The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-01-08
SKELETONS IN CLUBS.
THE QUEER PERFORMANCES OF THE
TWO BLANKS OF NEW YORK.

Historical Name Who Took to Wearing
Old Clothes and Was Dropped.
a decently dressed man, with sham
bling gait and shifty eye, walked down
Broad street one afternoon last week and
attracted the attention of q broker who
was standing i'll his Office window The
broker watched the man closely until
tho fellow had disappeared around tho
corner into Wall street. He had called
visitors attention to tho man.
"11ayo You ever seen that fellow be-
fore?" ho asked.
His face is familiar, and I am sure
that have seen him somewhere, but
can't place him. Who is he?''
John Blank" said tho broker, men,
tionlnG family name that was we'll
known. 81 am Il member of three good
clubs, continued the broker, naming
three that ono would naturally place at
tho head of the list of New York clubs,
land in tho course of IL long experience
with tho management of them / have
seen some curious club skeletons. They
are unpleasant. Blank was skeleton in
tho - club until we finally got rid
of him. and to this day mono of tho men
who knew tho facts about his expulsion
has ever had any explanation of them.
So far as family connections arc
concerned, Blank is eligible to any club
III this city, and wo always understood
that no had Il good income. 1t was about
five years ago, when L was IL member of
the house committee, that my attention
was first called to Blank. 4 member Of
tho club camo to mo ono day and said:
SEQ here. I've got "a disagreeablo
duty to perform: You know that re-
1rcshments arc served at every regular
meeting of the club, and have noticed
for several months back that John Blank
has slowed away Il lot of things in his
pockets OH every such OCCASION.
Why, that is absurd I replied,
and L suspect that he has been drinking
too much. You know that these month
ly lunches arc FREQ to the members.
That was tho view that took of
1t tho first time that L noticed it,, he
replied, but watched this man at tho
last meeting very closely. Ho was not
intoxicated. He ate his lunch, and then
saw him wrap up piece of chicken,
some lobster salad and "a brick of ice
cream III separate packages, put them
under his overcoaG and leave the club.
It's an amazing proceeding, and [ think
that 1t is high timo that something was
done about it,
This mans complaint interested me,
and investigated it. Some of tho club
walters told me that Blank had occa-
slonally taken articles of small value
from the club, and that no always car
RED away a package after free supper.
Ihero seemed to be no reasonable OK
PLANTATION for his little steals He was
and IS Il lawyer i'll good practice, and,
as you know, no lives very comfortably.
L consulted with some of the other
house committeeman, and we decided
to look out for Blank Mt tho next SUD-
per- Ito turned up promptly, and sure
enough, we saw him stealthily mako up
package from tho lunch table and
walk out with it. There was nothing
left for us TO do but to ask for an cx-
PLANTATION.
Charges were preferred against him
and formal notification was sent to
him. Blank paid no attention to it. We
thought that he might not have receiv-
ed it and we sent him another notifica-
tion and made sure that it reached him.
Blank ignored it, and then we dropped
him Tor conduct unbecoming gentle
man. Blank never came near the club
house after his first notification, and so
fal as know he has never given an in
dlcation of rescnting QUE action III drop
ping him. Now what do You suppose
was tho explanation Of his thefts? /
never have been able to find one that
was satisfactory. 1t has been asserted
that despite his largo income ho is nat
urally very miscrly fellow, but that is
merely gossip. [ meet him occasionally,
and he is always affablc. 1t was d disil-
Sreeable affair, and TO this day an III
applicable one.
n man who had listened attentively
to the brokers' story said:
=" can equal that with an experience
i'll my own club. The man in question
has recently died and it is only charita.
BILE to say that he was probably insane
for several years before he died He was
Arthur Blank "-mentioning histor-
ical name. about three years ago this
man began TO wear very shabby clothes.
He had always been very careful in his
dress, and this change was surprising.
He came to tho club and sat around,
looking like u tramp. His linen was
ragged, and even tho walters looked
askance at his clothes / knew that ho
had money, but it was not pleasant
task to suggest to him that he should
get some new clothes. He was an cid