The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-14

A decently dressed man, with a sham
Hing gait and shifty eye, walked down
BROAD street one afternoon last week and
.ttracted the attention of a broker who
was standing in his Office window. The
hroker watched the man closely until
the fellow had disappeared around the
corner into Wall street. He had called q
VISITORS attention to the man.
"Have you ever seen that fellow be-
fore?' he asked.
ellis face is familiar, and am sure
that have seen him somewhere, but l
can't place him. Who is hep
"John Blank" said the broker, men,
tiouilg II family name that was well
known. II am a member of three good
climbs" continued the broker, naming
three that one would naturally place at
tbe head of the list Of New York clubs.
land in the course of long experience
with the management of them l have
seen some curious club skeletons. They
are unpleasant. Blank was a skeleton in
the - club until we finally got rid
Of him, and to this day none of the men
who knew the facts about his expulsion
has ever had any explanation of them.
$50 far as family connections are
concerned, Blank is eligible to any club
in this city, and we always understood
that he had good income. 1t was about
five years ago, when l was member of
the house committee, that my attention
was first called to Blank. A member of
the club came to me one day and said:
"'See here. I've got disagreeable
duty to perform. You know that re-
freshments are served at every regular
meeting of the club, and have noticed
for several months back that John Blank
has slowed away lot of things in his
pockets on every such occasion.
"'Why, that is absurd, l replied,
and suspect that he has been drinking
too much. You know that these month
ly lunches are free to the members.
"'That was the view that l took of
it the first time that noticed it, he
replied, but watched this man at the
last meeting very closely. He was not
intoxicated. He ate his lunch and then
| saw him wrap up piece chicken,
some lobster salad and lrick of ice
cream in separate packages, put them
under his overcoat and leave the club.
It's an amazing proceeding, and think
that it is high time that something was
done about it.
"This mans complaint interested me,
and Investigated it. Some of the club
walters told me that Blank had occa-
siOnally taken articles of small value
from the club, and that he always car
ried away a package after a free supper
There seemed to be no reasonable ex-
PLANTATION for his little steals. He was
and is a lawyer in good practice, and,
as you know, he lives very comfortably.
consulted with some of the other
house committeeman, and we decided
to lock out for Blank at the next sup
per- He turned up promptly, and, sure
enough, we saw him stealthily make up
"a package from the lunch table and
walk out with it. There was nothing
left for us to do but to ask for an ex-
blanation.
Charges were preferred against him
pnd formal notification was sent to
pim Blank paid no attention to it. We
thought that he might not have receiv-
Pd 1t and we sent him another notifica-
lon and made sure that it reached him.
Blank ignored it, and then we dropped
I'm for conduct unbecoming gentle
nam Blank never came near the club
ouse after his first notification, and so
ar as know he has never given an in
lcatlon of resenting our action in drop
ing him. Now what do you suppose
as the explanation of his thefts? l |
ever have been able to find one that
as satisfactory. 1t has been asserted
pat despite his large income he is nat |
rally very miserly fellow, but that is
erely gossip. meet him occasionally, |
pd he is always affable. 1t was disa-
eeable affair, and to this day an in
plicable one.'
a man who had listened attentively |
the brokers' story said:
can equal that with an experience
my own club. The man in question
recently died and it issonly charita-
10 say that he was probably insane
several years before he died. He was
.hur Blank "-mentioning a histor-
name. About three years ago this
N began to wear very shabby clothes.
mad always been very careful in his
FSs' and this change was surprising.
came to the club and sat around,
Phing like q tramp. His linen was
Rged, and even the walters looked
lance at his clothes. 1 knew that he
money, but it was not pleasant
10 suggest to him that he should
some new clothes. He was an old
Iheior, and he had rooms in an ex-
Psive bachelor apartment house. His
uihon was disgrace to the club
us last resort half dozen of his
friends got up purse of 500 and
IL TO his tailor and ordered q new
b OF clothes for him. They told the
VI that it was in payment OF
ger. When the suit was made, they
Aed 1t in a box with a new hat,
IS collars, shirts and two scarfs and
IL to Blank. A letter was inclosed
oh read: