Walks Bridge in Fur Coat, Wins $5 Bet

Jimmy Fleming, June 9, 1933

Camden Evening Courier – June 9, 1933

Span Cops Fear Eyes Are Bad, But Sure Enough, It’s ‘Jimmy’

Sizzling under a burning sun on the hottest day so far this year, policemen on Camden bridge had a vision yesterday that made them think, for a moment, they were sunstruck.

The mercury had climbed to 91, the simmering heat waves beat down mercilessly from a pale blue sky, and yet, there, before their eyes, was a man walking over the bridge wearing a fur overcoat! The bridge cops pinched themselves, closed their eyes, then looked again. It was all too true. The vision refused to go away. In fact, it drew nearer and nearer. Just to make it more real, the gentleman in the fur coat drew forth from its folds a bottle of beer and proceeded to consume the cooling draught.

The fur-wearing bridge-stroller was none other than “Jimmy” Fleming, better known to thousands of thirst quenchers in these parts as the “Jimmy” half of the partnership which, until some months ago, operated that popular and justly famous emporium, “Jimmy and Larry’s” in Egg Harbor. The place, you may remember, with the inches of sawdust on the floor and all the sporting pictures, autographs of the great and near-great, and those other gimcracks on the walls.

“Jimmy” Fleming is nothing if not original. It wasn’t because he was particularly anxious to don the fur overcoat over his white flannel trousers to walk over the bridge. It was all because of a bet—a $5 bet.

“You see,” said Jimmy,” I was telling an old friend of mine the other day, whom I had not seen since last year, that things were pretty tough last winter and I walked over that bridge from Philadelphia almost every pay, looking for a job.

“He didn’t believe me, and offered to bet me $5 I wouldn’t walk over the bridge the next hot day with an overcoat on. Of course, I took him up and now, you see, I’ve won that five-spot.”

“Jimmy” at present is employed.


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