The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-16
AHRgIC Mr.. PHELPS. S.
Aided BY q. Hobart Button He
Overeomes a Bold Bad Man
In St. Louis.
! Spscialto tho Jersey Citu Nssrs.

ST. LOUIS, June 49, 1S96-The glory of
Mark Hanna, Abe" Slupsky, Garry
Hobart, Ashtabula Mike and the other
leading attractions Of the convention has
paled beneath the effuIgsnce of the ris-
Ing sun Of shefield Phelps, editor and
proprietor of the Jersey City Journal
and the Newark DAILY Advertiser and
Colonel on tho stan Of Governor Grggs
sof Now Jersey: Colonel Phelps is the
hero Of the hour, and it is all due to
Inc wonderful discovery he made yes
terday Of the hypnotic power OF the Ho-
part button. Mr.. Phelps has rooms in
the Planters Hotel which are separated
from those Of Mr. j. Frank Fort, the great
lam of Essex county, by a bathroom
Mr. Phelps was In the latter shaving
yesterday morning when he heard some
one moving about in Mr. Forts room
hnowing that the Essex man had gone
out 2. Mr. Mr, Phelps, razor in hand and face
to investigate. AS soon as he entered
he room he saw well dressed young
ing table.
"oh, I guess am in the wrong room 3
the Stranger remarked as he gazed up
and saw the tall. athletic form of Mr.
Phelps and his well soaped face
Then he turned and started to leave the
room As ne did so his eye caught sight
=
70 Mr. Phelps suspender He hesitated,
as though fascinated by the noble fea-
lures or the great water monopolist, and
gazed steadfastiy at the button.
me Hopart countensrce was his ruin,
for as he hesitated Mr. Phelps sprang
upon him and grabbed him by the
threat. The stranger squirned and
reached behind him as though seeking
the big revolver which was subsequent
~ found in his hip pocket, when again
Ia
again ne Came under its hypnotic inf1u-
ence. His hand stopped midway on it's
Journey to his hip pocket, as though it
was paTaiyzed and as he continued to
stare upon the features of the political
creator Of Governor Griggs he appeared
to lose all control over his locomotive
or vocal powers Seeing the effects which
the Hobart button had upon the young
man Mr.: Phelps caught him by the back
Of the neck and held his head SO that
his eyes would continually look into those
oI the great Hobart's counterfeit upon
the button. Once he relaxed his grasp
slightly and the young mans eyes wan
dered from the button. Immediately he
recovered from the spell and tackled the
athietic young editor with a good old
fashtoned Yale tackle AS Mr. Phelps
was right at homie In that line, he wei
coined the thief's onslaught with open
arms and soon they were rolling, wrest-
Ing, Kicking and pounding each other
all over the floor. The struggle was of
short Duration. Mr. Phelps was more
rhan match for the thief, powerful as
he was, and was slowly subduing him
by main strength when once more the
thief's eye fell upon that of the Hobart
hHstcn ana immediately he became as
limp as q rag in the lion grasp of Mr..
Phelps
BY this time several porters, who had
been attracted by the struggle, appeared
on the scene and the burglar was soon
handed over to the police It seems he
had secured the key at the office and en-
tered the room that way.
This discovery of the wonderful hyp-
motto power of the Hobart button has
Jersey contingent and corresponding
dread and apprehension among the dele
gates from other States. After Mr.
Phelps had related his experience, a
hasty meeting of the Hobart leaders was
held. and It was resolved to have Hobart
buttons profusely scattered through the
convention hall, where they could get in
their fine work and hypnotize the dele
gates into voting for the Jerseyman for
the Vice Presidential nomination.
It is to be tried first upon the recall
citrant Tom McEwan to bring him into
line. Assenblyman Martin E. RON was
designated to stick to McEwan and never
lose an opportunity to flash the Hobart
button in Thomas face Martin objected
at first, as he did not think McEwan's
support worth all that sacrifice (Tom Is
strictly absten,ious), but the wisdom of
having the entire delegation solid for Ho-
bart was SO completely demonstrated to
him that ne took up his burden and is
now sticking to MoEwan closer than a
brother
The Jenseymen have great faith in the
hypnotic powers of the button and are
the nomination of Garret A. Hobart Of
New Jersey for Vice President.