The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-27
'tcopyrjght, by ". G. c6apman.)

!. NSSbSyo"sIiiSg-s. We ~ SuePhttH1usI4
and stately woman, who climbed
5laborlously up the steps. Or, Dix him.
self opened the door and Informed her
that this was hoax.
But the story had not penetrated
into the recesses Of the East Side, and
the prospective purchaser saw in this
statement Of the rector merely de-
Vice to obtain higher price.
"Trade with me once" said the
natron, and you buys from nobody
again"
"Bpt. Madam. assure you that I
have no clothes to SELL" persisted DR..
Dix.
81 gives you money down." answer.
cd the woman, producing roll Of
dirty bills, evidently to tempt the rec.
tor into immediate acceptance Ibi her
terms,
Just at that moment second cart
ratified mp to the door and a, second
matron leaped from the seat and ran
nimbly up the steps. Don't you buy
from that woman" she cried. II gives
the best price In the market"
DR.. Dix retreated into his house
Just in time to escape the ominous
rattle of another creaky cart. Soon
q congregation Of old.clothes dealers
was assembled upon his doorstep,
pulling the bell from time to time.
and wmngllng and quarreling over
the privilege of purchasing the ward.
robe Of the rector's wife. The pres:
ence OF this thrQng soon attracted the
attention OF the street urchlns, and
the neighbors also began 10 manifest
considerable interest in these do
ings. After vainly attempting to,
force an entrance, the women retreat
ed to the lower steps and placidly sat
down, evidently determined TO starye
out the unfortunate gentleman with.
in. AS none Of them eyinced any de.
sire to leave, and the number had In.
creased by noon to IS, not to speak Of
innumerable children, DR.. Dix finally
telephoned to police headquarters, and
squad Of officers was sent to dis
perse the besiegers-a task which was
not accomplished without consider
able difficulty. ' A.
The last of the carts had finally rat
tied away and DR.. Dix was beginning
to congratulate himself upon his free
dom, when carriage whirled swiftly
around the corner from Fifth avenue
and stopped before the rectory. and
one OF the chief physicians of the city
alighted and ran up tile steps. When
he was admitted he told Dr. Dix that
he had been summoned IN urgent
haste BY messenger, who stated
that the rector had suffered an epilep.
tic fit and was in a dying condition.
While he was still explaining and re.
ceiving the rector's explanation two
other carriages came racing up and
two more physicians came running up
the steps. They had received similar
notifications. Before this affair had
terminated some % or 30 doctors had
called at the rectory, each ready to
have the honor of saving the doctors
life.
On the next day DR.. Dix received a
letter from his prosecutor, in which
he stated that he had witnessed these
various spectacles from the window Of
his apartment with great amusement,
and suggested that Dr.. Dix would
have found the old.clothes women
more agreeable il he had the fore.
thought to order out the fire engines
10 play stream of cologne upon
them. The police at once began
systematic search Of all houses that
commanded a view, of DIR. Dix's resi-
dence, and complete census OF their
inhabitants was taken, but without
the slightest success, On the same
afternoon the shoemakers Of the city
began to visit the rectory in troops;
each Of them had received request
to come for the purpose of measuring
some children for shoes. But this was
not all; for peculiarly distressing in
cident was the appearance OF some
30 or GO men and women who. having
advertised for employment, had re-
ceived communications upon the Trim
ity rectory notepaper requesting
them to call during that afternoon and
evening. These people we're very per.
sisteut, and many Of them refused 10
believe that the letters that they h@I
received we're really hoaXes.
DR.. Dix received a letter from his
tormentor on the following day in
which he said that he had been one
of those who had applied for aid, and
he congratulated the rector upon the
courtesy and consideration which he
had shown toward him.
DR.. Dix had two days respite now,
and then tho various dry goods stores
began to receive letters in which they
were informed that their impudent
communications had been received,
and that they had been turned oyer
to the rector's lawyers, who would
proceed against them. These crms
made haste TO disclaim the writing OF
any such letters, only TO learn that
no such letters had been written to
them. On that or the following even