The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-01-21
SKELETONS In CLUBS.
THE QUEER PERFORMANCES OF THE
TWO BLANKS OF NEW YORK.

THE QUEER PERFORMANCE OF THE
TWO BLANKS OF NEW YORK.
Mystsry a. the Man who Stole Food a(
Free Luncheons-Another Man With {
Historical Name who Took 20 Wearing
Old Clothes and wss 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 . 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 TO the man.
Have you ever seen that fellow be-
ferei' be asked.
"Sis face 10 familiar. and am sure
that have seen him somewhere. but I
can't place him. Who il hep
John Blank" said the broker. mem
tioning . family name that was we'll
known. II am . member Of three good
clubs" continued the broker, naming
three that one would naturally place at
the head Of tho list Of New York clubs,
and in the course Of long experience
with the management of them have
seen some curious club skeletons They
are unpleasant. Blank was skeleton in
the - club until we finally got rid
If him, and to this day none 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 good income. II was about
i've years ago. when 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
iuty to perform. You know that re-
treatments 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, replied,
and I suspect that he has been drinking
too much. You know that these month
ly lunches are free to the membera
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
! saw him wrap up 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 l think
that IL 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 package after free supper.
There seemed to be no reasonable ex-
PLANTATION for his little steals. He was
and 10 lawyer in good practice, and.
a. 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
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 il. We
thought that no might not have recciv-
I'd IL aid We sent him another notifica-
ion and made sure that 1t reached him.
Blank ignored IL, and then we dropped
him for conduct unbeooming . gentle
man. Blank never came near the club
house after his first notification. and 20
far a. know he has never given m in
dication Of resenting our action in drop
ping him. Now what do you suppose
was the explanation Of his thefts! I
never have been able 10 find one that
was satisfactory. II has been asserted
that despite his large income he 10 nat
urally . very misery fellow. but that 10
merely gossip. meet him occasionally,
and be il always a6able. Il was disa-
greeable affair, and to this day IN in
applicable one.'
A man who hsd listened attentively
10 the brokers' story said:
II can equal that with an experience
In my own club. The man in question
has recently died and it Is only oharita-
BILE to say that he was probably insane
Tor several years before he died He was
Arthur Blank . 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 the club and sat around,
looking like tramp. His linen was
ragged, and even the walters looked
askance at his clothes. knew that he
had money. but 1t was not pleasant
task to suggest to him that he should
get some new clothes He was an old
bachelor. and he had rooms In an ex.
pensive bachelor apartment house His
condition was q disgrace TO the club