The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-01
THE PROFESSIONAL FAKIR
BY ETHEL ARMIES,
Author of "The Story Coal In Alabama"

band and brother. Both the latter two
apply for jobs as motorman or conductor
and have usually succeeded in getting
them.
The woman then boards the car on
which one or the other Is assigned, and
it is the usual custom for an abrupt start
to throw her violently to the floor of the
car. With her mouth full of red powder
she splits what appears to be blood, and Is
carried to the hospital with severe in
juries," and her case is at once taken
up, and in many instances she has won
her suit.
Wholesale business
Practically every road In the west has
been victimized by this trio, and there
are indictments against the woman In
IL different states and her photograph is
on file everywhere. She has buncoed the
whole country.
During the latest trial the jury award
ed a verdict in her behalf for the reason
that she sat before them with a babe
her cheeks. The infant was q borrowed
one, and the tears were manufactured,
but they won verdict for her.
81 was on an Avenue B loop car one
evening before they put on the gates, and
saw peculiar thing happen" OBJ
served e. F.. Ezekiel "A niger woman
who had been carried past her destina-
ton rushed up to the platform and, while
the car was in motion, actually threw her.
self off head foremost I saw the whole
thing myself The conductor stopped
and ran his car back. The woman was
lying by the track grooming. I told the
conductor I'd seen the woman throw her.
self off the front end.
"'What you do that for? he asked the
woman, and she mumbled something
about being taken past where she was
going and got up and walked away.
gave the conductor my name and told
him I'd serve as a witness when the
damage suit was brought. While we were
talking the only other passenger got off
the car.
The Case Turned Up
"D'you know, six months afterward a
shyster lawyer came to me and said he
was about to enter suit for this poor old
niger woman, who was stove up he
said, so badly by street car, and he had
found out I was a witness. So I was, I
told him, but I'd be no good for him.
And I let him know the facts of the
case. He wasn't after the facts much
as after what I knew about the other
witness. I told him the man had gotten
off while the conductor was taking my
name. and I didn't know who he was.
but that the street car company knew and
had his name on file. When he heard
that he dropped his hands, and nothing
more happened to that CASE
Said one of the representative lawyers:
IT had fake case not long since to
fight. In which some rather slick work
had been done. A mana new employee
was killed at the steel plant one day last
summer. He was a stranger In Ensley
and no one at his boarding house knew
where he had come from even.
AFTER a few days had passed a woman
claiming to be his aunt appeared and,
represented by her lawyer, a well-known
attorney OF this city, drew the sum pro-
vided by the company.
$50 far SO good. The woman and her
husband bought them a little farm up
rere In Walker county and lay low. Early
In the winter certain of the unfortunate
young victims relatives traced his move
ments to Ensley, and a brother came
south. He found the record of the fatal
accident, and also record of the claimant
to the damages. He employed me to rep
resent him. and finally located the fake
aunt, and she and her husband were
served with warrant. They skipped the
state, however, before we could get them
into court