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[Les Apaches]

Parisian Mode of Robbery

A traveler is lost in the streets of Paris. Finally discovering where he is, he walks hurriedly away, but is accosted by a beggar, who has lost both feet and is crawling along the ground. Annoyed, he turns away, only to be met by another beggar similarly afflicted. Every way he turns he finds some one in his path, until he is surrounded by a bunch of hungry beggars, who, when feeling safe that the gendarmes are not near, rise to their feet and proceed to strip the traveler of his clothes.
It is plain to be seen that the beggars are by no means cripples and that their deformity is only a sham to provoke pity of the passer-by. After robbing the man of all he had, one of the fellows places a bucket over his head and jams it down so tight that he cannot remove it, and one and all dance away, leaving our traveler alone. A number of female students pass by and are frightened by the man's antics. Finally he removes the bucket from his head, and at the same time the gendarmes make their appearance, but he is in such rage that he throws them to the ground, thinking they are his persecutors. They finally land him, and he is marched to the lock-up. This is comical and exciting.

LUB 1904-06

Los ladrones

MEL 1904-A

A Burlesque Highway Robbery in "GayParee."

The scene represents a street in Paris. A tourist comes along holding his guidebook in his hand while examining the monuments. Suddenly a cripple (in a cart) emerges from a street and asks for money. The tourist refuses and moves on towards a second street and there a second cripple appears. The tourist, in anger, avoids him by going to a third street, and there a third cripple pops up. Then a band of beggars-al cripples-assemble from every nook and corner, and after surrounding the tourist importune him for alms. Then the beggars, all of a sudden, throw off their rags and old hats and leap out of their carts. In the twinkling of an eye they have been metamorphosed into a band of highway robbers who precipitate themselves upon the tourist, deprive him of everything except his shirt and drawers and jamming upon his head a garbage can. Then they hurry off with their booty. At this moment, while the traveler is trying to extricate his head from the can, some workwomen on their return from work come across the man. Horrified at this extraordinary spectacle, they seek an officer. The latter comes upon the scene and attempts to drag to the station the gentleman who has been found in the street in such a state. The tourist struggles away from the police officer and sends him to the ground by dealing him a hard blow. But a soldier comes and renders aid, and the unfortunate traveler, robeed, beaten and crestfallen, is led away to the toils, followed by the workwomen. In conclusion, the highwaymen return and dance madly and merrily about. 

MEL 1905-A