Evening star. [volume], October 07, 1906, Sunday star, Page 11, Image 63

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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ASSASS]
Copyright In the T'nlted State* awl Great Britain
by Curtis* Ilrown.
All High Strictly Reserved.
WARSAW. Poland, September 28. 1906.
F late the prevailing distress in
U Russia and the fact that the revolutionary
parties all employ ruffians
to perform deeds of violence
have Increased to an alarming extent
ti e league of thugs and terrorists that
has become known far Rnd wide as the
"Black Hundred." No one is safe from Its
members, and their success recently has
toecome Almost phenomenal.
Not only are these wretches employed by
the Russian authorities in different localities
to begin the Jewish massacres, which
from time to time horrify the civilized
World, but they also break Into private
houses ati 1 under the name of some political
party ioot the rooms of any valuables
and money they may tlnd there. These attacks
e neraUy happen In broad daylight,
us shooting Is then an easier matter, and if
the police should by any chance interfere
the large open gateways of the houses make
escape almost a crrtainty, whereas the
"Brami," as tins, gateways are called, are
closed at 10 o'clock at night.
The news columns of the Russian papers
are full of such attacks, of which twenty,
thirty and sometimes even forty and fifty
take place daily in the large towns. So
confident have these bands of ruffians
grown. so rarely arc any of them arrested,
tint they literally hold the large centers
under their rule. Nohodv tries to resist
t' em. nobody refuses to open the door when
they ring. for they have cast the worst
sjit.ll of all over the quiet citizens of Russia?the
spell of terror.
Sometimes two of the "Black Hundred"
manage to terrorize a whole house. They
go up to t! e front door, ring the hell and
ask to see the master on "business." The
master comes and is startled by having a ]
revolver phe J against his head, with the |
request to give up the keys of his Safe. If |
he protests or struggles to free himself |
lie i- promptly shot; If be comes into their
presence wth a revolver in his band he
is Si ot at before lie gets up to them, for
one of the characteristics of the Blank
Hundred is that they never hesitate about
t.ikint; a human life, be it man's, woman's
or child's. Their victims, on the contrary,
Jiesitate: thus the advantage of. the bandit
over the ordinary citizen.
n
* *
The "Black Hundred" lately have turned I
their attention to the people who send
money to the banks. A couple of men will
enter the courtyard of a house In which
wrap large office or shop is situated, cliat
with the house guardian or tlie servants,
treat them t<> some vodka and learn when
the money is taken and by whom. The per^ in
to whom the task is Intrusted Is then
clos.ly watched, and on going Into the
street lie Is followed. If he happens to
have the money with him the suspicion
that he Is being shadowed may cross his
mind, but he has no other choice but to go
on. Within a short distance of the bank
pome ten or twelve people fall upon him.
fine pins his hands behind his back, while
the others, drawing out their revolvers, cry
"Silence!" and rifle his pockets till they
find the money. If he happens to shout for
1 elp he will probably get killed, for nobody
will go to the rescue. On the contrary, the
pagsersby who see his plight hastily cross
to the other side of the street and make off
from the scene of the outrage as fast as
their legs can carry them. There will be a
sentry at the bank, but none of the spectators
will dare to tell them of what is
happening a few yards away for fear of
"revenge" at the hands of the Black Hundred.
Another habit of these ruffians Is to go
JEROME HAS HIS ]
WAGNERISTIC !
i Copvrieht, 190?5. by Jerome K. Jerome.)
THE argument of the late Herr
Wagner was that grand opera?
the mu^le-drama, as he called
It?Included and therefore did
away with the necessity for all
oUi-v arts. Music In all its brancliea, of
Course, It provides. So much I will concede
to the late Herr Wagner. There are times.
1 confess, when my musical yearnings
might shock the late Herr Wagner?times
when I feel unequal to following three distinct
themes at one and the same instant.
"Liaten," whispers the Wagnerian enthusiast
to me, "the cornet has now the Brunehild
motive." It seems to me in my then
State of depravity as if the cornet had even
more than this the matter with him. "The
eoond violins," continues the Wagnerian
enthusiast, "are carrying on the Wotan
theme." That they are "carrying on" goea
without saying; the players' faces are
streaming with perspiration. "The brass."
explains my friend?his object Is to cultivate
my ear?"is accompanying the singers."
I should have said drowning them.
* ?
