Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-03-30
Ned Meacham was born to a singular

was not that he was especially spirit
ual, like little Paul, but was queer.
He never took the same view of things
as other children, never did things In
the same way as other children. At
an early age he displayed a fancy for
impressing his playmates with tricks
of sleight of hand. At fifteen he
burned his hand SO severely with phos-
phorus, which he used for a ghostly
performance. as to leave an ugly scar.
He would go to the shows of presd-
digitators and repeat their tricks. BY
the time he was eighteen he was quite
proficient in the art.
His next fancy was the stage, not
as an actor, but inventing devices in
the matter OF stage properties. How
ever, he became a personator OF minor
parts, and so odd was he in his methods
that he soon attracted attention. His
inventive powers coming into play, he
soon became a feature, mingling sim
gular representations with ingenious
mechanical surprises. By one of his
contriyances he blew himself into frag
ments before the audience, shortly
afterward appearing to have lighted in
a united live body in the branch OF a
tree.
One would suppose that Ned Mea-
cham would have turned his faculties
| to account. But a genius is liable to
tire of what he has accomplished, al
ways DESTROYS of striking out into new
paths. As soon as Ned had put him
self in a position where he might have
commanded of the manager almost
anything he desired he left the theater
for good and all. Miss Helen Beach
was playing a part wherein she was
to stab the leading gentleman Of the
company. Her part was trying one
and brought on temporary insanity.
One evening just before the opening of
the performance Ned was in the prop
erty room tinkering with a dagger he !
had invented wherein the blade, on |
striking an object, went back into the |
handle. Ned had made an addition by |
which blood appeared TO squirt out like |
water from spout. Hearing a COM |
motion, he went outside and saw Miss |
Beach, who had become demented, re-
citing some lines of her part to the
manager, whom she was about to kill
with pistol. Ned ran up to her, |
handed her his patent dagger and took
away the pistol, crying, Don't shoot
him-stab him. She adopted the sug-
gestion, stabbing the manager with the
spring dagger. Blood spurted over her
and her victim, the latter falling In q
stage death.
This saving Of the managers life laid
the latter under great obligation to
Ned Meacham, and he would have
done anything in his power for the
young man. But what could he do for
one who had been born unlike other
persons? Ned thanked him and said
that he was engaged on contriving an
artificial leg that would step out of its
own accord.
But just as the young contriver was
about to perfect his invention the Box
er movement in China broke out, and
Ned, DESTROYS to 60 where no one else
would have wished to go, got aboard
ship and sailed for the Flowery King
dom. When he reached it the allied
forces were advancing upon Picking to
liberate the pentup embassies.
One day Ned went to the commander
in chief-a German general-and vol
unteered to bring him such informa-
ton of the city as he might require,
but when Ned told him that he was
fourth rate actor from an American
theater the general spurned him, tell
ing him that when he wanted informa
lion of an enemy he would send a SOL ,
Her to get it ,
Ned, by no means discouraged, went ,
to the commander of the United States ,
forces and repeated his offer. The Of ,
icer told him there was no reason why :
lie should not go out, get the informa- !
ion and bring it in. The main fea- :
lures to be observed were such weak ;
points as might enable the allies to ;
gain entrance into the city.
Ned spent some time fixing up a few
in the property line with
which he had long been familiar. In !.
Iced, it was several days before he :
vas ready to go on his mission. When =
lie sailed forth he wore a tight fitting :
arb to represent the devil. with pair
# horns, a tail and such other append
lges as are presumed to belong to a
satan. He was passed by the Ameri- d
an commanders order from the Yam c
zee boys lines and walked briskly, I q
winging a cane. down the road. Slung p
0 his belt was a case containing such o.
rticles as he needed, among others a Il
air Of glasses for examining distant fl
bjects. t.
Meacham was seen sailying from the
llied lines Just before dark by an out NJ
ost OF Cinnamon He had not gone a
ar before he could see that they had m
heir eyes On him, and as he drew suf- G
GENTLY near for them to distinguish
is peculiar appearance they showed "'
gins OF trepidation- d.
The superstition of the Chinese is dc
quail to If not greater than that OF any
Their race. Their most important acts NJ
re- often determined by differences or
ley draw from burning bits of paper. w
yith such men to deal with Meacham
ad hut to move forward. spit a llttls
re ana tnc wnuic UutpvsI oroAo anu
In.
The Yankee had by this means got