The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17
THE ESCAPE OF THE HOBO.
CHARLEY HORSES POISON CASE IN
THE TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS.
Casual Death Of the Pedier- The Dosed
Dog and the Mouatainssrs' Lyoching
Bee-Iast sight Of Certinsure Joe
-Ghnrlex Horse Joins the Hobo Club.


II vas a duh evening in the Hobo club The
money market was tight and the Oldest lAVing
vas drinking by himself. nobody else having
the price. Nank..n Harry Has throwing MS
whole soul Into an EFFORT TO extract smoke from
.cross-draneht cigar stump which he had cllled
from some ash heap or gutter end and was hay
inc a bad time Of il. peRdot sands was sweat
ing venomously because he had got "A splinter
in his hand from rubbing hi, leg against the
grain and his III humor was in no manner les
seped by his proranely confessed fault In the
matter OF having pawnrd hi, good hickory
limb and purchased a cheap pine one, invest
Ing the difference In alcoholic pickle for his
liver. Hamlet Rines was writing a play upon
some odds aud ends Of wrapping paper a YER
table drama Of %trsmpdon which he expected
b. -tll TO a Bowery manager. Half IA dozen
other members -prawled around on the benche,
doing In one corner an in~discriminate mess
of rag gave evidence Of concealing a human
personality by the loud and regular shores ex-
uding therefrom. From time 10 time Hand
out BIZ, the bartender. stuck his head In from
the saloon and har shly expressed his views upon
the subject OF hoboes who would sit all the
evening and buy nothing. Thi" didn't disturb
any one, a. each member had purchased at least
one drink. aud by the club constitution thai
purchase inhibited Handout Hill from handing
him out into the dark hess of Parklstreet.
In one OF the hllls following the remarks OF
the bartender a curious noise was heard from
the street without. Shufie-tsp-bunp. shif'e-
tap-burnp. siuffie-tap-bump. II sounded. ana
stopped at the side door which leads from the
street direct into the club room. The Oldest Liv-
ing. who knows more about the hobo community
than any other man in the guild cooked an AZ
ten,iy- ear and .nuttnrah something under his
breath. There was a knock The bundle oi
rags in tho corner stirred and Il scared face was
thrust forth. 4 half whi>pering vhice came
from II.
Cops" 1t said. Then the face dropped
Again and the voice added in abashed tones,
.Fergot where I was AZ; bad dreams.
The knock at the door was repeated. The
Oldest Living lifted mp his voice
Come in, Charley Horse, Welcome 10 the
Ciub-if you've got the price"
The door opened and "A gust Of night wind
blew IN the oldest figure that one might see
even in that resort oil fotsam aud ictsom. from
one years end TO the other. The newcomer
walked with a sort of double-shuftie. ending
IN q tap Of the toe and Il hump OF the heel.
Despite a face of weasel thinness lie was broad
shouIdered and deep-chested, aud hS arms,
which we're hung almost 10 his
knees. About his whole personality rs lie
swung across the floor there was "A certain ap-
pearance Of agility. mental and physical, tenn
pered IN the latter respect by III" infirini'y
that had given him his nickname. He was
dressed in a collection of sartorial curios' all
IN fair condition. but cross-matched from shoes
10 shirt studs. Seating himself on u bench
he looked around him.
Il stopped at the old barn AZ Amboy." he
said. and they told me there That the boes
had organized UP in this direction. 50 l thought
I'd drop in. How goes It. Oldest? How
dee-dee. Nank. Still on the pad. Hamlet?
i thought you'd be supporting Irving by this
time, but I zee You haven't learned to sup
port yourself. Hello. Pegdot. III swap my
left trotter for your walkins-beaIn Must
ba three years since | saw any OF you boes.
"e.es. an now youll put up" said Pegdot,
ever on the lookout for The main chance. which
with him Is IA drink. Initiation. or You get the
run
"Thars right" said the Oldest Living in
answer to Charley Horses look OF inquiry.
ITS drinks round for entrance fee. I'm
chairman Of the Membership Committee. Can
Won stand the racket"
Eleven. OF YOU. but his rags over III the cor
ner ia asleep said the newcomer y can
stand 50 cents. No occasion for waking him
up Let him p9und hiI ear IN pssSs, III. nav
member and 10 demand At drink for himself.
In accordance with the custom OF The club,
and Charley Horse took him III. All whlS-
keyed, The interior Of lhe hear, of rags still
slumbered while Pcgdot Sands drank Ia him
in pantomime md proph">led a lo' tline when
he should awake and find that he had been
duly toasted the Oldest Living turned 10 hun
and said
records all right. You have 10 have IA good
record 10 get INTO the Hobo club
"nunph, observed the novice Must
have suspended the rules Tor you How about
that month on the Railway roads that YOU
spent cracking up rocks for sMiping 4 couple
Of chickens IN 'es' How about hamietS
SKIER ont a, DpS Moincsr How about Nan
keen Harry's engagement 10 spend u Few weeks
IN indianapolis on account
That's all oyer and done, with pn! IN Nan
keen Harry hastily NOBODY cant touch
us on them old charges. Oldest i talking
about rarkels that amt been settled Ter vet"
That II " said the oldest Living FOR
the protection Of the club We have 10 look out
about taking In any one that j. gong 10 bring
the COPS into the place. rhat'd give the club
the continuity See is there anything u
that kind in your little book;
Well said harley SLOWLY. 70 t"ll the truth
there is a little charge That might come up
from last summer down n Tennessee
What il ~" asked tine Oldest Living
Murder" replied Charley looking straight
There was an in-tant'- silence followed by "A
sulp from the corner where the sleeper was
still apparently wrapped IN ~lllmhrr. lhch
Nankeen Harry got 10 his l'"'l and pushed away
his half -fini-hed drink, an evidence OF powerful
emotion.
This don't go. he said huar ,riy., Lets
take M a collection an give the gent back his
money. oldest. don't stand tor hat lint
There was a nllrulur oi assent rom, ne
Others. and the oldest ,tarrd sOlemnly nj the
new member That person looked around him
calmly, evidently "nl0ytug ih" sensation ihai
lie had made, though a look of rr~ent meui had
come into his face when Nank"en Harry mad
isolated HIM bv the term gent.
Go slow " he said let m" tell Nun about
II. Not guilty. your. %ilonurs
course. " said Hamlet -nrdouical!y but
the aforementioned for silence and bad" harley
go ahead and clear himself he could ~
Fair hearing is all want, SAID The defend
ant. I'm give you the whole hing straight.
and | could prove it all II had IN. richt man
here, but | guess he's padded oIl long before
this along Of that li'tl" lob Of drabbN A.,
To pad out, in hobo parlanc". i To dl" ana
"drabby" IL n Varlat ion on th- oman WORD
understood II and 50 did Hamlet RlnrN. Both
looked INTO their WhiskeN glaS~e- apprehen-
sively and Charley Horse laughed a. them,
Don't get scared, he said Wa u axe
case ON the dead man, but don't know bul
what the charge came pretty near being true
on some ~ the live ones. Last TIM" saw Nou
oldest. was femme Nrr. II was lusi after |
Quit the circus uu account Of ihl-. N3~ht ~
lie tapped his game leg and IN" oldest Living
nodded Well. after that | struck out Tor the
West aud did a pretty good road business with
the little l~ugglcI'- tricks that III picked W,
under the canvas. Then | fell IN with a band Ot
lypsies. he real thiug, and went dow To Mexico
Withthpm. aud " hen they got into trouble WIN
the Mexican authorities ] ~ ont Tor w" fA~'
across country.
ION. thing md another kept me once IA bum