The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-18
rAcaARr AS A sokna.
His Remarkable Knack Of P1ayan0
 Sleight-O Of-Hand Tfscks.

Sie18ht-Of-H0n0 IT1ck&
 Thomas Taggart, chairman of the Democratic National committee. says The New York Sun. used to be great stories told in Indiana of the tricks that he played on his friends. He has unusual skill as . 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 1t now. but there are many men in various parts of the country who will testify to his clever ness in this line.
 Taggart's particular crony used to he State Treasurer King. who lived in Indianapolis. A joke that they put up on friend of King is said to have taken three months to hatch.
 King had friend, Arthur Johnston. who represented the Mccormick Har- vester Company. of Chicago. Johnston owned a watch of very ingenious con- struction. which was valued at $500. and of which he was very proud.
 King and Taggart decided to play a trick with the watch the next time Johnston came to town. They went to jeweler and got watch that in outward appearances resembled John ston's. There was nothing to this "atch except tne case, unu tho insiuo was filled with a lot of unrelated springs and wheels.
 Soon after Johnston arrived at Tag garts hotel King started to talk about watches. Then Johnston made a re- mark about his own watch.
 "Yes." said King to Taggart. Johns ton 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 examine. Taggart looked at 1t care- fully. held 1t up to his ear and finally said:
 'Yes. it is a beauty. It Is certainly the finest watch ever saw" Then he held 1t up for further exam ination and all of sudden dropped 1t on the marble floor. Johnston and Taggart both Jumped for 1t with . cry of alarm, but 1t was too late. The watch was smashed into hundred pieces. The floor for an area of three or four feet was covered with springs and wheels and other parts of the watch. The way Taggart sympathized with Johnston was anus. ing to those who were in on the joke.
 Well. that's too bad, isn't itY' said
 
 havc cost you $75 to S1o0r' Johnston went up fin the air. "A hundred dollarsw he gasped Why. man, that cost me $s00." That's too bad, too bad" Taegart kept repeating. T wonder if we cant get 1t fixed at the jewellers across the street"
 Such talk as this increased Johns. tons fury.
 Fix that watch in an Indianapolis | Jewelry storel' cried he. why, that watch was made for me in Switzerland There isn't a watchmaker in the United States that could make that watch"
 Taggart continued to suggest fixina the watch. and Johnston was growing wilder every minute in trying to i'm. press on Taggart the valuo of the watch and the damage that had been done. But Taggart kept on in an in. nocent, bland way. telling what a good Jeweler the man across the street real. | ly was.
 He got plate and began to pick ur the pieces. while Johnston stormed around. Finally all of the pieces were gathered up and Taggart started foI 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. pleted the job and surveyed it with ap. parent pride; that wasn't as bad ar accident as 1t seemed at first, was itr At this he handed back to Johnson his $500 watch. which he had been con- cealing in his clothes and shifting the dummy watch out of sight again. Tha kak t.. n ter all, doesn't it?" he asked in the same innocent way.
 Johnston took up hls watch in a dazed manner and began to examine it. It was fully half a minute before he | tumbled to what had happened. First, he looked the timepiece all over, held 1t to his ear to assure him. self that It was all right, and opened the case to find that 1t had not been hurt. Then 1t dawned upon him sud. denly that he had been the victim Of one of Tom Taggarts jokes. John ston bought wine for the party. Here is another story of Taggart's cJeverness as a slefght- of hand man One day travelling man. a particular friend of his, went to the desk of his hotel to register. After he had writ ! ten his name Taggart came up and shook hands with him. remarking: | I'm sorry, but don't see how we can keep you on the European plan here. This hotel is run on the Ameri. can plan. you know"
 This was said in such seriousness that the man never thought of a joke Why, l want to stay on the Ameri- can plan," said the traveller in sur. prise.
 No. you don't" replied Taggart. You want to stay on the European plan. and we can't keep you." | What do you mean?" ejaculated the traveller. inclined to be augry. T tell you l want to stay on the American plan. as I always have" oh, well. if you insist" said Tag gart. "Ii suppose you know what you want, bat imagined you intended only | to get room here and do your own cooking. judging by the provisions you brought along" At this Taggart reached in the nan's coat pocket and pulled out a string of bologna sausage. Then he reached in another pocket and brought out half a peck of potatoes. Then he pulled out big porterhouse steak from the man collar.
 All this time the man looked at Tag gart in astonishment, until he grasped the joke and began to smile. TaERarf never cracked smile, but called q bellboy and told him to take th4 things to the kitchen, remarkfnx to the man in quizzical, suave manner T beg your pardon for my mistake certainly thought you intended to do your own cooking when you brought all those provisions along"