There are occasions when I can rave
about Wagner with the b?wt of tbem. Hlghclass
moods come to all of us. The difference
between the really class man and
us commonplace workaday men Is the difference
between, say, the eagle and the
barnyard chicken. I am the barnyard
chicken. I have my wings. There are ecstatic
moments when I feel I want to
ttptirn the sordid earth and soar into the
realms of art. I do fly a little, but my
body Is heavy, and 1 only get as far as
Ihe fence. After awhile I find it lonesome
Bitting on the fence, and I 1iop down again
ttmong my fellows. Listening to Wagner
during such temporary dlistinic mood
my sense of fair play Is outraged. A lone, |
lorn woman stands upon the stage trying i
to make herself heard. She has to do this I
sort of thing for her living?maybe an in- |
valid mother, younger brothers and sisters
ore dependent upon her. One 'hundred and
forty men. all armed with powerful Instruments,
well organized and most of
them looking well fed, combine to make it
Impossible for a single note of that poor
woman'* voice to be heard above their din.
*
* *
I sec her standing there, opening and
hutting her mouth, getting redder and
redder in the face. She is singing, one
feels sure of it. One could hear her if
only those 140 men would ease up for a
minute. She makes one mighty, supreme
effort; above the banging of the drums,
the blare of tho trumpets, the shrieking of
the strings, that last despairing note is
distinctly heard. She has won, but the
gsfr&i
YOU DON'T WANT A HEAVY WOMAN
HANGING ON YOUR NECK.
victory has cost her dear. She sinks down
fainting on the stage and Is carried off by
supers. Chivalrous Indignation has made
It difficult for me to keep my seat watching
the unequal contest. My Instinct was
to leap the barrier, hurl the bald-headed
cliief of her enemies from his high chair
and lay about me with the trombone or
the clarionet?whichever might have come
the easier to my snatch. ''You cowardly
[NATIOI
?* '^''***^
^^B2hk
M^yu - ._
jgfcfiL *
v*-S^
ePaST* pSSaBfflgfe^'^^^^WW^ *??? '
?gR6$$ c^^E^^ERSQHBBuqS^HK
WSSBBUK^^m'
' ^ss^)iisr?5
up to a man or woman In the street represent
themselves as artisans out of work,
a.sk for money, and when It is refused
take purse and watch by force. The victims
in such cases think themselves lucky
if they do not get a knife run Into their
bodies into the bargain, as the younger
members of the Hundreds are fond of
practicing with stilettoes In this way. In
fact, there is now a tendency to substitute
the knife for the revolver in street attacks,
as no noise is made and the victim does
not feel the cut at first: thus the assailant
is given time to escape. Another favorite
way of killing a man in the street is for
the assassin to catch hold of the first woman
who falls in his way, link liis right
arm through her left and fire at his victim.
The woman, who has not had time to realize
what has happened, runs off screaming
o 11 ? _ a n j i j|
or laus; a crowa cuuecm ruuuu xiei auu
the asu.issin's victim, while the perpetrator
of the crime escapes scot free.
*
* *
Banks are closely watched Inside as well
as out and when a woman Is seen to take
out a large sum of money a man follows
her Into the street and says, "Allow me to
take you home, madam. The times are so
troublous that you should not walk about
alone." If she agrees, ha will walk a little
way with her, and be joined by another
friend at a short distance, when both will
enter the house with her and rob her of
her money. If she refuse? to be "taken
home," a knife thrust Is the result, after
which the money Is snatched from her. It
rarely happens that a thief of this kind Is
caught, for most people prefer to give him
a wide berth when they see him running,
for fear he should Are off a revolver on his
way.
But the Black Hundred does not stop
here; It can be "engaged." as It were, for
acts of revenge. In some of the large
towns In Russia there are offices In which
_ .
FLING AT
STAGE MANNERS
lot of bullies," I have wanted to cry, "are
you not ashamed of yourselves? A 140 of
you against one, and that one a still beautiful
and. comparatively speaking, youngish
lady. Be quiet for a moment, can't you,
and give the poor girl a cfoance."
m
* *
A lady of my acquaintance says that Bitting
out a Wagnerian opera seems to her
like listening to a singer accompanied by
four orchestras playing different tunes at
the same time. As I have said, there are
times -when Wagner carries me along with
lilm, when I exult in the crash and whirl
of fils contending harmonies, but, alas,
there are thoee other moods?those afterdinner
moods?when my desire Is for something;
distinctly resembling a tune! Still,
there are other composers of grand opera
besides Wagner. X grant, with the late
Herr Wagner, that so far as music la concerned
opera can supply us with all we
can need.
* *
But It was also Wagner's argument that
grand opera could supply us with acting,
and there I am compelled to disagree with
him. Wagner thought that the etrt? of acting
and singing could be combined. X have
seen artists the great man had trained himself.
As singers they left nothing to be desired,
but the acting in grand opera has
liCYCi /cv 1UIIIICMCU inc. ?t aglici HCV?51 i
succeeded in avoiding the operatic convention.
and nobody else ever will. When the
operatic lover meets his sweetheart lie puts
her In a corner and, turning his back upon
her, comes down to the footlights ftnd tells
the audience how he adores her. When he
has finished he, in ills turn, retires into the
corner, and she comes down and tells the
audience that she Is simply mad about him.
