Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-10
GAME WITH A MAGIC PENCIL
Star Thsatsr sOubrstts Gives Out It's Plans
and Specifications,
HOW TOPRoDUCE WORMS FROM FEATHERS
stage Fairy Tells Police that r.. r..
Maher Has Been Reaping BOun-
tifuI Harvest OF Coin from
Omaha Homes.

Wrecked on the shoals Of might-have-
BEEN muttered R. e. Maher, as he sui
lenly turned from Judge Berka's desk in
the police court yesterday after paying
a fine Of 81 and costs which was levied
against him on the charge Of being drunk.
Standing a few feet from Maher was a
smiling little woman who calls herself
Gypsy VAN" and is trudging on to fame
as one Of the shining lights in the dramatic
armament Of the Star theater. Gypsy"
It was who had caused Makers arrest and
hlched from him a secret which was his
stock in trade" Transforming lin from a
happy-go-lucky sort Of a magician on q
small scale to a respondent prisoner at bar.
Wednesday night after a profitable day
at his magic" art, Maher, evidently find
ing himself several ducats to the good, de-
cided he would throw aside the tedious
cares Of life and have a good time. Ac-
cOrdingly he stretched himself for a hack
and by the aid Of his magic and seductive
wand he finally induced Gypsy Van" to
Join him in his evening on" the program
Of which was to begin with a circuit Of the
town in the best hack on the avenue.
The ride was completed and Maher had
unburdened himself OF a bunch Of nice little
expressions, something to the effect that he
had enjoyed the ride with his fair compan
ion. Suddenly, before taking cave Of the
mischlevous little Gyp. Maher claims to
have discovered another burden removed.
He said 1t consisted Of S45, which at such a
time was really more than he could con-
veniently spare.
Makes the sOubrette Angry.
And then Maper is said to have made the
mistake Of his life, the sad memory of which
provoked the lamentation which escaped his
lips in the court room. Maher is said to
have accused Vsnnie Of touching him for
the forty-hve bucks" Vannie pleaded her
innocence, but to no avail. The incorrigible
man would have his way.
The sylph was vipdictive and when Maher
was locked UP for an alteration with his
hackdriver, she told the police that Maher
had been obtaining his livelihood by means
Of fraud and she proceeded to expose his
modus operandi, which after all was not a
clumsy modus.
The story was that Maher had been in
omaha several days under the guise OF a
feather renovator. He would go to a house.
ask II the woman had any feathers to be
renovated, and II given a negative answer
would ask to see what feathers she had in
her beds, under the pretense Of wanting to
buy them at a high price which he would
incidentally mention. To make the inspec-
ton ne would rip open one side OF the tick,
draw from his pocket a pencil which APP
parently was the same as any other pencil
and begin operations by stirring the feath-
ers up with this pencil, finally Withdrawing
the pencil from the tick only to discover to
the horror Of the good housewife that 1t was
literary covered with tiny worms. OF
course she would sell or give away that old
bed. She didn't want a bed full Of rotten
or wormy feathers. Then Maher would
reap a bonanza
According to his exposer, the pencil which
Maher used was hollow and contained a
rubber plug in one end. The interior Of
the pencil was filled with tiny worms which
Maher says are peculiar to Nebraska. Just
before inserting the pencil in the feathers
he drew this rubber plug and the worms
made their ex.t, being much in evidence by
the time the pencil had emerged from the
feathers.
The woman stated that Maher had made
some rich hauls here in Omaha by this
game.