The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-10-07
LOOT|NG A CIRCUS
A Story of a Quarter Of a Cen
fury Ago.

So1AllilS VI
Gus which is to show in Anderson Thurs
day, October Sth, recalls an incident
that occurred in this city in 1886, in
which a circus figured to its financial
detriment.
The circus had the same accompany
ment of fakirs, tricksters and contden-
tial men, and while the performance was
going full blast, these were shearing
rams or lambs, as the case might be, on
the outside.
One fakir had a game that was espe-
cially attractive. He was selling cakes
of soap wrapped up in paper and when
he had a good crowd around him, some
M among the onlookers would buy a
cake of soap and opening it up found a
five or a ten-dollar bill. One of those
who watched the game was Mr.. Ebene-
ger Bell, from the upper section of this
County; in fact, he bought cake of soap
and got five dollars out of it, which was
proof conclusive there was plenty more
like it in the box. About the time he
bought it, a gentleman slipped up to
him representing himself as Mr. j. A.
Brock of Anderson. The circus had
come from Anderson the day before and
the man talking to Mr.. Bell knew that
MI. Brock was widely known as a bust
ness man, a banker and a man every
body put confidence in. Of IT Mr..
Ebenezer Bell knew Mr.. Brock by repu-
tation but he didn't know him person
ally When the man representing him
aelf as Mr.. Brock came at him with a
business proposition, he was prepared
to listen.
The assumed Mr.. Brock told Mr.. Bell
that he had a scheme by which he could
break the trickster up. He said the fell
low played the game in Anderson the
day before and he had caught on to his
trick. He said there was plenty of
money in the soap box, owe $1,000, but
the trickster was careful not to sell too
many of the prize bars. He proposed
to Mr.. Bell that they go in together and
buy all of his soap; that he would fur
nish $500. and Mr.. Bell $500, which at
soc per cake would buy the whole soap
Mr.. Bell didn't have $500, but he had
4 good friend in town, Captain John G.
Edwards, who had been selling Mr..
Bell goods for thirty years and would
stake him for any reasonable amount
on a square business transaction. Mr..
Bell went direct for his old friend.
John" says he, Il want $500. I've
got a SURF thing down here on the cir
Gus ground that l can make a pile of
money on
Captain John G. was just a bit skep-
tical and protested against the venture
but an old friend was not to be denied,
even in a sporting venture. So he
went to the bank and borrowed the
money for him.
Mr.. Bell hurried back to the show
grounds and found his newly-made
friend waiting for him, and what was
more, he also had his three hundred
dollars. They bought the entire lot of
after considerable wrangling with
theusoap man, who protested that he
didn't want to sell all his soap at n
When they began to unwrap, very much
to Mr.. Bells surprise they found only
about $500 in the whole lot. Of
course the assumed Mr.. Brock owas
even more surprised than Mr.. Bell, but
he consoled Mr.. Bell with the reminder
that they had gone into the deal with
their eyes open
By this time the circus performance
had about closed and Mr.. Bell went
back up town to his old friend, wearing
4 funereal countenance. Captain Ed
wards was looking for him, and received
the news with a kind of matter-of-course
The news of Mr.. Bells luckless ven
ture spread over the town, and in a lit
tie while a party of young men headed
by Mr.. w. E. Bell, brother-in-law of
Captain Edwards, determined to get
MIR. Ebenezer Bells money back. espe-
tally as they found that there were
hundreds Of others who had been buy-
.ng soap and otherwise trading with the
The rescuing party, which had been
lmwittingly preparing all day for just
such an undertaking, went to the big
circus tent and surrounded it. In an
they cut every rope to which
the big tent was suspended and the
tent cover collapsed on the circus peo-
pie.
As they crawled out, one by one, very
much as hogs would come out of a hay
they were met by Warren Smith
and other members Of the party, all of
were armed with big knives.
circus man was asked to empty
his pockets. and as it was gently limited
in each ease that somebody's throat
would be cut if they didn't do it, the
pockets We're promptly emptied.
But this process didn' t raise sufficient