Overcome with Joy at finding she really
cares for htm. lie comes down "right" and
says that this is the happiest moment of
his left, and she stands "left." twelve feet
away from him. and has the presentiment
that all this sort of thing is much too good
to last. They go off together backward,
side by side. If there is any lovemaklng,
such as I understand by the term, It Is
done "off."
*
* *
rnis is not my idea or acting, but I do
not see how you are going; to substitute for
It anything more natural. When you are
singing at the top of your voice you don't
want a heavy woman hanging around your
neck. When you are killing a man and
warbling about It at the same time you
don't want him fooling around you defending
himself. You want him to have a little
reasonable patience and to wait in his
proper place till you have finished telling
him. or, rather, telling the crowd, how
much you hate and despise him. When the
proper time comes?and if he Is where you
expect to Had him while thinking of your
upper C?you will hit him lightly on the
shoulder with your sword, and then he can
die to his own particular tune. If you have
been severely wounded in battle or In any
sort of a row and have got to sing a long
ballad before you finally expire, you don't
want to have to think how a man would
really behave who knew he had only a few
minutes to live and was feeling had about
It. The chances are that he would not want
to sing at all. The woman who really
lived him would not encourage him to sing.
She would want him to keep qul?t while she
moved herself about a bit. In case there
was anything that could be done for him.
If a bloodthirsty mob Is climbing the stalrg
after you. you do not want to stand upright
with your arms stretched out a good
eighteen inches from that door while you
gu over at some length the varied Incidents
leading up to the annoyance. If your
desire were to act naturally you would push
against that door for all you were worth
and yell for somebody to bring you a chest
of drawers and a bedstead?things like that,
to pile up against It.
If you were a kins and were giving a
party you would not want your guests to
fix you up at the other end of the room and
leave you there, with nobody to talk to but
your own wife, while they turned their
backs upon you and had a long and complicated
dance all to themselves. You
would want to be In It; you would want to
let them know that you were king. In acting
all these little points have to be considered.
In opera everything is rightly sacrificed
to musical necessity. I have seen
the young, enthusiastic opora singer who
thought that he or she could act and sing
at the ttuna time. The experienced artist
takes the center of th? stage and husbands
MS BY
jM . <* "^' *
s?<Y; ^i'' ! J ?: :?;'
^JMKSairi'^ .in nWi 'iMffl
BBS
one can. by paying various sums, according
to tne difficulty of the deed, hire men
to kill or Injure any person he may name.
It Is, In fact, only necessary to enter any
of the pot-houses In the lower quarters of
the towns to find an unlimited number of
ruffians, armed with knives or revolvers,
and ready for any deed of violence for a
fixed sum of money or a share of the
booty.
Suppose a man does not pay his rent for
ma resources. v> nemer no is supposed 10
be Indignant because somebody has killed
his mother or cheerful because he Is going
out to fight his country's foes, who are only
waiting till he has finished singing before
attacking the town, he leaves it to the composer
to make clear.
*
*
Also it was Herr Wagner's Idea that the
back cloth would leave the opera goer indifferent
to the picture gallery. The castle
on the rock, accessible only by balloon, In
which every window llghta up simultaneously
and instantaneously one minute
after sunset, while the full moon is rushing
up the sky at the pace of a champion
comet, that wonderful sea that suddenly
opens and swallows up the ship, those
snow-clad mountains, over which the
shadow of the hero passes like a threatened^
it
y-v*tn AATTT T\ TTC A D XT TT"T> TP f
urtt wui~au niuin iluav . ?
MEN WOULD EASE UP.
lng cloud, the grand old chateau, trembling
In the wind?what need, will ask the operagoer
of the future, of your Turners and
your Corota, when for prices ranging from
a shilling upward we can have a dozen pictures
such as these rolled up and down before
us every evening? But perhaps the
most daring hope of all was the dream
that came to Herr Wagner that his opera
singers, his grouped choruses, would eventually
satisfy the craving of the public for
high-class statuary.
*
* *
I am not Quite sure the general public
does care much for statuary. I do not
know whether the Idea has ever occurred
to the anarchist, but ^vere I myself organizing
secret committee meetings for unholy
nnrnoses I should Invite my comrades to
meet in that section of the local museum
devoted to statuary. I can conceive of no
place where we should be freer from prying
eyes and listening ears. A select few,
however, do appreciate statuary, and such,
I am Inclined to think, will not be weaned
from their passion by the contemplation of
the opera singer in his or her various
quaint costumes. And even if the tenor always
satisfied our ideal of Apollo and ine
soprano were always a* sylph like as she is
described in the libretto, eren then I should
doubt the average operatic chorus being regarded
by the connoisseur as a cheap and
pleasant substitute for a bas-relief from
the Elgin marbles. The great thing required
of the operatic chorus Is experience.
