The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-08-19
SKELETONS IN CLUBS.
THE QUEER PERFORMANCES OF The
TWO BLANKS or NEW YORK.
Mystery Of the Man Who stole Food 81
Free Lnncheons Another Man with
Historical Name who Took To Wearing
Old Clothes and Was Dropped.


Historical Name who Took to Wearing
Old Clothes and Was Dropped.
A decsntly dressed man. with n sham
bling gait and shifty eye, walked down
Broad street one afternoon last week and
attracted the attention Of a broker who
was standing in his office window. The
broker watched the man closely until
the fellow had disappeared around the
corner into Wall street. He had called q
visitors attention 10 the man.
Have you ever seen that felloy be-
fcrey" he asked.
us face is familiar. and am sure
that have seen him somewhere, but l
cant place him. Who is hep
John Blank" said the broker, men
tioning q family name that was well
known II am member of three good
clubs" continued the broker. naming
three that one would naturally place at
the head Of the list of New York clubs
and in the course Of long experience
with the management Of them i have
seen some curious club skeletons. They
are unpleasant. Blank was 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.
so far as family connections are
concerned. Blank is eligible TO any club
in this city, and we always understood
that he had a good income 1t was about
i've years ago. when was a 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 q disagreeable
1uty to perform. You know that re-
freshments are served at every regular
meeting Of the club, and have noticed
TOR several months back that John Blank
has slowed away lot Of things in his
pockets on every such occasion.
Why, that is absurd. 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 took Of
IL 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
l saw him wrap mp piece of chicken.
some lobster salad and brick 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 awaya package after 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 look out for Blank at the next sup
per. He turned up promptly. and, sure
enough. we saw him stealthily make up
n package from the lunch table and
walk out with it. There was nothing
left for us to do but to ask for an ex-
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 reoeiv
I'd it AID we sent him another notifica-
lion and made sure that IL reached him.
Blank ignored it. and then we dropped
him for conduct unbecoming gentle
man. Blank never came near the club
house after his first notification and SO
Tar as know he has never given an in
iication Of resenting our action in drop
ping him. Now what do you suppose
was the explanation Of his thefts? /
never have been able to find one that :
was satisfactory. 1t has been asserted
hat despite his large income he is nat
lrally very misery fellow, but that is
merely gossip. / meet him occasionally,
md be Is always affable. 1t was o disa-
yreeable affair. and to this day an in :
applicable one" I
A man who had listened attentively
% the brokers' story said:
Il can equal that with an experience
n .ly own club. The man in question
las recently died and it is only charits-
"a to say that he was probably insane
or several years before he died. He was
Arthur Blank Remembering a histor-
cal name. About three years ago this
nan began to wear very shabby clothes. :
lie had always been very careful in his
ress, and this change was surprising.
ie came to the club and sat around,
ooking like q tramp. His linen was \
jagged, and even the walters looked
skance at his clothes. knew that he Z
nd money, but ii was not a pleasant
ask to suggest to him that he should
ct some new clothes. He was an old
achelor. and he had rooms in an ex.
ensive bachelor apartment house. His
was = disgrace to the club
nd as last resort half dozen OF his
Id friends got up purse Of 800 and
'ent TO his tailor and ordered a new
lit Of clothes for him. They told the
'ilor that it was in payment Of . 6
ager. When the suit was made, they