The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-28
CHAIRMAN's TAGGARTs jokes,
Democratic Leader is An Expert
SIeight- of Hand Performer.
louisville Times. }

democratic NalOlldI committee, used
to be a great practical joker and
many are the stories told in Indiana
Of the tricks that he played on his
friends.
He has unusual skill as a sleight
Of-hand performer. Formerly he was
constantly using this gift in playing
practical jokes on his friends. He
doesn't do so much of it now bur
there are many men in various parts
of the country who will testify to his
cleverDess in this line.
Taggarts particular crony used 10
be State Treasurer King. who lived in
indianapolis. A joke that they put
UP on a friend OF Kings is said TO
have taken them three months to
hath.
King had a friend. Arthur Johnston.
who represented a harvester company
Of Chicago. Johnston owned a watch
of very ingenious construction, which
was valued at $80e, and os which he
was very proud.
King and Taggart decided to play
a trick with the watch the next time
Johnston came to town. They WenI
to JeWeIer and got watch that In
outward appearance resembled john
stOn's. There was nothing to this
watch except the case, and the inside
was filled with a lot of unrelated
SpI ilSS anu WASGlS.
Soon after Johnston arrived OF
Taggarts hotel Kins started to talk
about watches. Then Johnston made
Il remark about his own watch
Yes" said King to Taggart, John
ston has the finest watch you ever
saw; you would be interested to look
at it,
At this Johnston pulled out his
watch and handed it to Taggart to
"a a M T1On Too H.
fully, held it up to his ear. and finally
said:
Yes, it is a beauty. It is certainly
the finest watch l ever saw
Then he held it up for further eX-
animation, and all Of a sudden drop
ped it on the marble floor.
Johnston and Taggart both jumped
for it with a cry of alarm, but it was
too late. The watch was smashed
into hundred pieces. The floor for
an area of three or four feet was COW
cred with springs and wheels ana
other parts of the watch. The way
Taggart sympathized with Johnston
was amusing to those who were in on
the joke.
''WeIl, that's too bad. isn't it ?" said
Taggart Il suppose that watch must
have cost you SIS or $100?"
Johnston went up in the air.
"A hundred dollars!" he gasped.
'Why, man, that cost me $500"
That's too bad, too bad" Taggart
keeps repeating. "I wonder If we can't
get it fixed at the jewelers. across the
street"
Such talk as this increased John
S.ca's fury.
Fix that watch in an Indianapolis
jewclry store!" cried he. "Why, that
watch was made for me in Switzerlnd.
There isn't a Matchmaker IN the Unit
I'd States that could make that
/ watch"
Taggart continued to suggest fixing
I the watch. and Johnston was growing
wilder every minute in trying to i'm
press on Taggart the value of the
watch and the damage that had been
done. But Taggart kept on in an in
nocent, bland sway, telling what a
good jeweler the man across the street
+ really was
He got at plate and began to pick up
tins pieces, while Johnston stormed
around. Finally all the pieces were
gathered up and Taggart started for
the door, as If to go across the street
Then he stopped as if struck with a
new thought and began to put the
wheels and spring back into> the case
himself.
There" said Taggart, as he COM
p,eted the job and surveyed it with
apparent pride: that wasn't as bad
an accident as it seemed at first, was
it %
: At this he handed back to Johnston
his $500 watch, which he had been
concealing in his clothes and shifted
the dummy watch out of hight again.
THAT watch seems to be all right
after all. doesn't ii ?" he asked in the
same innocent way.
! Johnston took up his watch in a
dazed manner and began to examine
it. 1t was fully half d minute before
he tumbled to what had happened.
First, he looked the timepiece oil
over, held it to his ear to assure HIM
self that it was all right and opened
the case to find that it had not been
hurt. Then it dawned on him sudden
ly that he had been the victim of one
of Taggart'S jokes. Johnston bought
wine for the party
Here is another story OF Iag@arl S
clevernesS as a sleight-of-hand man.
One day a travelling man. particular
friend of his went to the desk OF the
/ hotel to register After he had written
his name, Taggart came up and shook
hands with him. remarkng:
! I'm sorry, but I don't see how we
can keep you on the European pan
here. This hotel is run on the Ameri-
can plan, you know"
This was said in Sucn SERIOUSNESS
that the man never thought of a joke.
why, / want to stay on the Amerl-
can PLAN" said the traveller IN sur
prise.
mo, you don't" replied Taggart.
you want to stay on the european
plan, and we can't keep you.
what do you mean?' eJaculateQ
the traveller, inclined to be angry. L
tell you / want to stay on the Aiherl-
can plan, as 1 always have.
/ ooh. we'll, if you insist, sald rag
CART, 81 suppose you know what YOU
want, but I IMAGINED YOU lntenueu
only to get a room here ana DO your
own cooking, judging by the EroNlS-
ions you brought along. ~.
At this Taggart reached III tne
mans coat pocket and pulled out d
string of bologna sausages. IIieIi a9
reached in another pochel aac'
brought out half peck. OF potatoes,
Then he pulled out a big porterilouSe
steak from the mans collar; ,
All this time the man looked al 10
CART in establishment. until ne SrdSpeu
the Joke and began to smile, , ds
CART never cracked a smile, put cdl tts1
a bell-boy and told him to take 'l'.I
things to the kitchen. renarklns
the man in a uuizzical, sauVe Ilt1l Is.
"T bnr vour pardon for my lilisIdhe'