The young and giddy pated the chorus master
has no use for. The sober, honest, Industrious
lady or gentleman with ? knowledge
of music Is very properly hi* ideal.
?
* *
The chorus always fascinate* me. I
watch It while It is on the stage In preference
to following the principals. What I
admire about it chiefly is Its unity. The
whole village dresses alike. In wicked
worldly villages there Is a rivalry, a competition,
leading to heartburn and jealousy.
One lady comes out suddenly on,
say, a bank holiday in a fetching blue that
conquers every mala heart. Next holiday
her rival cuts her out with a green hat.
In the operatic village It muat be that the
girls gather together beforehand to arrange
this thing. There is probably a meeting
called. "The dear count's wedding," announces
tho chairwoman, "you will be all
pleased to hear, has been tlxed for the 11th,
at 11 o'clock in the morning. The entire
village will be assembled at 10:80 to await
the return of the bridal cortege from the
church and offer its felicitations. Married
ladles wit', of course, oome accompanied
by their husbands. Unmarried ladies must
each bring a male partner as near their
own height as possible. Fortunately In
RUSSIA
flfl H
- m: y t?^jK|M?SB m ^9 H
ttPy^B&^B&KfsBti^^w^^^^^^B tm vSB^:;' wHBIy?i.
a year or two and his landlord threatens
to eviot him, he will, If he la unscrupulous,
engage five or six ruffians to go to the
landlord with revolvers cocked and make
him promise not to send his troublesome
tenant away. This kind of terrorism is
now practiced to such an extent, especially
In the Polish towns, that the landlord
is lucky Indeed who gets even a small
part of his rents or can evict a tenant
without having his property damaged. The
i
thlg Tillage the number of males is exactly
equal to that of females, so that uniformity
can be maintained. The children will organize
themselves Into an Independent body
and will group themselves picturesquely.
*
* *
"It has been thought advisable," continues
the chairwoman, "for reasons that
I need not enter Into here, that the village
should meet the dear count and his bride
at some spot not too far removed from the
local ale house. The costume to be worn ,
by the ladies will oonslst of a short pink
skirt terminating at the knee and ornamented
with festoons of flowers; above will
be worn a bolero In mauve silk, without
sleeves, and cut decollete. The shoes should
be of yellow satin over flesh colored stockings.
Ladles who are 'out' will wear pearl
necklaces and a slmplp device in emeralds
to decorate the hair. Thank God, we can
all of us afford It, and provided the weather ,
holds up and nothing unexpected happens?
he Is not what I call a lucky man, our
uuuni, ana 11 is always as well to be prepared
for possibilities?well, I think we
may look forward to a really pleasant day." |
It cannot be done, Herr Wagner, believe ]
me. You cannot substitute the music j
drama for all the arts combined. The ob- <
ject to be aimed at by the wise composer
shouid be to make us. while listening to
his music, forgetful of all remaining artls- ,
tic considerations.
JEROME K. JEROME.
Astonishing Story
Of Stolen Millions
Special Correspondence of The 8t?r.
BERNE, Switzerland, September 29, 1906.
EVER since the star of Madame Humbert
rose and set an undeniable
glamour has attached to the fabulous
"heritage," and to Its mythical "hundred ,
millions." The notorious Therese has found
numerous Imitators, and now there has
arisen In Switzerland a case which, in some
of its features, is scarcely less puzzling
than that of the once irresistible "coffre
fort."
In one respect th? Swiss Inventor, either
by dint of finer quality or better luck, has
altogether outclassed madame, seeing that
his fable?if fable it be?has by long persistence
come to acquire some of the status ,
of "romance founded on fact," and has become
almost venerable by a tradition of ,
sixty-six years of litigation. Viewed with
thft pva r>f misnfoinn nna mav
wonder whether this amaalng story from
Switzerland does not really throw some
light upon the Humbert fraud, reducing It )
to the grade of a merely clever adaptation, j
The case has just been heard before the
civil tribunal of first Instance of the city of
Basle, of which the municipality was sued
by a certain Herr Weber of Munchensteln 1
for the sum of twenty million dollars. 1
His case Is that In 1832 one Johann Peter
Thomann, a planter In I^ujan, South America,
died, leaving a fortune of the immense i
sum named. By a will properly drawn and ]
executed he lefP the whole amount, in the
absence of direct descendants, to collateral
relatives In the two half cantons of Basle. <
This will-. It 1b alleged, was duly forwarded ]
by the South American authorities to Basle, i
aa also was the money?all In gold, and ]
packed In thirteen huge chests, which are ]
stated to have been stored in the cellars of i
the municipal buildings. Herr Weber claims
that his wife Is the direct descendant of on* <
a# Via At>!oHna!i '*An11o*aw>la ''
v? kttv vttQiiiai v> i v t u t o \
* I
* * i
It U at this point that the marvelous begin*
to appear. Without mincing matters '
the astounding charge Is made, not only
that the councillors of the 1832 period suppressed
the will and divided among themselves
the whole of the treasure, which became
the bases upon which were built some
of the largest fortunes In the canton, but
that poison and other forms of murder were
used for getting rid of persons capable of
throwing light upon the facts.
