The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-23
A TRICK BY TWO DOGS
CREATED ILLUSION THAT ONE WAS
UNDER A STREET CAR.
Motormnn Saw One md Heard Ven
t~riIOquial Barking of the Other,
Which Was Concealed.

The man who reads the Clipper and
knows all the persons and all the tricks in
that branch Of the theatrical profession la
beled The Varietee" will explain. with the
slightest encouragement, that the professor
Of ventriloquism would be nothing without
his babies" the small wooden persons
whose heads wag and whose mouths work
by mechanism. The audience is to an ex-
tent hynotized by the lifelike dummies. the
Clippers constant reader will say, and, its
attention thus taken from the professor .
the illusion is successful.
Shortly after 3 o'clock last night a Col
lege-avenue car, which hadF stopped at
Massachusetts avenue and Alabama street
to take on some passengers, among whom
were two large policemen. started and sud-
denly stopped. The motorman left his
levers and hurried to the rear OF the car.
The conductor bent down and the motor
man whispered in his ear. Immediately the
conductor jumped TO the ground, and. with
the motorman, peered under the car.
1T was a little black dog said the
motorman. ut ran across in front of the
car just as l started up"
The two large policemen left their seat
and joined the conductor and the motor
man. The four crept along the side of the
car. looking under the running board. ITS
so dark under there that / don't believe
we could see a black dog" said one Of the
policemen.
Suddenly. a series OF sharp barks of the
kind so closely associated with small, black
dogs cut the air.
There it isl cried the motorman, tri-
umphantly. Now, III pull up a bit, and
maybe it'll run put"
FURRY AMONG PASSENGERS.
The motorman climbed to his platform
and jerked the car forward a yard, and
then returned to the conductor and the
patrolman. See him." he inquired. No.
they answered.
The passengers were all stirred up by
this time. They craned their necks and
asked each other futile questions. There's
a boy under the car suggested a reckless
guesser. This remark gave TO many per-
sons that sickening futter of the heart re-
lated to the knowledge that one must soon
look on a mangled form. The motorTnan
pulled the car forward another yard. and
the men smoking on the rear platform
turned and looked over the shield fear
somely, dreading that the body of a small
boy might be revealed.
The policemen, the motorman and the
ing desperately to see the dog underneath,
which parked and yelped continuously.
by George, III swear / can't see him.
SAID one of the policemen.
A stohd-looking mar on one of the rear
seats suddenly took on life and said, Say.
are you fellows lookin' for a dog under the
car?
Yes" chorused the motorman, the con-
ductor and the policemen.
We'll, he amt under the car" said the
stolid-looking man; hes on the car. A
been barkin' that way all the way from
greenwood. I've been bothered with him
Tor two hours" The stolid-looking man
burst into hoarse laughter and thrust his
cigar into his mouth.
THE PHENOMENON EXPLAINED.
The motorman, the conductor and the two
policemen stared speeches. at the stolid-
looking man a moment, but his laugh put
them to flight. The motorman dashed to
his platform, rang the gong viciously and
started the car at high speed. The police
men decided no. 10 take that car. and
disappeared around the corner, and the
conductor swung on behind.
Yes, said the stolid-lOoking man, that
dogs been barkin' that way ever since
Greenwood" He repeated this several
times. laughing hoarseiy by way of punctu-
alton.
AS The word spread through the car all
the passengers laughed. too. at the con-
ductor, who turned red. A small black dog
gamboled out Of a doorway and ran bark
ing at the side OF the car.
There's the other dogr' exclaimed the
saw in front of the car and thought he had
caught"
The other small black dog. held by a
woman IN the front OF the car, again be-
gan to bark. and again the passengers
laughed
That dogs a regular ventriloquist." said
the stold-looklng man. He's been barkin'
that way ali the way from Greenwood
If she don't keep its lead shut. she'll
have To get OF the car. - said the conductor,
VINO was "A bit angry.
II the nan that reads the Clipper had
been present he would have explained that
without his babies" or. as in this case,
Without his wooden dog, the professor could
create no illusion.