The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-20
The MartyrdOm Of
LyCurguS BiIthOrpe.
CBy. Edward F. Younger in the Chicago
Record Herald

IBy Edward F. Younger in the Chicago
Record Herald
Lycurgus BilthOrpe says that in the
remote event that he should live a
thousand years and retain all his fac
ulties up to the moment Of dissolution
never again would he exert himself to
accommodate a woman. BIlthOrpe, or
dinarily a mild hammered man and sort
of speech accompanied this announce
nent with weird and picturesque pro-
family and much paving of the lam
bent atmosphere.
1t all came about in this way. Mrs.
Sawyer, who resides in an interior Illi-
nois town, took advantage of a cheap
excursion to pay long deferred visit
to the BilthOrpes and incidentally to
have a casual look at some Of the bar
gain sales. on the trip in the excursion
train was crowded almost to suffoca-
tiOn and Mrs. Sawyer feared she
would have trouble getting seat in the
congested coaches on the return trip
This was the subject Of two converse
lions al the Bilthorpe home, and it was
finally suggested that Mr.. BIthOrpe get
to the station Monday noon as soon as
the train was made up pick out a good
seat and hold 1t, pending the arrival Of
Mrs. Sawyer, who had some shopping
to do.
Bithorpe, always an obhging man,
cast business affairs to the winds and
was the first person through the gates
Swinging aboard the train, he selected
a seat in the middle of the first car and
awaited the coming of Mrs. Sawyer.
Meanwhile the coaches filed rapidly
with tired, cross people. and when all
the seats had been pre-empted those
who had failed to find accommodations
forward began to surge back against
the crowd still pouring in at the rear.
First a large. palpitating lady who was
persplrlng like pOrpOlse and StruE-
Cling under sundry parcels attempted
to push her way into the seat beside
BilthOrpe
Beg your pardon, madam but this
seat is taken he said softly.
Il see it is she snorted. taken by a
little whipper snapper who ought to lie
up there in the hatrack instead of sit
ting among decent folks"
Then q red faced man attempted to
push two gaugly children into the seat
and when BilthOrpe expostulated the
flaming faced individual invited him
out on the platform, promising to adorn
his cOuntenance with a few choice da-
dos and Scrolls just as mark Of his
esteem.
Meanwhile the human torrent poured
in, surgfng and roaring around tne
luckless man who was inmOlating hirn-
self upon the altar of good fellowship
He anxiously craned his neck in the
hope of catching sight of Mrs. Sawyer,
and, once or twice when the angry
passengers who wanted the seat threat
ened to demOlish him, he loudly ex-
pressed the wish that his wife would
hurry up"
Finally the train started and BiIthorpe
made dash for the door In the scrani-
bic TO gain the coveted seat a number of
passengers became entangled in a general
scrimmage. Bilthorpe was punched in the
ribs by an umbrella his hat was knocked
off and lost, his coat torn and his luck
less body was the recipient of sundry
squirmed toward the door Just as he
reached the platform someone raised the
CRY of "pickpOcketr' A dozen pairs of
rough hands reached for the struggling
man. but he shook them off and plunged
uladl} IRON the rapidly moving train.
alighting face downward and blowing a
furrow in the hard cinders with his nose
When he had taken up a collection Of
that he was minus a hat half his coat