As might be expected, the case of the
municipal council Is that the story is a
fable from beginning to end; that after
palnBtaklng inquiry nothing can be found
to show tllit Herr Thomann ever existed;
that there us absolutely no trace or record
of his will, and still ;?sk, If less be possible,
of the thirteen chests filled with treasure.
xu?) I'uiuu; aiuiuveo am a. uim.uk as lo tlie 1
case, which dates back to the conflict which
ended In the separation of the urban from
the rural part of the canton.
For Herr Weber It was complained that '
he had not been aHowed to cite a witness
who would have testified to the somewhat i
N BLA
|9H||^H9MKj^H. JHHHH
scenes which have been and still are be
Ing enacted in warsaw aione unaer sucn
circumstances appear Incredible to those
who have not seen them. These scenes are
not confined to the slums of the town, for
perhaps the most daring act of revenge
perpetrated during the current year took
place In the best street In Warsaw, and In
a good restaurant.
The keeper of this place had not paid
any rent since he came Into the house. At
nebulous fact that he had once met an
American who was familiar with th? particulars
of the Thom&nn bequest. Brushing
these and similar pleas aside, the court,
taking note of the damaging circumstance
that Herr Weber had two years ago been
declared Irresponsible for his actions, found
that there was no case to give judgment
upon, and awarded costs to the municipalIty.
* *
But this by no means puis an ena to tne
story or to Its complications, which promise
yet to afford much entertainment. Though
Sectored a lunatic by one court, Herr WebeT
appears to be under no disability for appealing
to another. Indeed, counsel for the
city seemed to point out the way to further
litigation by suggestion that the ground of
action, if any exists, is against the rural
canton. ^
Anyway, Herr Weber has already taken
steps for keeping the ball rolling In the
higher courts, even to the federal tribunal
If necessary. He announces his Intention of
producing, among other witnesses, the
grandson of a man who was coachman to
sne of the cantonal councillors of 1832. This
witness will swear that his grandfather, on
his deathbed, revealed to him, as a deep
secret, Chat he had once seen some employes
of the cantonal council of state deposit
In his master'* granary a large chest
which waa later found; to be fuil of American
gold, and that for a sum of money he
was sworn to secrecy which until at the
point of death he had never violated.
But perhaps the strangest part of this
extraordinary history, and one which
proves, at least, that a legal fable can die
as hard a death In the Alps as elsewhere,
la that It has already been made the subject
of three actions at law. The first of
these was as long since as 1841, when a
certain Herr Kolr*en, claiming to be a "collateral,"
sued the municipality for his
Share of the "fortune." He was non4tuited,
and thereupon began such a campaign of
defamation against the authorities, whom
he denounced as brigands and assassins,
that a criminal prosecution resulted in his
being sentenced to a term of Imprisonment.
Another claimant appeared in 1830, and a
third in 1860.
To Judge by present Indications, there Is
considerable life In the story yet.
The Paris Boulevards.
From tbe London Standard.
When a Parisian talks of walking up or
flown the boulevards he does not mean any
boulevard; he means those which ile In a
continuous line from the Madeleine, or perhaps
only from the Cafe de la Palx to, say,
the Taverne Brebant?that Is, less than a
mile and a half through the heart of Paris,
past the terraces of countless cafes and the
gleaming windows of shops. It must not
be supposed because the boulevards have
changed, because the true boulevardler
oo longer exists, that therefore they mean
nothing to Paris. Very likely they mean
more; ror certainly they are more crowded
than ever, only they mean something different.
The cafes were cluba, although club
life was unknown In France, and Is still
very little known. A man nearly always
went to the same cafe, where he was sure
3f meeting his friends; he might leave his |
pipe there and it was hung on the wal> like
i private billiard cue; he would have his
letters sent there, and In time he would
procure a prescriptive right to a particular
seat. Naturally, people of common interests
foregathered at the same cafe, and thus it
same about that there was a cafe for men
?f letters, another for poMtlclans, another
for threatrlcal people, another for soldiers,
mother for sailors
But a boulevard which no longer knows
rortonl has Indeed ceased to be a club in
srder to be an international highway. It
was at Tortont that that type of the boulevardier,
Aurellan SchoH, used to Invent the
mots which the next day would be all over
Paris. Offenbach, Mellhac, Alfred Stevens,
the painter, who has Just died, were of the
sompany; men like Gounod and Dumas file
If they did not take a turn up and down the
t>oulevards at least once a day felt Hke
in Englishman who has missed his bath.
rhe Cafe de Huade was used by aotors and
ictresses. No one went to the theater la
evening clothes except to the opera and the
b'rancals on subscription nights. There are
two reasons probably for the change in all
theso practices. One Is the Increase In
wealth, and therefore In the outward and
visible expression of It, and the other is the
.mprovement in the means and speed of
runaport.
_j?
Judges and Criticism.
S"rom tlie Uwidon L?w Clerk.
No body of men needs a more unsparing
criticism than does the Judiciary.
CK HU
g jj J
the end of a year and a half the landlord
determined to have his furniture seized,
and called In the bailiffs for the purpose
The tenant wrote several threatening letters,
of which, however, the landlord took
no notice. Before the date tlxed for the
sale of his tenant's effects he was obliged
to go abroad, but left the case In charge
of a young lawyer wno had his power of
attorney. When the day arrived a band
of ruffians called upon the lawyer, telling
him that he would be shot if the sale took
Elace; the bailiff was also threateneu and
oth gave in, satisfying themselves with
getting an eviction order out against the
restaurant keeper.
The evening had begun to close in before
the order was forthcoming. and the tenant
spent the day in threatening the lawyer
and the bailiff. When the order was ready
the bailiff, accompanied by the lawyer,
went to the restaurant to shut up the
premises and turn out the tenant. Both
had revolvers put to their heads as soon
as they reached the threshold, for the res
taurant was crowded with ruffians who had
been brought there to terrify them. The
la-wyer made his escape, however and the
bailiff also, though the latter staved till a
policeman and some soldiers arrived. But
the policeman gave the keys of the restaurant
back to the tenant and went away.
Being now master of the situation, the
tenant, after treating his ruffians to unlimited
supplies of vodka, began to take
away his furniture, regardless of the fact
that It had been sealed by the bailiff.
Crowds of riff-raff had now collected, and.
spurred on by the promise of more drink,
took the furniture into vans, which they
requisitioned by terror from a neighboring:
furniture remover. When this was
done they began to destroy the premises,
led by the restaurant keeper, who told
them to ruin the man who had sucked
the blood from his veins and had grown
rich upon the work of the proletariat.
In a short time the kitchen ranges
were pulled down and the hermetically
THE STAR OF
FORTUNE
A POPULAR form of entertainment
during fall and winter evenings la
fortune-telling, which always
proves of fascinating Interest to
the young folk and the grown-ups
as well, although th? latter are sometime*
loath to admit It. One of the cleverest systems
of those who read the future by cards
is called "The Star of Fortune." A description
of this method of reading the future Is
as follows:
In the first place, shuffle the cards well,
leaving out the one representing the consulting
person. (Queen or king of hearts,
' diamonds, clubs or spades, depending on
the complexion of the person.) Lay this
face card in the center of the table.
After shuffling let the consulting person
or sitter cut twice, separating the pack Into
onff Ino- +Via tntror<1
IU1 CO |7UJ uutw, vumiiB VKW wu.uw w ? * %>
him or her. Lay the first cut In front of the
pack, and jump the next cut over It toward
the one consulting.
Then the fortune teller should look at
the bottom card of each cut, taking them
up In regular order as they lie, face down.
As the cards run In this cut, good or
bad, so will run the general luck of ttie
sitter.
Then take up the pack and begin to deal,
with the face card In the center of the table,
discard each card from the pack In
your hand until you come to a seven spot.
Lay the next card after the seven at the
right of the face card.
/HcnnH^lto* an/I nalnor Via AO ril
V/Uailltuc UI21 atutiig attu uoi?b miv v?> w
next after a seven, laying the second card
obtained directly under the face card, the
third to the left, and the fourth above.
If two sevens come together, place the
second seven next to the last card In the
pack and continue.
Should three sevens appear In succession,
shuffle and begin again on the round, counting
it most lucky?seven being the mystic
number.
After the four cards are laid shuffle the
pack and go around again, this time laying
the cards found after each seven at angles.
The third round, being careful to shuffle
again, the cards are laid as in the first
round. The fourth time at angles, as In the
second round, the Mfth as In the first, and
the sixth as in the second.
Now twenty-four cards have been laid
about the face card, forming the "Star of
Fortune."
