Evening journal., 1897-09-08
THRILLING EXPERIENCE
Made a Center Rush to Es-
cape a Butcher Knife.
IT WAS A HORRIBLE ORDEAL

IT WAS A HORRIBLE ORDEAL
A GIRLS BROTHER ENTERTAINED
SAMUEL HARKINS IN THE PAR
LOR WHILE SHE WAS MAKING
HER TOlLET-MR. HARKINs DE
PARTED WITHOUT MUCH CERE-
MONY.
Samuel Harkins Is the clerk in Judge |
Balls law Office. He has Just reached |
that age when he sings ballads to the
eyebrows of his best girl. whose name
is legion.- This statement is made not
to make public any of Mr.. Harkins per-
sonal affairs, but in order that the
reader may more fully appreciate the
demOralizing effect of a thrilling ex-
perience upon young man of Is or Is
Summers, who is just beginning to re-
alize the pleasure OF calling upon a girl
in formal manner and spending an
hour or two beneath the dimly-burnng
gaslight and with little but the light OF
his girls countenace to illuminate the
parlor of her paternal home.
Two or three days ago Mr.. Harklns
went out on the West Side to call on a
girl of about his own age. He was to
spend the evening with her. That his
stay was limited and that he left at
least an hour and a-half ahead of his
schedule was due to a combination of
circumstances in which her brother fig
ured very largely and over which Mr..
Harkins had no control.
When Mr.. Harlins reached the house
his friend was upstairs making her toi-
let. He was ushered into the parlor and
left there to await her coming. He was
I Just cleverly seated when her 17-year-
old brother walked in.
what Is your name?" he inquired.
Samuel Harkins,' was the response.
They were strangers to one another
and Mr.. Harkins thought It might be
well to be on good terms with the sew
eral members of the family.
2 Are you a married MANI" asked the
brother.
mo. I'm single" said Mr. Harkins.
: Don't you think you ought to ne
/, marriod2" he WAS asked
"Oh. l don't know; there are others. %
said Mr.. lIarkins.
+ "Woll. sister Is very anxious to get
e married, and ] thought 1t would be
- nice If you and she would tie up re-
] marked the brother. Don't you want
? to get married?"
3 mot yet I'm too young" answered
I Mr. Harkins, who began to think that
y it was a set-up job against him.
= Just then the brother jumped into
e him, caught him by the throat and be-
!, gan choking him. Mr. Harhins pridos
i himself on being the champion ban
q tam-weight pugilist Of the Eighth ward
il and he Immediately jabbed the brother
1 A.. H.. g.. hs1H Ia aIl 4
= another pass at him and the brothe
e rushed out Of the parlor just as The
sister entered il.
G I'm very sorry, Mr. Harkins," She
Il said, 'but my poor brother is crazy. We
L keep him out of sight when anyone
/ comes. but this time he managed tC
slip into the parlor and insult you. AnC
a the worst Of it Is that If anyone hurts
y him he never forgets IT and will do any
n thing to get his revenge"
"Well." said Mr.. Harkins, Il dom
L want to have any trouble, but If YOU
n brother comes back here monkeyinf
d around the domestic finish of my stand
n up collar he is going to get hurt"
She began to beg him to be merciful
Il but he refused all her pleadings.
Just then a noise of hasty footsteps
q was heard in the hallway. The sister
q grew pale and Mr.. Harkins put up his
n dukes. The crazed brother pranced il
v with a demoniacal glare in his eyes an,
d a butcher-knife in his hand. 1t wal
= labout foot and a-half long, but to Mr.
nj Harkins Il looked several feet longer
: His jaw and dukes dropped at the same
time. On came the maniac. Mr.. Har
kins watched his opportunity dodge6
his assailant and slipped out into th'
hail. He grabbed his hat from th'
rack, threw open the door and made
= center-rush for home. His eyes ant
J. face still show signs of the ordea
through which he passed and in futur
h. he will probably demand complet
Z, health papers for the whole famil.
~ from every girl who expects him Il
- call upon her.
This morning an Evening Journal re
4 porter called on Mr.. Harkins and aske'
y him II the crazy brother succeeded II
= cutting him.
!, "No. he didn't cut me" he replied
" "and that isn't ALL for if / ever rui
y across that fellow again and see hin
- first, he'll never see me-