The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-31
HE GOT A HOT FOOT
MAN TRICK PLAYEDON OFFICER
AND TWO HACKMEG.
While They Were Enjoying a Nap at the
Santa Fe Depot Some Person, Whose
Identity is Unknown, Saturated Their
Shoes With Gasoline and Applies a
While the Victims Gave = FIre-Dance
on the Platform-1heir Feet are Now
Tender.

Fire. Fire, Fire. was the cry that
rang on; upon the air Monday morning
at the Santa Fe depot.
The cry of fire sends alarm TO every
heart and Immediately every occupant
of the depot was on their feet with the
exclamation "Where?''
The question was soon answered, for
right before their eyes was a burly
Metropolitan policeman stamping, spit
ting. splutering, cursing while from the
soles of his shoes there arose a fame
which seemed sure to consume his pow
erful frame. Henry Forby was in a
terrible excited state OF mind as he
reached the platform where he was en-
deavoring to extinguish the flames that
arose from his huge feet. He was hat
less and the green patch he had been
wearing on his nose had been lost. But
he was not speeches..
He had barely reached the platform
when a dark figure sprang from the
top Of one Of the hacks, yelling Fire.
This last addition proved to be Guy
Richmond, better known among the
profession at Ollie Olston. Guy was
afire and when he had reached the side
of the Metropolitan police the two be-
gan regulai war dance trying to ex-
tfnguish the flames that arose from their
feet.
While the fire dance was at its high
est they were Joined by another hack
driver by the name of Edward Jenkins.
better known as PIN Joint" The
three men with the flames arising from
their huge feet began regular can-can
upon the platform with all the gestures
of regular Kiowa chief. They did not
not lose a single point and were soon
surrounded by an interesting crowd Of
spectators.
1t was a novel sight and as long as
the flames did no other harm than keep
the three figures dancing. splitting and
eXpoStulating the by-standers agreed
with themselves that nothing should
occur to mar the beauty of the dance.
They were on fire. A dote could see
that much. The flames were doing no
particular harm. The crowd was swell
ing. The interest was growing when
some one yelled ION with the dance; let
joy be unconfned;" and the dance went
merrily on.
Finally the Hawkshaw Of the police
force threw off his coat and attempted
10 smother out the flames which We're
rising from his feet Unfortunately
he had on his frock coat and the flames
broke out anew from between the slit
in the tail of his coat, and To remedy
this die grabbed his vest and covered
over the crevise.
The hack-drivers followed suit and
in a little time their infiamed feet were
perfectly smothered and the flames
were extinguished. When the policeman
and two hackdrivers sat down upon the
cold, cold platform to talk it over, and
figure out how it had happened. After
a little while Guy Richmond said:
Boys, l have got it; l have seen the
thing done before. We have been
asleep and some of the boys have come
along and found US mapping. They
Immediately got a bottle OF gasoline and
have saturated the sOles of our shoes.
and at the proper time have set us on
fire. Let US get the cigars and buy the
crowd off not to tell. l would not
have this get in the papers for any
thing"
THAT might do for you to acknow-
ledge that you had been asleep" said
Henry Forby, "but ii is different with
me. 1 was not asleep. How could L
be asleep and be on duty? 1t would
be impossible. L was on fire all right,
but it was done by the devil. We keep
quiet and watch our chance, and re1nem
Der that not a word is 10 be said so
that the d-n papers will get hold of il.
was any way. l never danced so much
in my life. I will play this on John
Fisher sometime. am glad that there
was no reporter about"
The three men gathered up their traps
and each had on new shoes yesterday.
They don't know how it happened. but
they can tell how it works after the
match is touched TO shoes saturated
with kerosene.
While the gasoline does not burn the
leather, yet by the extreme heat il
makes a persons feet very sore, and as
a consequence the three men were seen
upon the streets yesterday putting
down their feet very iterderly 1t is not
safe to ask them what is the matter
with their feet The boys cali this
trick giving the victim the ''hot-foot,'
and several are able to tell just how
gasoline works on the shoes, but the
Fire dance" of yesterday morning was
the most picturesque that has occurred
in Wichita for many a day.
THEY KNOW GOOD MEN
Mr.. Webb and Mr.. Tracy are Confirmed in
Their Appointments.
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