PETER YOHANOWIC IS
KING OF 5,000 GYPSYS.
SCATTERED OVER EVERY STATE
OF THE UNION.
The "Throne" Is Located on the
Reidy Road Two Miles West of
Kansas City -- Subjects
Now Gathering.
PETER YOHANOWIC, KING OF 5,000 GYPSIES.
Peter Yohanowic of the Egyptian gypsy camp on the Reidy road, two miles west of the limits of Kansas City, Kas., proclaims himself a king. Peter II, as he is locally known, is a hereditary monarch, ruling over all the gypsy tribes of Semitic extraction in the United States. The official diadem, worn only in judgment of the refractories and delinquents of his tribe, is real enough, but consists merely of a silver and copper band hung with shells.
"My rule is unquestioned where ruling is necessary," said King Peter a few days ago. "My father before me was king, and his father before him. This is the Yohanowic dynasty. However, there is not much to do or say in the ruling line where everybody is accommodating and law-abiding. I am afraid that "king" will some time become a title with no force in it."
While saying this King Peter was directing the laying out of a camp for several new arrivals. His remarks to the reporter were interspersed with curt commands not delivered in a kingly way, but more after the manner of a modern civil engineer arranging a grading outfit.
"Two wagons and two tents over here. The same over there. Keep the horses and mules outside the tent line and the dogs beyond the mules, towards the city," were a few of his orders. He was watching camp sanitation and the safety of the chattels from petty thievery at the same time.
THE KING IS TALL.
Although some of his subjects were considerably undersized, the king is nearly six feet tall and built in proportion. He wears a coal black mustache, trained parallel with his upper lip, and wears the sombrero and bandanna of his race. His is good looking and has the most pleasing smile imaginable, showing a double line of strong white teeth. He is about 29 or 30 years old.
"How large a following have you?" the king was asked.
"I do not really know," was the reply. "Perhaps 5,000 would be the figure that would best cover it. You see, they are scattered over every state in the Union. Some of them I never hear from. Others are with me all the time. Whenever I meet them they are subject to me and pay me tribute according to what they can afford. Sometimes months pass and the condition of the tribe I am with is such that it is impossible for me to get any money outside of what I can make personally. My expenses are a little higher now, as I am maintaining a home in Leavenworth for the benefit of my wife and little son, now a year old."
"Is the little boy the crown prince?"
"Certainly he is. He's a member of the dynasty and in direct line of succession, isn't he? The tribe expressed its allegiance and anointed him prince a few days after his birth."
"How old is the Egyptian branch of the gypsy family, and in what manner does it differ from the European gypsies?" was next asked.
ORIGIN OF THE GYPSY.
"Nobody knows just what the origin of the Gypsy was. It is a matter clouded with superstition and faint history. I have often been asked if I did not believe that the Gypsies are the lost tribe of Israel. It has been pointed out to me that we are crafty salesmen and good husbandmen like the Jews. Also that our facial characteristics are somewhat similar to the Jewish cast of countenance. I think it is all rot. There was only one Jew who had the Gypsy instinct and that one was mythical -- the wandering Jew."
TYPICAL CAMP SCENE IN KING YOHANOWIC'S DOMAIN.
From all accounts the reign of Peter Yohanowic has been no more placid than that of his contemporary, Peter of Servia. Three years ago a usurper came to the camp on the Reidy road and threatened a permanent overthrow of the regime. He came from Chicago and wore a blazing red suit with many medals of various sorts. Also he had a commission which he said made him king over all the Egyptian Gypsies in the world.
There was some trouble in the camp following his arrival, trouble which began to brew immediately after the newcomer had demanded $2,000 tribute to set up his kingdom. Peter was bitter from the loss of his "throne" and one day he and the usurper are said to have met on the sandy bed of Reidy road. There was then an unkingly joust at arms, literally speaking, and when the dust finally settled over the combatants the usurper was overthrown and Peter was once more king.
ARREST OF A PRETENDER.
Formal charges of obtaining money under false pretenses were preferred against the pretender by Peter and a warrant for his arrest was issued by the Kansas City, Kas., North city court. He was arrested and in default of a large fine, imprisoned.
About a year ago a son and heir apparent was born to Peter in Leavenworth. He will bear the title of Peter III, upon growing to manhood upon the death or resignation of his father. The Reidy road camp now consists of forty wagons. Sometimes it is even larger. This is in the midsummer season when outfits from the Southwestern states, like New Mexico and Arizona come in. During the heart of winter there are seldom more than ten or twelve wagons at the capital of King Peter Yohanowic and the little village is as dead as is Washington between congressional sessions.
