Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-06-09

or two in convincing the people that
we were properly heartless and purse
proud, dad said the only thing we
needed to make the trip success was
to run over somebody. He said nearly
all the American automobile tourists
in Europe had killed somebody and
had been obliged to settle and sup
port family or two in France or
Italy, and they were prouder of 1t than
they would be if they endowed uni
versity, or built a church, and he said
he trusted our chauffeur would not be
too careful in running through the
country but would at least cripple
some one.
Well, just before we got to Nice, and
darkness was settling down on the
road, the chauffeur blew his horn,
there was a scream that would raise
hair on Horace Greeley's head, the au-
tomobile stopped, and there was a
bundle of dusty old clothes, with an
old woman done up in them, and we
jumped out and lifted her up, and there
we were, the woman in a faint the
peasants gathering around us with
scythes and rakes and clubs, demand
ing our lives. The bloody-faced wom-
an was taken into home, the crowd
held us, until finally doctor came,
and after examining the woman said
she might live, but it would be tight
squeeze. We wanted to go on, but we
didn't want to be cut open with a
scythe, so finally man, who said he
was the husband Of the woman, came
out with gun, dad got down on his
knees and tried to say a prayer, the
Dakota man held up both hands like it
was stage being held up, and cried.
Finally the chauffeur said in broken
English, that the husband would set
tie for $500, because he could pay
the funeral expenses, get another wife
for half the money and have some
thing left to lay up for Christmas.
AS the mans gun was pointed at dad
he quit praying and gave up the
money and agreed to send $50 a
month for II years, until the Oldest
child was Of age.
Well, we got away, alive, got into
Nice, and the chauffeur started back
and We cabled home for money to be
sent to Geneva, Switzerland. But
say; you have not heard the sequel
A story that has sequel is always
the best, and hope to die if the pc.
lice of Nice didn't tell us that we were
buncoed by that old woman and that
the chauffeur was in the scheme and
got part of dads money. The way
they do it is to wait till dark, and ther
roll the woman in the dust and put
some red ink on her face, and she pre-
tends to be run over, and the doctor
is hired by the month, and they average
$500 night, playing that game on ALL
tomobile tourists from America. After
! the woman is run over every night
and the money is collected, and the
victims have been allowed to go or
their way, the whole community gath
ers at the house Of the injured WON
. an and they have celebration and {
dance, and probably our chauffeur go
back to the house that night in tim'
, to enjoy the celebration. I suppos,
thousands of Americans are payin!
, money for killing people that neve
got scratch,
Say, we think in America that VI
have plenty of ways to rob the tender
| foot, but they give us cards and spade
r and little casino and beat us ever.
time. Dad wanted to hire a hack ant
y go back and finish that old woman
= with an ak, because he said he had
, corpse coming to him, but the polio
, told him he could be arrested TO
thinking murder, and that he was
dangerous man, and that they woul
| give him u hours to get out of France
o and so we bought tickets for Switzer
, land, though what we came here 70
y I don't know only dad said it was
, republic like America and he wante
r to breathe the free air of mountain
o in the home of the Switzerkase.
Well anybody can have SwitzerIan
= II they want it. I will sell my inter
+ est cheap. The first three days W
were here everybody wanted us to G
A out on the lake, said to be the mos
beautiful lake in the world, and W