The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-06

4
Seen No More and it is Thought He VIA,
In with the PIav-His Partner Poutet
and Played the Suckers One More
Round.
stop thief" stop THEIR creid over
100 men and boys and kids on Douglas
auevne last night as they splashed
through the mud after a bare headed,
half Indian boy who was fleeing with
the characteristic swiftness OF his race.
The start was made on the corner OF
Douglas avenue and Market street.
where a vociferous fakir was selling
spurious jewerly to a multitude OF
suckers.
The alarming cries OF the pursuers
brought out the store keepers and clerks
along the route, among whom was
Marshal Payne, the grocer. Marshal
came out just in time to catch the flee
ing youth after which Officer Rams
peare took charge OF him and confined
him in the city jail
In the chase several men used canes
on the half Indian and that is probably
what caused him TO slow up in his flight
At the station the boy gave his name
as George Washington Ward. He is a
young fellow who is pretty we'll known
TO the police
1t happened that the fakir on the
corner was doing a rushing business as
there was quite a select aggregation OF
suckers around him drinking in his
strong smelling eloquence, and nipping
at his bait every time he threw it in their
way.
He strted in to sell cuff buttons at
war time prices and when his stock OF
buttons was exhausted he commenced
on watch chains. These went like hot
cakes at so cents each. He then opened
a mysterious looking case and exposed
an array Of highly polished brass
watches, which he assured them were
pure gold. The people were a little shy
at first, but on the promise that he
would give each purchaser a present
they pitched in and bought the watches
with the recklessness of millionaire.
When all the watches were sold the
man announced that he would begin 10
give out the present he promised, but
just then Ward grabbed the fakir's
money bag and ran. The fakir and the
crowd followed him.
When the fakir left another fakir sue
ceeded him and said: Gentlemen. our
money is gone and we must have some
thing to get out of town with. Get up
close here good people, we have a few
more articles TO sell. We must have
money 10 get out of town with, so get
around good people and buy these
things at half price. The suckers were
not all dead, and bought until there was
nothing left.
Great sympathy was expressed for
the fakir and none thought the whole
thing might be a put up job. 1t was
very singular that the affair happened
just about the time Mr.. Fakir was 10
give away his presents. 1t was also
curious that the fakir did not return TO
his stand any more, although purchas-
ers of his goods waited on the corner
till about midnight waiting for him TO
come back and dispense his promised
presents. The whole thing was also a
good excuse for the second fakir to sell
his goods "at half price"
The story went around that the boy
ran away with $3.50 of the fakir's money
and that he dropped IL in his flight.
This story was believed OF course, and
about twenty men remained paving the
mud with their fingers for an hour or
more to get at it. When the notorious
Watkins said that sucker was
born every minute of the day and some
time two. he came very near having 1t
right.