Judge — December 15, 1928 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| Police Nonplussed as Pants Clue Fails; Comb City to Catch Knicker Cutie New York, April York's most baffling mystery fa the police today as. the’ city’s sleuths attempt to answer the Riddle of the Nameless Knickers. Officials high in the detective bu- reau confess themselves at a total loss regarding the puzzling Prob- lem of the Plush Pants. What grim tale lies behind this enig- matic and eerie brace of breeches? ", this is the history of On last Thursday ‘eve- about eleven o'clock, trolman Louis Letch of the West Forty-seventh Street Precinct no- ticed a pair of fawn-colored plush knickers wandering in aimless fashion down Forty-fifth Street. Although such sights are not un- common in this vicinity (the neighborhood being specked with speak-easies), Patrolman Letch feared that foul play was at hand and took the trousers into cus- tody. On arrival at the station, it was at first thought that the pants were suffering from am- nes , as they seemed to have no recollection of their owner. On amination it’ developed ed to the knickers was close that attac JUDGE a pair of legs, swathed in golf hose. The feet were encased in shoes with leather tongues, which, however, refused to speak, even under compulsion and third de- gree methods. The following day the knick- ers, which the police have named “Joseph B. Ramsbottom” for con- venience, were transferred to the psychopathic ward of Bellevue Hospital. After examination by surgeons, they were pronounced to be sane, but unreasonable. The I statement given out thus far is that of an orderly at the hospital named Sam, who stated: I consider the knickers sane but unreasonable.” A further mysterious note is added to the case by the fact that shortly afterward’ this orderly, Sam, disappeared and did not ri turn till after supper. He was grilled by detectives and admit- ted having caten a dish of grilled kidneys that evening in a coffce pot. The police are shadowing : man who is alleged to have pro- cured him the kidneys. is under surveillance, is in an un- fortunate position, as his grand- mother in Philadelphia is dying next Tuesday afternoon; the same afternoon, by the way, that the only of m, who Dodgers are playing a double- header, and he would like to be present at her bedside, or at least get there before the third inning. So far only two persons have come forward who thought the vgs and feet might belong to ther, but neither have recognized nts. One of tl mission merchant named or Hershey or something, inte viewed the trousers and had a lengthy conversation with them. He said later that they appeared sullen throughout the interview and kept a Jackie y clue this suggests is that hg t ged to a The po- lice have spread dragnets for sailors without pants. The other claimant is a tailor who remembers having made a pair of plush knickers for a little fat boy whose name he cannot re- member. However, he recalls that it was a five-letter word, meaning “able to crush gravel or small stones. The tailor has been removed to Bellevue and is sharing the room with the pants. All indications point to. this being an exceptionally interesting case. If the heat does not be- come oppressive, we should have ing to see sailor or “. amusing summer.—Pereeman. comicbooks.com