The San Francisco call., 1905-02-17

voice had a familiar tone. 1t was Of
deep contralto quality that never
ascended above a mezzo in the upper
register. Mrs. Erskine's scare abrupt
ly vanished, but not her anger and be-
wilderment, when she identified the
voice as that of her next-door neigh
Dor. Mrs Mary Johnson, with whom
she had not been on speaking terms
for some time. That discovery, how
ever, did not explain how Mrs. John
sons oral abuse was launched so close
to Mrs. Erskine while Mrs. Johnson
herself could not be seen. Was 1t pos
sible that Mrs. Johnson possessed ven-
triloquial power to project her voice
through a thick wooden partition
without either impairing the intelligi-
bility of her words or fracturing the
timber? Hal Might not defect in
the timber afford means Of vocal COM
munication between the kitchens?
Mrs. Erskine would examine the par
tition. She did-and found q knot
hole. The mystery was solved.
With a great sigh Of relief Mrs.
Erskine wiped the suds from her
hands, donned her hat and went and
filed formal complaint against Mrs.
Johnson for disturbing the peace. Po-
lice Judge Fritz was assigned to hear
the case.
Mrs. Erskine repeated the words
that waited to her from the knot
hole, but they would not bear tram
scription. She was sure they were
uttered by Mrs. Johnson, for who else
could have uttered them? No, she
did not see Mrs. Johnson. but un-
doubtedly would have done so If she
had peeped through the knothole,
which she might have done If she had
not feared the poking of something
into her eye. Nor had 1t occurred to
her to retaliate by sloshing soapy wa
ter or anything else through the knot
hole and into the mouth that was be-
rating her. She was a lady and re-
spected the law.
Mrs. johnson, a large and corpulent
matron, told the Judge she was
mother of five and wife of a Scan
dinavian invalid. She would not deny
that she used the knothole as a means
of speaking to Mrs. Erskine, buts she
did most positively deny that her
language was unfit for publication.
She had simply requested Mrs. Erskine
to make less noise in her laundering
operations. as Mr.. Johnson and the
fve were much annoyed by the loud
splashing and rinsing, to say nothing
of the fact that Mrs. Erskine tried
to sing.
When the prosecuting attorney
asked for a continuance of the hear
ing until tomorrow. when the knot
hole will probably be produced as ma
Ill Au%
cheerfully granted by the bench.
Lin Yick, whose barber shop is at
Clay and Waverly streets, was so
chagrined by seeing his lifetime
enemy, Wong Duck, strut past the ton
serial establishment in flowing silken
skirt and blouse that he rushed to the
door and cast a bucketful Of lather
upon the gala attire, thereby shaming
the face of Wong Duck and provoking
his own arrest. He smilingly paid a
IS fine and assured Judge Mogan that
the accident" to Wong Duck would
not srecur.
Patrolman A. G. Skelly told Judge
! Cabaniss that Miss Clara Jarman, a
1 statuesuue negress attired In long
brown velvet coat with lace cuffs con-
cealing her hands. was arrested on
4 Stockton street, near Broadway, for
4 roaming late"
BE mighty keerful, man." said Miss
Jarman to the officer. "Ah nebbah
roans en- All nebbah wandahs. Wen
All goes out All alwuz hez a desterna-
shun. All wuz promuladin teh er drug
sto' teh buy sufin TO nah bad cole
wen yo' KEEP a lookin' en- lookin' till
All wuz almo' scarf. OATS why All
didn't know waiter say wen yo' In
terruptioned me-"
She was dismissed.
|
Cries Of "poiicel" and "murderi" at
tracted Patrolman Flood to Tehama
street, between Fourth and Fifth,
where excited residents told him that
AL SkidgeI and Alice, his wife, were
] fighting to a finish In their second