The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-01
TIE HYPNOTIZED REPORTER.

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TIE HiPNOTIZED REPORTER.
have read with considerable interest
the accounts of proceedings against
woman on the West Side, who has Deen
fna,nSor@E oranss Nor to usrr Sa" by na Sai The ss.
counts of the keen detective work of Mr..
Leyshon, who went over to Hyde Park
and neatly trapped the poor woman by
having his fortune told. have Interested
me very much. In fancy one can see the
triumphant smile of the seuth as he
put up dollar and asked the woman
to give its equivalent In information con-
cerning the future. 1t requires skill 20
carry out a job Of this kind that would
nance of the Lakeside series. And then
the information is given out that the chief
of-police will promptly move upon the
fortune-tellers of the city and drive them
off the earth If necessary.
This may be all right according to law,
but, although may be alone In the Opin-
ion, do not hesitate to say that it looks
like rather small business to occupy the
time Of officials in a community like Scran-
ton, where there is so much that needs
the attention Of guardians OF the peace.
of the chief-of-police and county detective
can be more proiitably employed In the In
terest of law and order than by chasing Il
lot of impecunious women who seek to
make livelihood by revealing the future
to those who have faith and fifty censt or a
dollar to settle for the information. The law
fixes penalty for those who for "lucre
pretend to reveal the future" While 1t
may not be the case with the Hyde Park
woman, it is certain that many of the for
tA1a aNt, halt In tt,a liz
tions that they make by cards; the posi-
ton Of the heavenly bodies, or other meth
DDS by which future events are foretOld.
II they are sincere In their occupation.
why should they be prosecuted by a law
that has been long. considered a dead-!et-
ter affair? If the fortune-teller. with her
greasy pack Of cards, Is a menace to law
and order, and the only element that
threatens the future welfare Of the
Electric City. let her be dragged from
and placed behind the bars for safe keep
ing. But 1t seems as though many other
crying evils that surround us should re-
ceive attention before detective work and
obsolete laws are applied to the woman
who "cuts the cards. for the curious.
am pleased to notice an Improvement
in the condition Of streets in the central
part of the city. Asphalt pavement kept
clean by the flushing process, Is a thing of
beauty and joy forever, or at least until
it becomes necessary to evoke the services
of dust let us be truly thankful and live
in hopes that no false economy or ex-
perimental spirit will again place unof-
Tending citizens at the mercy of street
sweepers, who simply stirred up the loose
dirt and placed it In better condition 10
be fioated on every passing breeze.
-. Ii
in common with the rest OF huma nifty. One
who has had narrow escape from col
lision with a Scranton "scorcher' would
scarcely believe that anything could har-
rass the festive wheelman. But the bicy-
Gle rider has common enemy in the Jeflu,
The reckless driver who will sometimes
spare the pedestrian In momentary
spasm Of good nature seldom misses IN
opportunity to run a wheelman off the
road. Many complaints have been made
this spring OF the Jehus who have delib-
erately attempted to run down wheelmen.
and 1t Is probable that serious trouble will
result before the summer Is over unless
the mania for colliding with bicycle rid
ers Is checked.
A cOwardly attempt was made the other
day near the Driving park by one OF these
knights OF the curry-comb. to run down
lady bicyclist who was out for a pleas.
ure ride with her husband. As the wo-
man was quite distance in advance Of
her husband the stable boy evidently
thought she was without an escort and de-
liberatcly attempted to run over her with
the road cart in which he was seated The
woman came very near falling down an
embankment in her efforts to keep out Of
the way until her husband could come to
the rescue. He very soon gave the 'ostlpr
TO understand in phrases emphatic II not
elegant, that any Jehu who ran over his
wife would not stand very good chance
of living to become one hundred years old
The stableman hung his head and drove
rapidly away, evidently convinced that he
had been assuming some risk in trying to
torment the bicycle riders.
In these days of fakirs and fake schemes
the newspaper man seems to come in for
quite share Of reproach that Is brought
on by ambitious individuals who pcse as
journalists. During the centennial year
and the Worlds fair the fake newspaper
racket was worked extensively by class
OF Well-drcsscd tranps. who, under pro.
tencc of representing this paper or that
sought to bCat their way in q manner be-
meath the standard OF the most hungry
irec-luncher III the newspaper business
There Is no question that the journalistic
profession contains many persons of alb
normal appetite WHO are better qualified
TO act rs scavansers than to represent a
reputable newspaper, but the percentage
is small when compared to the army OF
would-be reporters, veritable tramps, who
annihila,e the free lunch IN the guise of
newspaper men.
The latest specimen Of this class to nj.
flict Scranton Is q very fresh young man
who claims to represent the New York
World. This pretty creature dresses well
and finds among young girls In the ,ity
many converts who swallow his fairy
stories and gaze with awe upon the real.
live reporter who has promised to write
them all up In the World. The World rep.
resentatlve gives the girls visiting card
that locks as though II might have been
printed on three-dollar press. He has
succeeded in making several promising
conquests 1t is said. on the strength of his
journalistic dreams, and Is liable to lie.
come a greater favorlte than a matinee
Adonis. In his peculiar line. 1t may be
possible that this Individual Ia the reprs-
sentative of the World--it is said tha,
almost anything goes on the World these
days--but l would advise the young ,yo.
men who have been charmed by the ire
porter" not to pay anything In adva,ce
for the notices they are to receive In the
World. am inclined to think that thi.
journalist resides In Petersburg and that
his mother takes In washing to buy his
fine clothes and calling cards.