The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-21
PLAYED THE DUMMY
How a i6-Year-0ld Boy Deceived a
Community for Six Months.
CREATED A BIG SENSATION
Suspected of Fraud in a Montana
Mining Camp the deaf
Mute" Is Tested by
Neck Stretching.

Francisco Call: This town has expert
enced a decided sensation within the
past fortnight, and the young bloods and
poker sharps hereabouts are now COM
miserating one another on their COM
mon failings and follies. The story in
the premises is novel and rich. Six
months ago a deaf mute swung from a
brakebeam of an oregon Short Line
freight train into Colfax. He was about
l6 years Of age and not bad looking
and when he confronted a citizen with
a tablet and a pencil and scratched
down the tale of his affection. his pow
erty. and his eagerness to find employ
ment, IL is no wonder that the charita-
bly, inclined resident became the cham
pion of the unfortunate youth, and was
instrumental in obtaining employment
for him.
The youngster realized the answer to
his desires for a bread-winning occu-
patton in the black-art department of
bristle-chasing esta blishment. The
patrons jestingly expressed the hope
that the deaf mute would some day
WELD the Damascus blade and camels
hair brush of the tonsorial expert, and
finish up a job of trimming, shaving
shampooing. singing and curling in
reasonable period of time without fire.
quently stopping to repeat last year
almanac jokes and smoker over them in
the patrons face.
ColfaX's age and youth had a world
or run and merriment at the expense
of the deaf mute. They called him all
sorts of comical names, and scolded
and critisized him in a way that no.
boy with the faculty of hearing would
endure for a moment
The more sage of the inhabitants
would sometimes observe that il was
lucky for Brown and Smith that the
bootblack was stone deaf. for he'd
smash the head of one or both OF them
II he knew what shameful things were
said of him by Smith and Brown
But the poor boy went on polishing
shoes, totally oblivious to the fact that
he was target for all the variegated
abuse and unlovely tongue thrusts of
the smart counter jumper and the braz-
en-faced card sharp.
The deaf mute, however, became pop-
ular among the townspeople. OF even
ings he frequented card rooms and in
dulged in the gambling habit to an ex-
tent limited only by his means. Smart
clerks and tricky card players would
put up Jobs on dummy" They would
engage him in a poker game. and their
friends. stationing themselves at the
back of "dummys" chair. would over
look the deaf mute's hand and call out
the measure of its strength. Dummy"
somehow, played in luck The odds of
the dishonest practices were admittedly
against him, but, nevertheless, once in
a while his hand would, somehow. es-
cape the scrutiny of the prying eyes at
his back, and dummy" would fall i'm
for a winning. When the deaf mute
captured pot his fellow players APP
piled base epithets to him, but he mere
ly continued TO smile his seemingly per-
petual smile. Complaints and "cuss
words were all the same to him, be-
cause he couldn't hear.
Six months after the deaf mute struck
Colfax, or about a fortnight ago, he
suddenly dropped out of the communi-
~. He left between two days" and
did not leave empty handed. The
townspeople were naturally shocked to
learn that the innocent-looking youth
who could neither speak nor hear, who
was always so willing to do whatever
service he was signaled to perform,
and who appeared to be contented with
his Colfax lot, had vanished from the
scenes that had known him for half a
year-had vanished simultaneously
with his employers stock OF razors,
brushes, cosmetics and patent head
wash.
Now the barber is sort of a Sherlock
Holmes on small scale. When he dis
covered that dummy" and the shop
supplies were gone he was hot. and
some of the words that passed mis- lips
may have singed the dropping hairs of
his moustache. He bathed his head and
became cool; with GOODNESS came
deliberate thought, and. as a result of
elaboration, the master of strop and
clipper sought the sheriff of Whitman
county and poured his tale of woe into
that officials ear. The fleeing dun
my" was located by description at the
IN Of - Gold
The barber was deputized to arrest
him. Upon arriving at Garfield about
the first person he ran across was
dummy" who. to the BARRIERS utter
amazement. was with glib tongue seek
ing TO induce a tradesman TO purchase
the stolen articles.
Charlie Shultz. l want to see you"
exclaimed the barber. recovering from
his surprise.
Don't know you" replied the deaf
mute. My name is not Shultz. What
do you want Of me?"
The barber flashed the warrant for
"dummy's" arrest and laid hold of the
articles in the prisoners possession. The
boy swore that he had never been i'm
Colfax. and claimed that he had twin
brother who was a deaf mute; but
Shultz was taken TO Colfax. where a
charged him with grand lar
ceny.
Your honor" said the late deaf
mute. IF you1l produce anybody who
will swear that these tools and things
are worth over $50 I'll plead guilty to
grand larceny"
AS a result of the boys keenness he
was allowed TO plead guilty TO petty
larceny. The other day in the county
Jail at ColfaX ShultZ informed your cor
that he had played the
''deaf-mite" game in a dozen cities.
Il have won at cards" he said. sim
ply by profiting by the talk carried on
by smart persons behind me who were |
craning their necks 10 give my hand !
away to players bent on doing me up.
The dummy business came very |
hear winding up my career. though, in |
a Montana mining camp" continued |
Shultz. as he assumed a comfortable |
position in his bunk. The miners nj |
tied me. l suppose. and helped me a /
good deal. too. / worked around one /
camp for some time at odd jobs. and | /
gambled there with fellows who crack /
ed bad jokes at my expense. but / won /
games by keeping ears open. mouth 4
4