The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1921-02-03
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KIND FRIENDS
Please help a POOR man
WILLING hut UNABLE
to work with LARGE FAMILY.

to work with a l1ARGE fAM1A1.
According to his own statements he
had lost his arms in variety of ways;
| the Juvenile population had been In
| formed that sharks--Or bears-had
| eaten his lost arms; to very old ana
| kimple-minded ladies 1t was "fire-
DAMP" or "On the railway" or just
"cannibals." He had also fallen from
the masthead" dropped out of
balloon" and got caught in an ele-
yator." Sometimes his loss had 'oc-
Cured while "fightlng in Cuba "r
engaged in "blasting rocks In Cali.
fornia," In fact of knowing acct
dents" Armless John was long way
ahead of Othello.
His memory being somewhat treach-
erous he sometimes had to listen to this
kind Of a remark:
"Why! you told me last month that
you lost your arms in Peru-now you
saw it was in Australia you must either
be living, or had a lot Of arms to start
with"
To all such personal and unkind OBJ
servations. the stammering beggar
would reply somewhat like this:
"Wa-wa wasn't in-sen-si-ble at the
ti-ti-ti-at the time? How'd dye
s.s-spose-" (He had a habit Of break
ing off like that.) But lost EN-
you b-b-bet."
| A man of perhaps fifty years Of age.
shabbily dressed. stopped one morning
in front Of Armless John.
"Nice morning" said the stranger.
"Fi.f-fine, sir" agreed John.
"Yours is IA bad case, my friend" re-
Joined the other.
'T-t-lerrible. sir"
"How did YOU lose your arms!'
"Gun p-p-powder explosion at Mel
melbourne"
"Australia?'
The beggir shook his head.
"That's my native place." added the
stranger.
81 don't mean there. Mel-mel-bourne
in Kentucky is the p-p-place. all right"
"You're liar. Phillips. Do you
know Sing Sing?" asked the man.
"Never there" answered John. now
looking for the first time in the other
: mans face.
+ "Yes, you were, my friend. You and
I spent about five years there. what
an old fraud you are! How do you
manage to dispose Of your arms like
that?"
5 John was speechess as well as
stamnerless, though still apparently
3 arlnless.
1T hone We won't squeal on me
Tom?" he remarked.
"That all depends. Have you got
4 large family as the sign says! In
n quired Tom.
"There's six Of US altogether, in
8 GLIDING the dogs"
swell, you'll have to pay me &C
much week. and won't say word
q replied the other. f
). .'There amt enough comm in to d.
IS that" said John dolefully.
"Something must be DONE" remarked
II Tom. II haven't got work, and cam
r get any" ....f..
-. "Suppose you come up to the hous'
- tonight and we'll talk things over
10 Go away now, Tom, do; see you to
night"
.r The stranger moved away slowly
remarking to an old lady about to drol
he \ coin in the little tin mug: That
&c a bad case, mum; the poor fellow los
his arms falling of the roof OF I
church" .
,e ibid he, indeed?" sympatheticall
= said the lady. II always give him
= trifie when pass, but thought b
70. lost his arms in battle"
eS - 2,
The ex-convicts were holding mid
% night session.
30 1--WE thought out a scheme, Ton
which will pay Us both. and we'll b
Id independent Of each other. Suppoe
i'll Won 70 and stand at the library, an
he a blind man. There isn't such
50 fellow in the place. Every day %
Of the children can bring your dinns
down to you. and also lead you hon
:, at night. I'm sure you'll make mo-
than I do"
sol .Doo't suit me-" answered Tom.
Amt a-solng b keep my eyes shut {
50 Ar. I think "a hetter ~ o0e.arn1(
:. | sniloe. suflesing Apm Shark- blta. :,
en- - xsss s~~-.ee "A - 6aeA 1nhn -