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Show ONE MAN'S DEAIH DUE TO HALLOWEEN PRANK William Scars Shot in Back by Paliceman Because He Refused to Halt at the Command. CHICAGO, Nor. 1. As the climax of a Halloween prank .William Sears, S3 years old, was mistaken for , a thief early today and was hot In tha back and Instantly killed ty Policeman Nicholas Nich-olas Smith. Sears and Frank McKune. 18 years Old, were passlnr through an alley when they were seen, by the policeman. They carried betwaen them a basket. Calling to tha men to halt, the policeman says they paid no heed to him. After repeated repeat-ed calls Smith fired and Sears fell while his companion disappeared down the alley al-ley McKune was arrested shortly afterward. af-terward. Ha said that he and Sears had Jteen playina; Halloween pranks in the neighborhood, but he failed satisfactorily satisfactor-ily to explain why he ran after called upon to halt. THE BARKER ON" THS PIKE. Ha is everywhere along the fevered Pike, says Ben Blow, in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat He stands out in midstream, mid-stream, dressed up as Punchinello, and tells you that it is "Over there! Over there!" He stands in front of his show place dressed In a black frock coat and lectures you as gravely as If he was in a sedate hall. Dignified or grotesque, gro-tesque, whichever he deems the Visest, well or 111 dressed, grave or gay. he is the "barker," for "barker" is the generic gen-eric term. In showman's patter and tha Pike is full of It there are many species of the genus, each with rts Individuality, In-dividuality, each different from all the rest The "6pener" appeals to you purely from an intellectual standpoint ha vouches for that declaration and raises before your yeary eyes strange peoples, tells you the strange history of their strange lives. He assurrs you that the value of his show Is purely educational, ed-ucational, but when he finishes he tells yoti that you'll have to hurry! You'll have to hurry If you want to see It all! The "Ballyhoo" draws you up close so the "spieler" or the "opener" can make his talk. How he draws you he cares not He has no sense of dignity. He cares nothing for grammar, but when It comes to reading human nature he has the wisdom that comes from finding find-ing out things at first hand. With weird shrieking, wild pranclngs or grotesque posing he lures the crowds close, and then the "grinder" grinds them, willing will-ing or unwilling, past the ticket taker at the gate. How he dees It he cares not. He begs you, Implores you, raves at you. "You must come In! You must come In! You must come in! You'll have to hurry If you want to see It all!" Grinder, spieler, ballihoo or opener, he's always on the thrill. His hands are nervous. His eyes are nervous. He trembles from the fervor of his barking, and when he reaches out there is nothing noth-ing left you but to go In. When the Pike boils with Its ebbing, flowing human hu-man tide the sounds rise In a conglomerate conglom-erate roar. The thunder of megaphones mingled with the squealing of vile Turkish Tur-kish horns. The blare of bad band music mu-sic makes havoc with the soloists who pour out the tatters ef their voices to the night. The rattle of rickshas drowns the barking of the man who champions the best BO-cent dinner In the whole world, but, above all, beyond all, lifts up the chorus: "Tou'll have to hurry, you'll have to hurry, If you want to be in time!" And then the crowd dies out. The lights that crown the glory of the hill dim and go black. The cascades cease their rush to the lagoons. The last piece of the last band has filtered out in fineness to the stars. The Pike tide ebbs. Dim corners of the grounds house lovers who sit on cosy benches holding hands. Stillness creeps on and single footfalls, pattering, sound along the rough-laid bricks. Sight-seeing humanity human-ity drifts homeward, dwindling te a rrere fine thread, but left behind are those who stay, faithful and hopeful, to the very end. They beg. They threaten and implore. And when the last worn wanderer has gone they raise a cry that follows him a roar the paeon of the Pike: "You're Just in time! You're Just in time! You're Just In time! You'll have to hurry if you want to see it all! Come close! Come close! Come close and have a look!" |