Beadle's Dime Library No. 412 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

cll etn —_ a Se he re oe ee et eee cee = eee oe — ~~ } é 4 ‘a - 24. ae —_—- ‘*Sartain,” responded Larry. ‘‘ What else | the beginning. The coroner certainly had not, could bring me and my mates here? Where are _ because there was no body, and there is no they?” . | magistrate here. But you area police-officer, ‘* What names did you say?” asked the police , and as a citizen I demand the arrest of Mr. _. captain. _ Skinner, here, on a conspiracy to kill, till he can ‘** Jim Maguire and Steve Sutton. be taken before a regular magistrate.” didn t get it as bad as I did, Cap.” Skinner heard him and uttered a cry of rage: The captuin whispered something to the coro- | ‘Me! Commit me/” ner, who lefé the room, when Skinner said: ‘“ Yes, you and your friend, Somers too,” was ' * Well, I suppose there’s no more necessity for | the quiet reply. ‘‘ Mind, captain, 1 make the hte is tiere?” charge, and you'll have todo your duty. ' 1s tone was decidedly uneasy, but Somers in- | stantly took alurim and growled: ‘* Yes, there is. Me and you’s in th3 same boat. Stay here and see it out.” Skinner whispered to him, but the disguised A tramp Obstiuately reiterated: I hope they to get off so easy.” ‘ ner atonce, ‘* This is an outrage, captain. Are you going totake the word of this miserable x ‘*T teli you we're in the same boat and wesink | tramp against mine? This is an outrage of the Me or swim together. None of your games, Cap | worst kind, and if you dare to arrest me, Ill Skinner. DPve sailed with you afore.” make you sweat for false imprisonment.” The captain of police, who had taken charge | The captain actually hesitated for a moment; on the depsrture of the useless coroner, listened for the influence of the rich ironmaster was not a to the amiable conversation and stared, for his a thing that he dared lightly to go against; but ten esteemed friend Mr. Skinner was beginning to | he was also afraid of Scriven, whom he knew as he loom up on him in rather a dubious light. | anoldand sharp lawyer. To please both parties, a ‘You can’t leave the room till the examina- | he said to Skinner: na tion is over,” he said, awkwardly. ‘‘ Of course, | ‘* You know I can’t help myself, Mr. Skinner. oe Mr. Skinner, nothing has appeared yet to impli- | If this gentleman makes a charge, ’'m bound to pad’ cate you in any way—” do my duty. If he can’t prove it, you can sue me 7 **T should hope not,” said Skinner, hastily. | him for false imprisonment, and get heavy ‘*T was on the outside stairs, with Mr. Trainor, | damages; but I’ve got to arrest you on a charge when the affair began, and I ran into the street. | like that.” ate I should like to know why I can’t go out, cap- Skinner bit bis lips and eyed Paul Van Beaver Bol tain ” savagely, saying: py ‘ ‘** Well, you see, you’re a witness, and it may ‘This is a ee be pecerenry to cross-examine you,” said the | You think to bring me to terms by trumping up em. captain, still more awkwardly. ‘‘Asafavor to | false charges against me, with that old petti- | a me, please remain, Mr, Skinner. We won't be | fogger over there; but I’ll be even with you yet. Om very long now.” | ee ‘*But I’ve got business,” objected Skinner. | more coolly: te “Tf you want me you can send for me. I won't ‘Dm rags to Bo with you. Judge Roberts will settle this thing pretty darn uick, I Bes stay, unless I’m forced.” \ a n d he was oe toward the door when he | charge this fellow, Locke, since they didn’t kill ae was confronted by old Scriven, who walked in, | him, with being the man who got up all this % er leading a weazen-faced, ragged man, to whom he | riot, and I demand that you take him into RA said: custody too. We'll see who comes out at the —_ ** ‘Ts that the man?” top of the heap yet. And when we've settled Be ** Yes, boss,” returned Snoopey eg th but | that, we’ll try what a little charge of conspirac as very pale; ‘‘and yon’s Terror Jim on’t let | against that interesting youth over there will ee him nigh me, boss, fur Godsake, Ho’s a bad | do.” man, he is, a reg’lar terror.” He indicated Paul with his finger as he spoke; _“ Who is this fellow?’ asked the captain, | but old Scriven said: amazed at the intrusion. ‘‘Is this your witness, ‘That will be the best thing we can all do, Mr. Scriven?” | There is no one here who can deal with this case ** Yes, sir,” replied the lawyer, ord ‘“‘and | according to law; and the sooner we get before My, a very good witness, too. If you'll allow me to | some ono who can, the better it will be for us. | ~~ question him before you, you will admit that he I like to see things done regular and ship- | _ knows a little of this affair.” | shape.” ate Terror Jim was glaring at Snoopey likea tiger, ‘Ay, ay,” growled Skinner, bitterly. “Til _-——- gloating over a lamb, and Snoopey kept his eyes get you ship-shape before I have done with you.” - ——— earefully averted. iat 3 Skinner, on the other hand, was staring at the | CHAPTER XXXVI. THE POWER OF CAPITAL. As the ironmaster spoke, the captain of po- | lice laid his hand on his arm, saying coaxingly: aaa little tramp with an intent anxiety that showed | Sass k ~ he had no idea what his evidence was going aS The captain hummed and hawed. | ‘Now, come, come, Mr. Skinner, this is all ; =e, i “That is a very unusual course, Mr. Scriven.” , talk. Let’s go along together. Do you insist gape ‘*T know it, sir, and | only do it to save you | on your charge against this man, Locke?” | thetrouble. I’ve been over the man’s evidence, ‘* Certainly,” was the reply. ‘‘ And what’s kK u prefer it, [’ll suggest the questions.” ' more, I demand that you put the irons on lim. | If as aN no, no,” returned the other, hastily. ‘It , He’s a desperate character as we all know.” willsave time. Go on, sir, go on.” | ‘* There is not the least necessity for that,” in- |. Seriven took in his trembling witness and sat | terrupted Scriven. “I am his counsel, and I | him down with his back to Terror Jim, remark- | will be responsible that he comes along quietly. | ~~ ing as he did so; If you handcuff one, handeuff both.” "TT hope, captain, that this witness will be pro- he sr po put an end to the discussion by tected from browbeating. He is a man of timid | taking Skinner by the arm and saying to his | ___ temperament, and this man Somers has tyran- | sergeant: | nized over him for years.” ‘* See that the others are brought along quietly. ; i: id ‘* Certainly, certainly,” answered the captain, | Come, gentlemen.” And he left the building with Skinner, finding a great crowd at the entrance of the hotel in the street, composed mainly of workingmen, who a a at the front of the house, but quite silently. When they saw the ironmaster coming out, arm in arm with the captain of police, they raised a murmur, but no demonstration other oy |! emul then the examination proceeded under old $eriven’s skillful questioning, till Snoopey had , - pointed out aonb in all his glory of new __ ¢lothes and shaven face, as the tramp, Terror |. Jim, and added: | si“ * BF you want the names of the pals Terror Jim brought with him, I kin give you them; but for the Lordsake, gentlemen, hide me, so they ts ss Won't see me.” than this was made, for it was evident that they eo ** Why so?” asked the captain. had not been fully informed of what had trans- re Snoopey shuddered violently. pired in the hotel. “They'd kill me wherever they found me,” ! No one knew Terror Jim, and as for Paul and | he said in a low tone, at which Terror Jim | Larry, they had remained behind in the hotel with some officers, till Larry could pay a visit to the wash-room of the house, where he i- ly removed from his face every trace of his late perilous experience. Paul was amazed at the stoicism and endur- oe “And you'd better believe they'll do it any- _. how, you, Snoopey,” he said, with concentrated ere “T wouldn’t be in your shoes when a __- you go on the road next, Snoopey.” | ss SBnoopey tried wt, but it was a sickly fail-) ance of the Man of Iron. In spite of a beating ee ure Scriven said: that would have laid up most men for weeks, a | “Much obliged to you, Somers, but we’re not _—s« going to send this poor fellow adrift after he’s 5 nate. told his story. © won’t go on the road any ‘> \, “more.” wen 1h me ta he walked steadily to the wash-room, and when he had removed the blood from his face, no one would