St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-07-18
rANKER,s CLEVER scHEME|


understand how Tanker ever man
aged to reach home. He would never
leave the club until just about time
to arrive at the depot, with margin
enough to permit of his climbing on
the rear platform of the train as it
was pulling out Of the station. BE
could never get down from the club
without colored bellboy on each
side of him to guide his wavering
footsteps, and he never could have
found his way to the depot inside
Of three years, if it had been only
q block away, but he was put into a
cab and taken over there in state.
At the depot the combined efforts Of
the cabman and two porters were re-
quired to escort the joyous Mr.. Tank
err to the train, and after stern
chase down the platform to hurl him
by main strength on the last coach.
A friendly brakeman finally would
assist Mr.. Tanker to his feet, and
get him inside of the car, and COM
fortably placed in seat, relates the
Chicago Tribune.
The men at the club knew that this
same considerate brakeman assisted
Mr.. Tanker off the train at East
Newton, the lovely suburban spot
where Mr.. Tanker resided, but the
question was, How did Mr.. Tanker
get from the station to his house?
It was well known that Mr.. Tanker
lived full mile from the station.
East Newton, while q charming
place, is darker at night than the mid
die Of bushel Of tar. Moreover,
between the station and Tanker's
home were wide meadows, deep
woods, graveyard, a village church,
a golf links, and on either side of
the road, here and there, was pond,
and in one place stone quarry.
It was known that Mrs. Tanker
sternly disappproved of Tanker's
staying late at the club, and she al
ways sternly refused to let even q
gladdening beacon light shine out Of
the front hall windows to guide the
Tanker to his home.
Tanker always left the club. in
such a condition on these nights that
he tarried late that he seemed to
have lost absolutely all sense of di-
rection or location. He was always
tractable, and anybody could guide
him by putting out hand, but with
out this aid Tanker would have
missed the Masonic temple by so feet,
Il he had started for it alone from
across the street.
The mystery of how Tanker got
homo became so deep that finally one
night two of the men at the club
decided to pursue him, and see for
themselves how it came about. Most
IF the club were willing to bet that
some friendly native met Tanker at
The depot in East Newton, but 9TH
ers maintained that the town mar
shall took charge of Tanker when he
and piloted him homeward. |
The idea was dropped when it be-
came known that lovely East View
ton had no town marshal. So the
.wo volunteer detectives decided to
log Tanker's footsteps, and see for
themselves.
Just before 12 o'clock one night the
two sleuths followed Tanker from the
club. They saw him put into a cab
md then, getting into another cab
that they had waiting, they pursued
Tanker to the depot. They ran ahead !
md got aboard the train for East |
Newton before the cabman and port
.rs had loaded Tanker on. They kept i
we'll out of sight, but as the train
slowed up for East Newton they
jumped nimbly off and stood in the
;hadow to watch Tanker. They saw
Tanker and the brakeman getting of !
ogether. The brakeman took Tanker |
" the arm and rushed him over to q |
,lace where he seemed to give him a
sudden push. Tanker disappeared and I
he brakeman turned and rushed back
10 the train and scrambled aboard as
t was pulling out.
Great Scott!" gasped one of the
did you see the brutal thing
hat brakeman did? He pushed poor
Sid Tanker into that hole and left him
here"
Lets hurry" said the other horri-
led detective, perhaps he's badly
,urt."
The two rushed over to the hole and
.alled down Tanker, old man, are
vou there?"
There was no response. Then one
It the amateur detectives Lit match
md looked into the hole.