Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-06-27

| skinned Dr. schneider out OF S2OO not
five minutes ago. and that he hal
seen the confidence man duck into
the dressing room within the minute.
| well, sirs, poor Sim flew into a
rage. He was for Jumping off his mule
then and there to help find the long
| looked-for swinClcr. l persuaded him
to gallop cut into the ring by promis-
| ing to do the searching myself, and,
| aided by the officer, 1 searched dill
] gently. The bugler at the ring en-
| trance had seen Eobody enter from the
| dressing tent. We opened all the
| trunks and hampers, kicked over piles
Of rugs, straw, canvas and properties,
but found nothing. Finally we de-
cided that the crook had slipped in at
| one side and out at the other without
being seen by Mr.. Price, VINO was at
the time alone in his little dressing
cell. The officer locked Eonplus3ed,
but he left, after carefully describing
the mans appearance. 1t tailed ex-
actly with all the previous knowledge
| we had Of the elusive crook, and there
was then nothing mere to co but re-
new our vigilance.
I'VE were Going q three-day stand
at that particular town, SO Sim and
sat up half the night discussing the
scandalous doings Of the bunko man,
who had now clulg to cur route for
two months. Sin was almost sick
with anger cnd the sense Of his disap.
t,ointment. Ee scratched his bald,
shining head till it get red; he puffcd
out his fat, cherubic checks till he
looked like an apoplectic and then he
came as near swearing as l ever heard
him. What made him so particularly
mad was the fact that the confidence
man always did his tricks right by the
tent wall, SO that every village paper
that had made 4 sensation of his swim.
dies credited them to AN attache of
the ckweil-Sinpson-Pric Circus
That fairly ate into the sensitive soul
of Sim.
"Vcll, sirs, just TO show you the au-
dacity Of the fellow. the very reXt af-
ternoon at the matinee, or rather just
after 1t had begun, he attracted a
crowd of men and boys to clear spot
rear the ve-y dressing tent which Sim
Lad just left to enter the ring, and
shell-gamed farmer out of $40. When
Sim heard that 1 thought he was going
to faint. lie made up his mind to re-
frain from his work in the ring until
he had caught the rascal, and, as I
was beginning to realize the cdium at
taching to our names, 1 reluctantly
agreed that he should not appear that
night. He stayed around the tent all
Of 1;ct
him, venomously disagreeable.
II think that night was one Of the
best we ever had so far as the attend
ance was concerned. 1 was obliged, at
Sims solicitation, to announce that
'Dumpy Humry' (his ring name) the
famous clown would be unable to ap-
pear on account Of sudden indisposi-
ton. Sim was such q stickler for fair
Iealing he'd have returned every dollar
taken in If the people had asked it.
But it was gocd-natured crowd and
they stayed for the show. We never
had less trouble. Every performer
seemed to be on his or her nettle and
even the trained animals did their
tricks with extraordinary success.
Mile. Du Barry was just at the climax
of her thrilling bareback act-the piece
de resistance Of the whole show, when
1 heard the familiar yell Of 'Dunpy
Humpy,' the clown, as he galloped fu-
riously into the ring. In q flash l re-
allied that one Of two things had hap
peled-either he had already caught
the brnko man or he was trying to
surprise me with a novelty of his own
invention. For, clinginS to the tail Of
his mule, cane q stranger IN street at
tire, tugglng like demon as il to stop
the beast. Everything happened SO
quickly and SO Unexpectedly that l
didn't have time to think that Sin
was running the effect of his wife's act.
1.-THE mule nearly collided with Mile.
Du Barry's charger just in front Of the
reserved seats, and the next thing /
knew the stranger had dragged the
clown down into the sawdust and was
choking him. Mademoiselle screamed
| and galloped out of the ring. The
spectators laughed loud at what
seemed to them the clowns grotesQue
| entree, but when 1 pushed into the
cloud of dust and sawdust raised by
the scuffier's 1 found the town police
man slipping pair Of handouts on
my partners wrists.
"'Here's your bunko man. he
grinned, standing up and stripping Sir,
Of his motley. Here's the shells and
here's three cards, and here's"
"The officer pulled out each article
as lie spoke. Here's the flash roll,
and-oh, look here! Do you want any
moro evidence? I-cre's his talse mus.
tache and his wigv
"Thc audience wanted to lynch the
poor clown when they Logan to gee
| that he was in the hands of the law,
but we slipped poor Sim out through
the dressing tent and left town that
night. 1 Iever saw him again, but 1
understand that his beautiful wife
stuck to hin and that they have been
Going well without working ever sire.
Trust 'erl for that.'-Joi1 Il. Raftery,
| /, tba rhtonnN DOo ,,1 T-o,oIJ