Evening star., 1901-08-24
AN INFANT BLACKMAlLER


roy Of boy at the hotel where stopped" !"
remarked-with an eye that flashed bit
with remembered anger-a young Wash
iDgton matron who recently returned from
stay by one OF the New York lakes. you,
OF course. recall about Jesse Pomeroy-the
boy now a full grown man doing life
sentence in a Connecticut PRISON.. who
took such delight in numbering his play
mates by sticking knives in them and
breaking their limbs and crushing their
heads in and otherwise diyerting himself
at their expense? Well, this cute little
Jesse Pomeroy that I met while away
hasn't yet reached the numbering stage, but
he's already a skillful blackmailer and it 8
only question Of time in my opinion be-
fore he'll be emulating the extraordinary
Connecticut monster.
This boy, an only son Of wealthy Bal
ttmore parents, was about eight years old
fine. manipulating little fellow as ever
you saw, and one. If you didn't know him.
that you'd feel inclined to take to your
heart. But what demon! What malice!
He was at the hotel with his mother
an excitable, nervous-looking woman-and
nurse. His father wasn't along. being
detained in Baltimore by business. II the
youngsters father had been along from
the beginning, the trouble would probably
not have happened.
''The boy worked his speciality on me the
was seated in the writing room, attending
to some correspondence, when he pranced
in and looked me over. He was such a
nce-looking boy that I stopped writing to
study him a bit The two Of US were quite
alone in the writing room.
Gimme quarter demanded the boy
imperiously.
Now. that struck me as being such an
extraordinary demand, upon so short an
acquaintance for the youngster to make
upon a stranger, that I could only continue
to look at him and smile.
Gimme a quarter he repeated, again
arrogantly, and holding out his hand, and
gimme il quick!
This somewhat riled me.
"'What nice-looking little boy said
to myself, chewing my pen and looking at
him more seriously, to have such artociOuS
manners!
Are you going to gimme that quarter"
inquired the boy, with sort of last-chance
way of putting it.
No., said 1, I am not. and I should
think such nice little boy as you look
would be ashamed to-
Right there the lad electrified me by
topping to the floor, where he lay sprawl
ing, kicking his legs and bowling at the
top Of his voice. / thought he had had
sudden attack Of collie or something, and
stopped to pick him up. He twisted about
and kicked me with all his might as l
bent over him, and continued to bawl.
1T was all SO extraordinary and so sud
den that didn't know what to make o. 1t.
The next thing I knew the boys mother
came rushing into the room, looking dag
gers at me. She picked up the still shout
ing little rascal.
"'Why, Monte, what's the matter? ex-
claimed the malicious young ones mother,
looking from him to me.
She, howled the boy. pointing an ac-
cusing finger at me, slapped me as hard
as she could. and for nothing, the boy
wept dismaily, rubbing his fearless eyes.
"Wen, wasn't that jolly nice predica-
ment for one to be placed ina mild-man-
nered woman from a mild-mannered city to
be accused straightout by bawling young
one Of having struck him the first time
she was ever alone with him?
Il shall spare you the repetition OF the
things that infamously mischievous boys
mother thereupOn said to me. l was never
inflated It was idle for me to endeayor
to explain just what had happened. The
woman would not listen to me. number
of the other guests, men and women, gaIn-
cred about. and then the proprietor OF the
hotel made his appearance while the wom-
was still excoriating me for striking her
poor little Monte with all her might, and
for nothng-just out Of temper. could
see that they regarded me with an aslant
gaze, and l was too choked with tears to
continue my effort to explain, ana 80 neo
to my room.
s.On the very next day the boy repeated
the self-same job with an old LADY lady from from
in a quiet parlor in one of the wings Of the
hotel. The old lady hadn't heard OF my
experience with the brat, and the raking
over she got from the malicious young
boys mother when she appeared upon
the scene to pat and comfort her poor little
Monte so fabbergasted her that she was
i'll in bed for two days She. too, at
tempted. however, to narrate the circun.- a
stances Of the case Just as they had nap
pened to the other guests and the proprle-
tor. who appeared, but she was too ratified,
as l was, and too overborne. too, py the
mothers utterly unjust and inexcusaole
language.
"But the repetition Of the offense on the
boys part taught the other guests ano
the proprietor something, and NUMBER OF
the women guests came to me ana con con
fessed that while on the previous day they
had been shocked to suppose that was
victim Of a fiendish temper, they were now
convinced that poor little Monte was IN
reality little devil. Inc proprietor Ike IKE
wise came to me and expressed the same
opinion. and he said that In his OPINION
little Monte needed drubbing that Woulu
cause him to partake Of his food IN per-
pendicular attitude for some weeks 10 CONE; net
.Idttle Monte was crafty enough to act
abused and imposed upon Tor four or nVe
days after that. Then his hendlsnness got
the better Of him again and he worked MS
singularly atrocious trick upon a youhs
man who was doing some writing In the
mems correspondence room. The proprietor
of the hotel was on the scene about twelve
seconds after little Montie's yells began TO
reSOund through the mousse, anu NC pichco
tha kicking little ruff1an from the floor, laid
him over his knee and basted him In as
fine an old-fashioned way as ever l saw,
for I had the pleasure to be on the scene
myself Just at that time. The mother OF
the Young one appeared too. and was just
openine up on the proprietor Wnen dig
man appeared in the doorway with grip
in his hand The mother Of the eight-year-
old blackmailer looked up and saw him
standing wondering In the doorway.
Thank heaven! she exclaimed dramat-
itically throwing her arms around the
newcomers neck. here's my husband. and
he viii take poor little Montfe's part!'
"'Will he. thought said the hotel pro-
prietor, not letting up a little bit IN his
drubbing of the brat. Well. not until l
get through with poor little Monte will
he, unless he wants some OF the same
medicine
there was nothing Of the sort.
"sYou may whack the imp till you're sore
for all 1 care put in the boys newly ar
rived father. I've worn my arms out on
him for the same trick l see he's been
working again. Go ahead and drub him
until you ache. I've about passed him up
"He was pretty disgusted-looking man.
as much so with his foolish wife as with
the brat. They moved to another hotel
that night. / am not given to indiscrim-
mate predictions. but think could pref
ty nearly forecast that boys future"