How to Bead the Cards.
Taking the red cards?the ac? of diamonds
means a letter containing: happy
news, the duece or two-spot of diamonds
Is the largest sum of money In the pa^lc.
representing a fortune running Into millions.
The three of diamonds means a small
sum of money, the four a wealthy house.
Five of diamonds means a money letter,
| and the nearest face card meSins the on*
! from whom it eomes. Six of this suit rtg!
nlflles money won toy very hard' work.
Seven of diamonds always means general
! good fortune and a comfortable state of affairs.
Eight le the only unlucky one of
this suit, Indicating loss of money, and If
persistent in returning means downright
poverty. The nine of diamond* is the card
of the speculator, and always signifies a
speculative disposition?if surrounded by
cards of evil Import, such as the two, nine
or six of spaaes, in? miwr buvimu vwuiuuii :
speculation. The ten of diamonds signlflea
plenty of money. ?
The ace of hearts mean* love pure and
simple. Two of hearts a ring or a kissthree
of hearts brings happiest thoughts.
Four of this suit always means a proposal
of marriage (to a single person)?and
when followed by the two of hearts It foretells
speedy wooing and wedlock. The fivespot
of hearts Indicates a gift; six, very
high honors. The seven of hearts la a mystic
symbol designating a religious temperament.
It also means the leading of higher
powers toward success. The eight of
hearts predicts a loving united family.
Nine of this red suit Is termed the luck
card, par excellence, for It Is the "wish
card." If It faces you In the deal the wish
will be speedily realized. Ten of hearts
means hosts of friends, the powers to give
great happiness, also signifying loyal
friendships to the end.
Spades, generally considered of evil import,
are not always so.
The aoe of spades Is not, by Itself, the
harbinger of woe, for when It appears with
the handle up It Is of good Import, and
accompanied by two red cards has pleasant
meaning. Thus, It signifies marriage at
the churoh. and a congenial, happy union.
If the nine or two of spade* follows the
ace, or lie near it, the ace is then the an
NDRED
sealed stove in the dtnlngr room Th?
flooring's were next ripped up and th?
wall papers pulled down !>> a hundred
destructive hands The plate glnss windows
hampered the crowd, so they wer?
smashed to the accompaniment of shriek*
of joy that the property of a "bourgreols"
was belns destroyed Some friends yt
the absent landlord, aghast at the rulna?
Hon they saw, tried to get the police to
Interfere, hut the police said It was no
buelnoss of theirs and refused. At last
somebody who knew th? Inspector on
duty at the nearest police station managed
to K?t him to seiul a policeman nn<I
some soldiers to the s -ene of the nrgie;
but they were soon bought over with
basins of vodka, got drunk and helped to
pull down the walls with their bayonets.
The orgie terminated In the cellar,
where the mob repaired to take the vat?
of Pllsener beer up Into the street; but,
finding them too heavy, thev hacked the n
into pieces, let the beer flood the cellar,
drank it till they could drink no morean.1
finally lav down to sleep. On awaking
late in the evening they asked the restaurant
keeper for more drink, and as all
had been pilfered or consumed the night
before were uncommonly angry und demanded
payment for their "work " Tt'it
by this time the authorities, see ng that
the remains of the restaurant were onen
to the four winds of heaven, sent a strong
detachment of soldiers, who turned tue
mob off the premises, using the butts of
their rifles, and ordered the window
frames to be boarded up.
*
*
x iic mvi mat un innocent man lost
property worth two or three thousand
dollars because one of his tenants did not
choose to pay his rent would In any ot' or
country be snfl\clent to send the guilt?
ones to the nearest police station, ltut
under the Kusslnn government the^n
things are allowed to pass unpunished,
and. though the landlord would like to
see his old tenant in the dock, he receives
letters threatening to kill him and his
family If he dares to do so. and. therefore,
satisfies himself with having his
damnged property repaired as soon as
possible. Occurrences like this one are too
frequent to surprise anybody, and the
Inhabitants think themselves lucky If
they manage to keep their money away
from t Vi p Til.'ifk HiinHrp.1 :ind tha rpvnliu
tlonaries. for the chances are that if they
escape ttie first they will fall Into ths
hands of the second.
The Hlack Hundred of Warsaw hav*
formed a "Debt Collecting Society." This
consists of a hand of men who ro Into the
less respectable shops, ask If there are
any book debts, and when the answer is
in the affirmative offer to collect tlvn for
a certain percentage On receiving permission
and a list of the debtors they ?i>
to their house and say that they are authorized
by Messrs. So-and-So to take
the money owing: to them When the
debtor makes some excuse the inevitable
revolvers are produced, with a threat to
use them if the money is not forthcoming'.
Of course, reputable firms are above
"collecting" money In this way.
