The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-11-30
GREAT POWER OF A TOOTH.
Obtained In q Fight with q Burglar
and Its Infiuenee in Dispute
Over . Mine.

business once tHab WAS bomSWnht out
Of the ordinary and rather Interest,"
ing" said man who has made good
thing out Of Cape Nome, relates the
Chicago Inter Ocean. 'In 1880 was
doing fairly well in the commission
business in Chicago. One night my
bachelor apartments were entered by a
burglar, who awakened me by his
movements. Being somewhat Of an
athlete and a slugger, I jumped out
of bed and went for him. We hit and
clawed and clinehed in great shape, but
he got loose somehow. He left no
clew to his identity except front
tooth that evidently knocked out
with my fist. had heard his voice, as
he had not been at all delicate in his
references to me as we scrapped, but
beyond those few items had no means
of identifying him.
''Ten years later, with a pretty fair
sized wad, 1 went to the Pacific coast
to try my hand In the mining busi.
ness. One day an old claim showed
sigma, and within a month it was turn
ing out the dust at the rate of 500 q
day, with q prospect of going to q
thousand. Naturally was elated, and
when had an offer of 100000 for the
claim began to feel like nabob.
Then my trouble began, for when I
attempted to sell fellow whom villa
call Fry swooped down on me with q
! title, which he contended was better
than mine, and at once sued me for the
claim. My lawyers told me that ! was
likely 10 lose the case.
Zone day / had talk Of haM an
hour with Fry in his Office. when he
lost hisftemper and swore rounday at
my attorney, and incidentally at me-.
Something in one OF the oaths he used
set my suspicious going, and imme-
diately came to conclusion fraught
with important consequences and in
volving considerable quantity Of
good, cold nerve. / told my lawyer
what my suspicious were and what !
proposed doing, and invited him to go
| with me the next day to call on Fry
at his hotel, where we could see him
alone. My lawyer was ready enough
for any%hing to beat Fry, aid he ac-
cepted my invitation willingly. The
| next morning we were at Fry's hotel
and sent up our cards. Word came back
| presently for as to come up, and we
took the elevator. When we knocked
| at the door we were told to come in,
| and there we found Fry lying in bed
| reading the morning paper. He was
very much surprised at our appear
ance, and not until we explained that
we had sent UP our cards did It occur
to anybody that the boy had evidently
taken the cards to some other room.
Luck was on my side that it should
have SO happened, for Fry was not att
| tired for the day, and in glass Of wa
ter on his dressing case noticed a
tooth, and in his mouth was vacancy
which 1t occupied during business
| hours.
"T hope he said to my lawyer, with
a sneering smile, that you have con-
| cluded to accept the offer made you
and give up the properly
"'My client has the case, Mr.. Fry
responded my lawyer, politely.
"'Yes,' said, little nervously, and
sticking my finger into my pocket for
something / had there, I have charge
of the case now, Mr.. Fry, and before
accepting your offer desire to make
a few remarks. Skipping the legaa as
poets of the case, I shall come at once
to the personal matters involved You
win pardon me, hope, for abiding to
your toilet, seeing that we uninten-
| tionany surprised you before you had
prepared yourself for our reception,
but may refer to that tooth in the
tumbler on your dressing case, Mr..
Fry? must compliment your dentist
on the skill he has displayed in supply
ing the loss Of your natural tooth, but
think he would have improved the job
If he had called on me before undertake
| ing the entire work himself Here
and pulled from my pocket the bur-
lglar's tooth, lis tooth think would
have been even better fit than he
made for you. got II one night In
Chicago about a dozen years ago. and
if mistake not you might be able to
recall some OF the incidents of the oc-
casion.'
"By the time had got that far in
my speech was so badly ratified that
could not stand still on my feet, but
Fry was good deal worse, and don't
think he noticed what condition was
in, although he stared at me as II he
were looking into the face of a ghost
and were slowly turning into stone.
He had not apparently the taintest
suspicion of what was coming at, and
not until / took the tooth from my
pocket did he fully realize what was
| springing on him. Then, instead of put
ting bold face on the matter and
beating down my bluff, he collapsed
utterly and got as white as a sheet
whittier than the hotel sheet under
which he was lying. He tried to speak,
but could only gasp out a few inartic-
ulate sounds, and we had to give him
a drink OF liquor out of a bottle on his
table before he could recover sufficient
ly to say anything. Then he threw
himself on my mercy and begged me
for Gods sake not to expose him, be-
cause he had been living fairly hon
est Life for six years and had wife
and two children who knew nothing Of
his past and loved him. The result
after that was plain enough. OF course
agreed to keep stil If he would throw
| up his case against me, for had no
wish to ruin him utterly il he kept his
hands off of what was mine, but /
warned him that il heard of his get
ting mixed up in any more dirty work
/ would tell my story. he promised me
that he would not. Whether he ever