have known that he had been in a fight, but for the back of his head, which had to be ornamented by the police-surgeon with strips of laster to prevent the bl from several cuts rom oozing out again. Snoopey seemed to be much comforted by the - assurance; but he had not sufficient courage to = meet the eves of Terror Jim, who was at a white heat of anger at his former parasite, and looked Larry looked at himself in the glass, and re- as if hefound it hard work torefrain from rush- | marked with some pride: mae at him on the spot. ‘“Not a one of ’em could hit me in the face, Be t the old lawyer had laid his plan of action, | arter all, Mr. Paul. If I’d only known what 7 end now he turned to the captain of police, who | was ya hs wouldn’t have done as much as ss -was beginning to look quite puzzled what todo, | they did. But I don’t want Molly to Near of and observed to him: | this, or she'll think I’m dead and some fool will mee ‘*Of course this has been an informal affair be sure to go and tell her.” all through. No one had any jurisdiction from! ‘‘I’ll see that she is not needlessly alarmed,” a ee ee ee na eo Sa = eee 7 = - - 7 . : * « one | Larry Locke, the Man of Iron. a Ce ee ee se ss ee SS COC |" The , rest we can get hold of afterward; but here are | the principals of the plot, and they are not going | Where is Van Slack?” cried the angry Skin- | v said Paul. ‘‘ Now, the sooner we get to court and get your case dismissed, the better.” The policeman who had been attending them nodded to say he was ready, and they walked out of the hotel, Scriven having taken his de- parture, along with Skinner, to be on hand in court. When they got to the doorway of the hotel they found the street full, as the others had done before them, but experienced a different reception. No sooner did the form of Larry Locke make its appearance, his hat on the back of his head to conceal his injuries, while he walked arm in arm with Paul, than a tremendous cheer rung | through the street and the workmen made a rush ma eee —— Se to the steps to shake his hand and congratulate him, while a dozen voices called out: ‘Larry, boy, we heard ye was dead.” Larry, looking rather pale, now that his ex- citement had worn off, was yet able to answer: ‘*T’'m worth a dozen dead men yet, boys.” Then the policeman witb him whispered: ‘*Get them out of the way, and let’s get to court.” | But the men would not get out, and began to press on pas a sean * in a way that showed they suspec harm from his presence, while: several voices cried: ‘Larry Locke ain’t done nothing. What's he arrested for?’ And as they all looked excited, the policeman: drew out his club, and said to Paul, hurriedly: ‘* Call them men off, or there’ll be a row, if I your work, you sneaking hound. | rap for help. We has our orders, and the rest are close by, you know.” In fact, Paul, looking back into the hotel, could see the hats of the reserve platoon coming See if I don’t.” Then, to the captain, he said | that way, and saw that the least imprudence: would bring oa another fight, which might ter- minate fatally for several there. ‘* You must get them quiet,” he said to Larry. ** Why can’t they be quiet, just as we are win- ning the game?” ‘Larry, who had been shaken more than he: cared to show by the blows he had received, nevertheless had preserved bis coolness, and made a peculiar signal with his hand, whith pro- cured instant silence. Then he called out to the tumultuous crowd: ‘* Boys, I’m all right, and tbe strike will be over to-morrow. Kelly & Barr have left the Union, and open up to-morrow.” At this there was a tremendous shout; but it ceased the moment Larry signaled a second time, to say: “And now, boys, I want you to go home. I’ve got to go to court to make a complaint against some men who assaulted me inside here. The policeman is with me to take care of me. The bosses had nothing todo with the assault, and my friend, Mr. Van Beaver, and myself are now going to court to secure the punishment of the men who did. What I want you all to do is to go home and keep out of the streets. In the morning the works will all open, with the ex- ception of Skinner’s. If he stands out another day, it will surprise me. