The Rise of the Johnsons

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Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, a colored couple, are in very hard luck. The grocer donates a few dollars and Johnson, on his way to market, meets a sporty coon acquaintance who invites him to shoot craps. Johnson wants to play but is afraid the police will raid the place. The booster takes Johnson to the rear of the building and shows him a chute running from one of the upper windows to use if escape from police is necessary. Johnson enters the club and gets in the game. The players get very noisy and a patrolman investigates and discovers the chute. He phones for a patrol wagon, which is backed under the chute while several officers force their way into the room above. The gamblers, panic stricken, rush for the chute and are loaded into the wagon. Johnson gathers all the money from the table and makes for another window, thinking to hang outside until the raid is over. One of the officers closes the window and he cannot get back. He hangs on as long as he can and then drops, but to his surprise he only drops a few inches and lands on a pile of packing cases. He hastens home with money in every pocket. Next day he pays all his bills, visits the jail, looks pityingly at the prisoners, then returns home to a gorgeous banquet with two servants in attendance.