The San Francisco call., 1897-06-27
HIS MUSTAOHE CLIPPED.

The Serious Result Of a Practical Joke
Played on a New York Man.
In Masonic and sporting circles the mus
tsche that adorned the face of Abraham
Rieseuburger has for many years past
been the envy of his acquaintances and
particularly of his rivals in the tourna-
ments of the Columbia Bowling Club.
Mr.. Rlesenburger was a soldier in the
| German army before he came to this
country, eighteen years ago and he coa-
| tinued TO cultivate his mustache until it
measured u inches from end to end, and
! possessed a most imposing and graceful
sweep. Thousands of the city firemen
and policemen admired this military mus
tache, too. He made their acquaintance
through being the contractor who sup
piled the fire lAddies and the cops with
| footwear.
He had the mustache with him in all it's
glory on last Friday night, when, after
bowling com petition at Maennerchor
Halle, in Flfty-fourth street, he went with
Broker Dave Scherer. Merchant Bernard
Dober and Lawyer Louis S. Finn to the
weln-keller of Albert Cspelle at II Divi-
| sion strees. Cspelle also used 10 be a SOL
dier in the German army and had become
acquainted with Reisenburger while
| sharing army duty. Capelle's mustache
often admiringly praised his comrades
unusual one. The visit 10 the weirr-keller
was TO celebrate tittingly the purchase of
| the day previous by Riesen burger of the
confectionery store that CapelIe had
owned and run as a sort of side invest
ment He sold it for $4,000 cash to his old
soldier friend.
Many quart bottles of champagne were
cracked when Lawyer Finn had fixed up
the deeds OF sale. Finn i little man,
and has mustache to match. He "jol-
lied" his clients customer on his wealth
of mustac g, and the latter, drinking a
sparkling bumper said, jokingly:
III give 1t to you some day if you will
agree to paste it over that one of yours"
"All right, I'll do it. )" retorted Finn.
mo time like the pres mt" cried Ca
pelle, who was jubilant with wine, and he
brought -Out a bottle of muciIage and
shears. Riesenburger laughlngly said
that he preferred to have barber make
the transfer of mustache the next day
| He filled another glass with wine, and Ca
| pelle slyly stole behind him and seizing
she sweeping left end of the mustache
| clipped off about two inches with start
! ling abruptness. 1t was an inartistic cut
Riesenburger caught sight of the desc
Grating slash in a big mirror opposite
| His face grew ashen, and he fell back in
| his seat. Then he made a grab for the
| shears and he himself slashed off the
| UuSIacDe.
cut in the other direction and said, with
real distress, that his celebrated military
mustache was dishguring ruin, and worse
| than all was set on the bias. His wrath
was aroused and the merry party broke up
| in anger.
1t was 2 O'Clock in the morning when
| Reisenburger went home on the elevated
road in rutfied mood. His wife opened
the door when be got to his home at 1912
! Park avenue. She saw the ruined mus
tache in an instant, and stared at her nus
band aghast.
Where have you been? At the lodge,
! | suppose J" she exclaimed. She cut the
old soldier short abruptly when he tried to
explain.
''Pm going to get divorce from you"
she said decidedly and shut the door with
a bang. She refused to go to the theatre
the next night, and the household has
! been in state of hostiities since
The old soldier felt called upon to take
/ immediate measures to restore domestic
| peace and to obtain personal satisfaction
| de consulted Lawyer Waller Cox, and
| The latter wrote a sharp professional no.
| tlce to Capelle, announcing that he had
| been directed to sue him for $1,000 dam
| ages for assault and battery. He informed
! Capelle that that was what his act was
! classed under the provisions of the Penal
Code. The old soldier went before Magis-
trate Kudlich on MonGay and got a sum-
! mons against his former friend as an ad-
ditional means OF legal redress
1t was returnable yesterday morning in
| Essex Market Court at 8 o'clock. Capelle
hadto ttend his lodge meeting on Mon
day and didn't get home until after 3
A. N. he had previously sent LAWYER
| Finn 20 patch matters up with his COM
rade at arms, but hadn't succeeded Reis-
enburger was at court bright and early.
Capelle came in early, accompanied by
| Lawyer Finn. He hadn't had any sleep
all night. When Riesenburger saw Ca
pelle drag himself weaTily up to Magis-
t-ate Kudlich's desk he ran away, This
| act naturally removed the presence of tn
complainant when the case was called.
and the magistrate dismissed the case,
after the lawyer explained that the par
tial destruction of the mustache was an
| accidental and not malicious act
Capelle, who Is well-to-do. went to Ries.
enhurger's esta ablishmens in Canal street
atterward and rendered him $1,000 in ad.
| dltlon to an apology. The shorn soldiers
wrath melted away when he saw his COM
rade's sincere ccntrition for q foolish prac-
| hcl Joke and he and the lawyer had some
more wine together.
'Pll foI give you," said Riesen burger, at
length, provided you'll square matters
with my wife,
Capelie has engaged another lawyer to
! help bring about the matrimonial recon-
! cillation. Meantime Riesenburger's mus
tache has been partly made by a skilled
barber, and he hopes that in three years
1t will be as long as ever.
] II was really proud of it, he said yes
terday, but then I'm not stuck on NV
seli. and Id rather lose il han the friend