage and drive for Mrs.
Drouln to bring her to the stable. Then he
changed his mind and said he would go
himself. Before starting he left behind him
the shotgun and a revolver. both loaded,
and said he would bring back with him his
long Mexican knife.
When he returned to the stable Mrs.
Drouin was with him. She seemed to regard
coming down TO a livery stable at 3 a. IN.
as the most natural thing in the world.
As soon as the curious couple got there
Drouin proposed that his wife walk back
home with him. which she did. quite as
though the whole episode were a conven-
tlonal. everyday affair.
WIS. DrOu1n Eccentric.
Mrs. Drouin, one cold day. appeared with
bright pink summer jacket and with
wreath of natural roses wound around her
hat Yesterday, with keen wind from off
the ocean that made ulsters comfortable
Drouin had on a light loose summer coat,
a neglige shirt and purple jockey cap. His
long, thin face is haggard and flushed about
the eyes, and his countenance is pitifully
worn and expressive of the terrific nervous
strain he is under.
His face is now bruised and scratched by
the dogs he keeps about his stable. He
amuses himself by lying on the ground and
playing with the dogs, allowing them to
jump all over him. which accounts for the
cuts. His wild driving through the streets
and on the beach have more than once got
him into trouble. Sunday, indeed, he was
formally arrested for driving like a maniac
In great circles on the sands. where scores
OF children were playing. He was allowed
to go, and Sunday night and until a. m.
Monday, he drove furiously through the
streets by way of defiance. When he saw
no attention was paid to him he went home.
His mania seems TO be a fondness for
notoriety. When asked about what the
papers were saying, he said he did not care,
that it only made him more talked about.
his boasting and his grOtesque pomposity
have their origin apparently in the same
fantastic vanity. He boasts of his wealth,
OF his skill with weapons, of his horseman-
ship, OF his personal strength and prowesS
\ favorite method of exhibiting his
strength Is to throw a so or 81 bin on the
ground and promise II to the boy who will
shove him away. The veriest child has no
dificulty whatever in pushing him aside to
his apparent amazement. In this way the
street arabs have amassed small fortunes,
and the cigarette and candy trade of At
lantic City have doomed proportionately
What sort of a life he and his wife lead
at home nobody knows. They have few
servants and naturally not very much So
ciety.
A Little Plcasnntry.
A negro coachman was sent by the wife
OF the proprietor of the Hotel Brighton
into Drouins yard not long ago to recover
pug dog that had strayed there. Drouin
dashed out on the veranda with his shot
gun and shouted to him to throw up his
hands. The negro did SO and Droun told
him he might go. but never to come ba ck
again. After this he lashed the pug dog
out of the yard and went back into the
mouse with the air OF a man who had vindi-
Gated principle.
The police in explanation of the way they
allow Drouin to tear about town. say that
he is harmless and kind-heartei That
indeed. is what all the people shopkeepers
and others, who are exposed to his cratic
eXtravagances in expenditure, say of him.
He has employed two lawyers in the town.
VINO get a handsome thing for looking after
his interests and drawing up the papers for
his constant purchases of property. They
are naturally uon-committal about him.
The rumor is that he has an income of
$2.3o0 a month, but, of course. no one knows
anything about II. Very often he carries
large sums of money on his person. and one
night he was followed by three tough citi-
Zens, who in turn We're followed by the
police so that nothing came of it, That he
is In danger Of being waylaid in his absurd
nocturnal prowlings is only too evident The
police in general way keep an eye on him.
But the fact Is nobody seems to want to
have him suppressed. He is altogether too
valuable an addition to the winter popula-
ton. He Is strewing Atlantic City sands
times such people are not to be lightly sup
pressed.
In the meantime there is a curiosity as to
how long ii will be before he kills or mains
himself or some one else by his wild pranks