Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-11-17

and | lighted the lamp and took from
his wrist the billy" which he had
bought in town with my money to use
as cracker" in case his sleeping
victim woE, up before being plundcr-
ed. Then | forced brandy between his
teeth. bathcd his face with water. and
III the course of quarter of an hour
my midnight visitor had so far recoy
cred his senses that ventured to re-
mark:
"Well, Jones-Jones, why didn't you
tell me that you We're coming. that
might be on the lookout for you?"
Joncs-Joncs sat up. He didn't recog-
niZe me. He himself had a different
look on his face. That diSsipated but
yet crafty look had disappeared. and in
its place was wonderment if not hon
esty. 1t was my wicked man in the
flesh. but not in the spirit. He got off
the floor and felt of the bump on his
head and sat down on Il chair, and it
was long five minutes before he said:
''Sir, my name is Brown Brown. and
l don't exactly understand the Stun-
ton. Am l in your room, or are you
in mine?''
II believe it's my ROOM" l replied.
but being as you arrived late and the
landlord is asleep you can stop until
morning"
VERY kind Of you, sir-eXtremely
kind. As to this bump on my head
is it bump or not: If its bump,
how did receive it?"
you hit your head on the door in
the darkness. l believe"
"Ah. Just so. Very stupid of me.
but it's only trife. Now. then, Mr..
Ashmerc. as to the business in hand.
If you think you can advance me 500,
l am sure l can make a &C nf it,
1t took me a little while IL catch on,
but by and by l discovered that Jones'
Jones had been knocked out and
Brown Brown had taken his place.
Jones. Jones was a crook who wanted
to reform; Brown-Brown was a poor
but honest man who wanted to go into
the making of shirts. JIc knew moth
ing whatever of Jones-Jones. He pick
ed up the conversation as If he had
been talking about the business when
the accident happened. He called me
by another name than my own, and
it was plain to me that he was also
another man. l sounded him about
crime and state prison. but he Solemnly
assured me that he had never been ar
rested He was Brown-Brown as far
as his name went. but as for his past
history he was rather hazy on the sub
ject.
had turned JOncs-JOnes the crook.
back into Brown Brown. the honest
man. by knock on the head. 1t V 8
rapid transit reformation. and | looked
upon the problem as solved. Having
been willing to assist a crook. | could
not refuse an honest man. When my
week was up. we went back to town
together. and l gave Brown-Brown
money enough to set up in shirtmak-
ing. He had on the clothes l had
bought .JOncS-JOnes. He had the hair
the eyes. the mouth and the build of
the crook, but there had been change
of souls. AS far as the present went
he was bright and talkative, but when
asked of the past he looked puzzled
and could not figure it out. The doc
tors agreed with me that it was the
whack on the head that had made
Brown Brown of Jones-Jonps and that
the police ought to be given full power
to 90 around breaking water pitchers
over crooks cranillnS; but. alas, that
was twist of the business we hadn't
the foresight to discover and prepare
for.
My man proSpered wonderfully we'll
People said he was Il little eccentric,
hut he was honest and a hard worker.
in one year he had paid me back half
my money and built up good buSi-
ness. One day detective entered the
store to make purchase. lie had
known JoneS-Joncs as a crook. He
knew that Jones-Jones had crooked
finger on his right hand and mole
on his left cheek. When he discovered
that Brown Brown had these same
identification marks, he began to look
at him more closely, and by and by
he made up his mind that the old
crook stood before him. He was so
sure of it that he set out to make an
arrest Brown-Brown was an honest
man, but in his surprise he started to
make a bolt Of it. AS he ran out of his
shop and down the street, pursued by
the detective, he encountered a police
man who tapped him on the head with
his club. Brown-Brown went down
like log and was cartcd off to the
station. l was present when his senses
returned. and you can imagine my feel
lnSs when he sat up and said:
well, you've got me ut last, but I
gave you run for it. You fellers aim
half sharp"
You are Jones-Jones, the crook -
said the sergeant.
"Of course | am, and the slickest
crook in the country. Is it that bank
/ business you want me for this tme?'
'Mr. Brown began as |
stepped forward, but the crook slapped
me with:
| "Who in blank is Brown Brown
Then | realized how II was | had
smashed Jonps-.Iones, the crook, over
the head with n water pitcher and
! changed him into Brown Brown, the
/ honest shirt constructor. The police
| man had smashed Brown Brown with
| his club and changed him back into
| JOnes-JOneS, the crook. The taps on
| the head had done the business. My
| tap was all right and had founded a
| new theory upon it and invested 500
! in cash. But l hadn't foreseen that a
second tap might come any day, as
| come 1t did, and my theory had been