The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-03
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ONE IN EVERY THREE HE GIVES
AWAY Is LOADED.
story Revealed as to the Premature
Publication of National
League Schedule.

IL has come TO be well understood that
when Mayor Taggart offers guest cigar
and tells him IL Is loaded" IL is unsafe &c
question the truth Of the assertion On
several occasions the mayor has passed
around cigars from different boxes with the
remark: Now, these pretty good
smokes, but these" referring to small
box of twenty-five gorgeously decorated
with labels, ARE loaded On each such
occasion II has happened that some of his
guests have thought his remarks to be mere
pleasantly and have attempted 10 demon
strate that they were game by helping
themselves from the loaded box. 1t was
noticed that on occasion Mayor Taggart
could himself smoke from the box with no
bad effects, but humiliating explosion of
the cigars has always followed the accept
ance of any by outsiders. 1t remained for
one man to learn the secret OF the mayors
cigar box. Having occasion to visit the
mayor one day last week. he found that
official busy with big mail
''Sit down." said the mayor heartily, "and
take a cigar" handing out one stamped in
such manner that left no doubt of it's
genuineness. The reporter smoked con-
tentedly for several minutes and then Sc
cured the attention of the mayor and trans
acted his business satisfactorily. Just as
he was about to depart Mayor Taggart,
with 1.-THE same old smile.' reached into
drawer of his desk with the words: Come
back often. You know I'm busy. but never
so much so as not to see you fellows. And
before you go take some Of these cigars.
They look all right, but unfortunately
they're loaded"
The visitor. reporter, had heard of the
VrHaaw - l<1 III IL.
three of them into his pocket to use on the
court reporter. Before reaching the Office,
however. he thought he would ascertain
how much of pyrotechnic display might
be expected from the weeds, and according
iy lit one. He smoked it, cautiously wait
ing for the explosion, but it never came,
and 1T dawned on his mind that the mayor
had reversed the joke on the strength of
the reputation for veracity he had already
earned in connection with loaded cigars.
On his way home at daylight the next
morning the man smoked the second one
in peace and chuckled at the thought of
how he had fooled the mayor by not giving
them away to his friends. AL fears as to
their being loaded had vanished, and during
the next afternoon, in the presence OF
large number of people, the reporter lit
Joyment He pulled at 1t for about a min
ute, when it blew up" with considerable
energy. jerked itself from his hand, sput-
tered on the floor TO the disgust and appre-
hension OF several women in gauzy dresses,
and was finally extinguished, to the relief
OF all The victim stood anu watched 1t all
with crimsoned face and foolish bearing,
conscious that every one knew he was the
victim OF practical joke and had been
smoking a loaded cigar Then he began to
wonder why 1t was that he had tackled
that particular cigar last of all and among
so many people when he had smoked two
others from the same box in solitude and
safety. Then he realized why the mayor
forced him TO take three of the cigars. Only
one in every three will Ego on" The pub
lie Is therefore warned that when Mayor
Taggart offers three cigars the visitor will
do well to accept but one, and then give
that one TO his worst enemy. IL the friend
is an asphalt bidder and Is compelled TO
smoke 1t he can do so secure in the knowl-
edge that he reduces his chances OF an ex-
plosion by leaving the other two In the box.