New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-23
THE HUMOROUS CABoWNER
MARK TWAIN SCORES MARK ONE AT
THE CITY MARsHAL's COURT.
AE WINS IN REGARD TO THE CAB BUN.
NESS. BUT FINDS MATCH IN Hs
OWN PROFESSION

Samuel L. Clemens known 10 N. vvo-,a a. Ax.v.e
Twain won a point yesterday in case against a
caoman. but was obliged to yield the humorous
honors OF the occasion to the cabua,,. .-,7Iov--
The cab owner did not know that he was br,roorou.
and nothing further from his intention. ~,
70 De so. but he was positively delicious He was
the kind Of man who never can oren his mouth
without putting his foot in It. That Is an old Joke
but II does not become a mere recorder az ,ba
reWs to try 70 be really funny on his own account
when he Is telling the story OF such q world IA
nous humorist Mark Twain and such a rnodeSt
obscure funny ". J. Byrne
The cause. which was tried before the Mayor.
Marshal yesterday, was between Mr. Clemens and
Caonan NO Z0Sl. William Beck BY name On ao-
count OF an alleged extortionate charge The
case was heard IN a private office IN the basensrt
OF the City Hall sorne ten feet SQUARE II vaz
hlIed before the trial began and many wanted 20
se' IN who could not. Any discrepancies IN the
present account are caused by the fact that the
writer OF 1t one OF twenty persons who
tried TO hear the proceedings through =
door three feet wide. But the story Is believed
TO be substantially correct
MI. Clemens arrived after almost everybody elsa.
and little later stu came Mary Leary. a servant
WEo rode In the cab Tuesday night from Forty
second-st- 70 No. a West Teuth-st and waa
thereby the cause OF all the trouble Richard
watson Glider finally appear ed. but he had no d.
rect connection with the case The Marshal Asksd
MI Clemens to tell his story
He related that the servant had come n hin, a,8
hao Told him about her ride and that he had Eone
downstairs 20 pay the cabman- The cabnan asked
81 o. he told him that he thought that was
more than the legal rate He asked the man his
number and the man gave him false one but his
coIored man had found out the correct ons Ha
finally gave the man 81
Ihen Nj Beck had chance TO present his a-xu-
nent, and a curious II was and quite typical
OF the processes OF cab driver thought He had
Charged what he thought that ne was enrfrlAd -
The city ordinances said & 90 an hour FOR a car
riagei carriage veh.c.e carrying two pa--
sons; cab would carry Two persons ara ~
fore IT was carriage.
II was just here that Mr. Ryrne FOR the first +t-,.
performed his intrepid act OF opening his mouth
and putting his foot Into 1. How many persons
were there IN the cEb2' ht asked
One" said the driver
The Marshal remarked hat the legal ar. ~,
so cents a mile. Mr. Clemens said that the ma,
had come down in his demand 20 s. . Now Mr.
Clemens" said Mr.. Byrue. opening his mouth ana
raising his foot gracefully toward IL we ara
ali more or less selfish, AMI looking for all tha
money can get
Yes ii looks vs-y much nk. IT," said Mr..
Clemens
Here the Marsha told the driver that q, h,u
own confession. he should have 70 sus-,.,a hin,
but he strove 10 soften the blow bv addressing
MN as My dear nan" AIterward he addressed
MI. clemens n the same way. II IS a freouant
loFIn OF expression II some counties and New-Yorx
seems 10 be OF them. A representative OF rha
Hack Drivers Association then spake He said
that the association did not believe In extorrior
He was PANIED thai one OF It's old members shouId
De the first against whom q complaint should
% made Tie was something OF a humorist too)
ne was sorry that II should be made by q person
or such prominence as Mr. Clemens The sssocts
ton would be glad to cooperate with Mr. Clemens
for the renedying OF such practices His remarks
rather recalled some others which have been made
on the subject OF reform lately. Mr.. Byrne now
asked Mr.. Clemens whether he thought that thz
case warranted so n1rch publicity
Then the old warAoFse reared In other words
Mr.. Clemens spoke In substance as follows: II do
not see any reason Why II should not De public. 7
worthy or the name. Every citizen Is uncIAss-
lned policeman Every citizen should give time 20
the enforcement or the law Here IS a man VINO Ia
These cabmen are encouraged 10 overcharge The
P PooS Of ss9s 70 1T an not here fer the Du
alWays the defence OF men with weak causes
were ciub6sd in the street and ro6bed should
ne excused from making a complaint even though
man comes 10 me without any club and proposes 20
ROD me me why should nor prosecute him and the
The Marshal said thar ne here 20 recefYe
come ana make them Mr. Clemens said: Il am M
afraid the puolic thinks that you would not re-
II was at about this stage that Nj Byrne aston
putting both feet into II Al oa5e He appealed 10
Mr. Clemens as a man OF sense He said that il
for the CABIN 3n-the streetcars, the elevated
and the Sew-York Central railways etc %
course they could get along they could get TWO
Sometimes q cabman had 10 wait for hours be-
fore he got fare, and when he did that fare
had to pay for his waiting II the cabmau pad
the legal fare 70 The owner OF The cab. what
would he have for himself You ref0ruers want
US 10 comply with the law" he went on; you
ought 20 comply with the law. too There are two
sides the question
What the man meant by You ought 70 comply
with the law, too was nos discovered. but Mr..
there cannot De TWO sides 70 z moral question
You brought all this upon yourselves by these
double and these treble charges-the surface roads.
the overhead roads. the Pennsylvania cab service.
the New-York Central cab service Keep II up
and there won't be living left for any cabnan IN
New-York'
''Ihy shouldn't he make a living. then. every
body else does2' asked Mr. Byrne. trying 20 push
his foot down his throat
The pirate makes that argument, said Nh.
Clemens.
Then they talked a Bit more and Mr.. Byrns In
timated that he did believe q certain story
which Mr.. Clemens had told n the course Of the
proceedings Mr. Clemens in bis turn said
that he did what Mr. Byrne said
he had made confessions which put him out OF
court. The Marshal said thar he could not permit
this kind OF controversy, and closed the case He
Will make final decision IN regard 70 It after con-
sidering the evidence further.
DIED IN her HUNDRED AND FIRST YEAR,
Philadelphia Nov. 22-SIrs- Thomas FloUrnoy died
at her home here last night IN her l0lst year She
was the widow OF General Flouruoy. officer IN
the War OF 1872. and her father Major Reading
Howell. Of Philadelphia. distinguished soldier OF