Aa already stated, the most extraordl
UtXl y fell l Vk xuilrtSfB 13 lliai ni^-jr
Invariably take place In broad daylight.
In the presence of a large number of
spectators and within a stone's throw of
a patrol or a military guard. Unfortunately
for the peace of the empire, their
numbers are Increasing rather than diminishing,
and, barbarous as the Idea Is,
many are of the same mind as one Russian
general, who expressed the opinion
that the only way of fretting rid of tho
Black Hundred Is to drive them Into on*
quarter of the towns, keep them there by
means of strong outposts with bayonets
fixed, and burn the whole lot by pouring
barrels of pitch onto the houses an*
setting Are to th*m.
B. C. BASKERVILLH.
nouncer of woe, even unto death, the relationship
determined by the nearness of
the cards to the face card of the inquirer.
The two of spades signifies false-hood,
treachery and trouble from deceitful people.
The three of spades predicts a short Jour
ney, or tears, occoramg 10 me npignoonnn
cards. If the latter are red the little trip
will be enjoyed. If dark then come sorrow's
tears.
Four of spades means a prison or a tomb,
Sometimes It means widowhood?that ll
when hearts are near, and when followed
by the four of hearts Indicates that mourning
will soon be laid aside for a gown of
second brldehood.
Five of spades foretells a shock?If red
cards He near It. brightness and good luck
follow; If d-ark one. It means disaster.
Six of spades means illness In one'*
family, and If nine or ace follows it la
serious.
Seven of spades, the mystic number, signiiies
a tendency to mysticism and means
spirituality.
Eight of spades is an uncanny card, that
meaua trouble, woe and disaster. Nine signifies
a broken heart. Alono It means bitter
disappointment, but if near the ace or
two-spot It indicates sorrow by death.
If the nine, two and ace rang* out at 'he
left of the face card In the center the deatli
of the sitter is near.
When red cards follow the black it means
that there ia merely a danger that may be
averted.
Clubs mean business. The nc? is a business
document, needing a signature?such
as a will or deed. Stocks, bonds, mortgages,
contracts and not.n of hand come
under this head. The ace of cluba also indicates
a package by express If folio we J
by a red card.
To the theatrical person tho a.:a of clubs
promises a contract, as it d i<t? to a singer
or speaker. Two ot clubs promises rew
clothing. The three" of clubs moans good
tidings from afar, and tne arfvmt of this
card is followed by u.T.xpect'id good news.
If it falls on the floor at your fe?t. even If
you have been In the -lcpths of despair, expect
good news.
The four of clubs means a comfortable
home. Five Indicates a nice Investment for
or by you.
The six of clubs is a most welcome card.
and when it appears expect a fine business
offer.
Seven always indicate* changes of various
kinds and means that one must exercise
great caution, as new business opportunities
are about to open up.
Eight of clubs signifies certain marriage
based on business reasons. Nine Is termed
the "booze" card?meaning good-fellowship,
wine, woman and song; If next to the nir.o
of hearts it also means remarkable success,
but if next to the eight of diamonds, loss of
money.
Ten of clubs signifies many good, prosperous
times near at iiand; it also means a
large crowd of people, but if next to the
death card, mourners.
When four aces appear in the fortune it
signifies luck extraordinary, long life and
Joy to the end.
Four kings pertend certain marriage, but
If the person is already wedded there will
ho n ?A/*nnrl nnrtn#?r
Four queens Indicate a love of sociability;
also hick at games.
When four Jacks appear hurtful gossip is
abroad. >
Whan the ten of diamonds Is beside the
two the fioodtide of fortune Is at hand.
FOB TWITCHING HAND.
It's Said That the Grapple Swing Will
Cure the Trouble.
From Health Culture.
Hand trembling, an affliction akin to
"writers' cramp," Is apt to result from the
long continued exercise of certain muscles
and the neglect of others.
The worst feature of the trouble Is Its
trick of coming on at the very time when
steadiness of hand would be most desirable.
The twitch of a map-flulsher's muscles may
throw a national frontier 100 miles out of
| treaty lines; type words may get glued to
| gether like the nouns of the Volapuk erase.
Hot baths afford only temporary relief;
drugs might as well be prescribed to a stutterer;
but there is one never falling mechanical
specific?the grapple swing cure.
Procure a couple of Iron rings?say, Ave
Inches In diameter?and fasten them high
enough to keep an experimenter's feet off
the ground when he attempts to dangle by
one hand for a second or two. Practice
will raise his score to half a minute, und
by that time the tremors will have v^-n'shed
for the next half year.
Not Her Style.
From the Baltimore American.
"Darling, do you lovs me still?"
"How ean I tell, dearestT I have never
seen you that way."