The evening times., 1900-09-20
SAVING MIR. ARM0UR's LIFE.
a scheme of SeIf-SfYIed Newspapers
Men That Failed.
Nrom the Cllieago News. }

Men That Failed.
fFrom the Chicago News)
Late in the winter of 1892, which was
hard winter for a great many people in
Chicago, two young men who had had
enough experience country newspapers
TO style themselves journalists were in
this city and out of cash. One of them.
who may be called Green, conceived the
brilliant idea of getting himself in funds
by saving Phil Armour'S life The great
operator was N robust health at the
time, and wholly unaware of any danger
hanging over him; but Green seems TO
nave thought that there could be no par
lcuiar merit in saving the life of a man
whose life needed saving, and he and
White, his associate, acted accordingly.
Inc plan was for one of them TO take a
bottle OF wine to Mr.. Armour's house on
Pralrle Avenue, after dosing it literally
with some sort of poison. This done, the
other of the eonspirators was TO rush
forward and take the centre of the stage
long enough TO tear the bottle from the
lips of the doomed man. The curtain
was TO drop with the capitalist reaching
down into supposedly bottomless trousers
pockets, extracting therefrom great wads
OF the lawful currency of the Republic
and bestowing the same upon the delight
ed reScuer who would theFeupon go
around the corner with his arms full OF
dough and divide with his partner.
Though the plan may be said 10 lack
originality and the young men had not
been in town long enough to know that
individuals of vastly greater executive
ability had long been endeavoring TO sell
the astute operator far more seductive
gold bricks. ii seemed plausible, and they
went ahead.
Mr.. Armour came home somewhat ear
1ier than usual from business one day,
Mrs Armour not feeling we'll He had
been up to her ROOM had come down
stairs and was passing by the street door
when his man went by him to take
small package and note from some person
outside Both were addressed to him and
he read the note as he stood there. 1t
was written on Palmer House paper and
read as follows:
Dear Philip: They were opening a
cask of unusually good wine this morning
and / thought you and Mrs. Armour might
enjoy glass with me. Sincerely yours,
POTTER PALMER
It came into Mr.. Armour's mind that
one small pint of red wine was none too
magnificent an outcome from a whole
cask, but he and Mr.. Palmer had been
friends in a little New York town before
either of them had ever heard of Chicago
and there was certainly no inherent i'm
probability in the action. So the man was
sent up to Mrs. Armour's room with the
wine ana note and Mr.. Armour turned 10
go about his affairs
He had hardly stepped back from his
position near the door when he could
hear the bell ring violently in the back OF
the house and was aware from the ac-
companying noises that some one was in
great haste on the high stoop without
Being on the spot he opened the door TO
see what the matter was. 4 tall and
much-agitated young man stood before
him. gasping for breath.
Did a young man Just leave q note and
package with you?" he almost sobbed out
No sir, replied Mr. Armour who
knew thing or two.
Any other answer would have helped
This one hindered- ManifestIy the life Of
man whose life is not known 10 be in
danger cannot be saved with any striking
success So haste gave way TO astonish-
ment-the young man S wits did not work
as quick as the packers. or he might have
realized that Mr. ATnour's man. rather
than Mr.. Armour himself. had been the
person with whom the note and package
had just been left. But he blurted out:
Why, ] thought a young man just LETT
something herei'
Mr.. Armour gently bur firmly closed the
door and h2stened up to his Wife's room
He understood something was wrong and
he acted with his customary energy and
CELEBRITY He found that the bottle had
been opened and a glassfui poured out
But il was not too late. He took q sip.
found it bitter, sPat it out and understood
the game Of the two young men q great
deal better than they did But he was
not grateful at that moment, for Mrs
Armour had been endangered though only
for moment.
Meanwhile the private watehman who
guards the houses in the vicinity of Twen-
ty-first Street and Prairie Avenue had no
ticed something unusual going on. the de-
paTture Of White and the coming of Green
having beenu marked enough 10 arouse
a grayen's images curiosity. So, as an
evidence Of good faith, he gathered Mr..
White in. and in short time, word from
the house having gone out. Mr.. Green was
also locked up. Incidentally. the two men
had hoped to gain scoop" with the
thrilling story of the conspiracy and res
cue. As they sat in the armoTy and
thought IL over they realized that the
story belonged TO the world. They were
not prosecuted but they abandoned the
iife-saving business the spot