The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-21
SKELETONS IN THE CLUBS.
MYSTERY OF THE MAN VINO STOLE
FooD AT FREE LUNCUEONS.

a Pr,o,leipe Lawyer and seemed to Have
Pieuty or Rlorey-Another HHnn with
n Historical Name whe Took 20 wear
,,r OLD Clothes ana was lDroppea.
A docently dressed man. with n shambling
poit and n shifty eve, walked down Broad street
ono afternoon last week and attracted the at
tontion of n broker who was standing In HE
office window. The broker watched tho man
closely until the fellow had disappeared around
the corner into Wall street. He had called .
visitors attention to the man.
Have you ever seen that fellow before y he
asked.
"His face is familiar, and I am sure thatI
have seen him somewhere, but I can't place him.
who Is he T.
"John Blank" said the broker. mentioning .
family namo that was well known. II am .
member Of three good clubs continued the
broker, naming three that one would naturally
place Mt the head Of the list of New York olubA
land in tho course Of n long experience with the
management of them l have seen some curious
club skeletons. They are unpleasant Blank
was n skeleton In the - Tub, until we finally
got rid Of him, and to this day mono OF the men
who knew the facts about his expulsion has ever
had any explanation of them.
80 far as family connections are concerned,
Blank is eligible to any club In this city, and
we always understood that he had O good In
como. IL was ABOUT uVe years ago, WHOM -
a member Of the House Committee, that my ut.
tention was first called to Blank. A member e
the club came to me one day and said:
"'See here; I've got a disagreeable duty 30 per-
form. You know that refreshments are served
at every regular meeting Of the club. and ! have
noticed for several months back that John Blank
has slowed away q lot of things in his pockets
on every such OCCASION"
"'Why that is absurd I replied, 'and I SUE.
ract that ha hao haan lriplrtn1 tnn pnrrNh Won
know that these monthly lunches are FREQ to the
members.'
"'That was tho view that I took Of IL the
first time that I noticed it,. he replied. but I
watched this man at the last meeting very
closely. He was not intoxicated. He ate his
lunch and then I saw him wrap up q piece OF
chicken. some lobster salad and a brick Of Ice
overcoat and leave the club. It's an amazing
proceeding. and l think that it is high time thai
This mans complaint interested me. and !
investigated it. Some of the club walters told
of small value from the club. and that he always
fSrrrea se emsS to a BB package 6o e,a sf.es free ssD,s suPR,sE;
for his little steals. lie was and is a a. lawyer in
good practice. and. as you know, he lives very
House Committeeman. and we decided to look
out for Blank at the next supper. He turned
table and walk "nike out Sp with i hpin i. ffSe lg0 was sn no aaaSS
Charges were preferred against him and a formal
n nftsnsinn n was va % sent t, to p him ;,l Blank an :, PAID .hd no
have received it and we sent him another notiS:
cation and made sure. that it reached him.
Blank ignored it. and then we dropped him for
conduct unbecoming a gentleman. Blank never
came near the clubhouse after his first ~notifica-
ton. and 30 far as l know he has never given an
him. Now what do you suppose was the OK.
PLANTATION OF his theftsf never have been able
asserted that despite his largo income, he 10
merely gossip; inject him oceassionaiIy. and no
and to this day an inexplicable one"
A man who had listened attentively to the
Il can equal that with an experience in my
9 S;.a c anS Il, The T. ), nan n N, In n. question ne TIC M has as, recently &c
probably insane tor several years before he died.
He was Arthur Blank" mentioning a historical
f na% Near " 1.r2 sb 5hEss y cln,ss ago III this h man began
been very careful il his dress. and this change
s wns ar s%1Pfiiii onEipa h Ike game a f9,n ao III III, i fjn.n and and
ragged, and even the walters looked askance at
his clothes. know that he had money. but 10
he should get some new clothes. He was an old
bachelor, and he had rooms In an expensive
a disgrace TO the club. AMI as a last resort half a
dozen OF his old friends got up a purse OF $100
and IN went to his tailor and ordered a new suit Of
in payment Of a wager. When the suit was
made they packed it in, box with a new hat,
shoes. collars, shirts, and two scarfs, and sent
u TO Blank. A letter was lnclosed which read;
that l lost by my last election wager.
THE signature was such that no one could
read it. There was some speculation as to how
Blank would take this hint. Two days later he
when he was congratulated on them he said
they were the result Of an election wager. The
new clothes were too much for him, however,
He got drunk on the strength of them and stayed
drunk at the club for the next two weeks, when
he was dropped from membership"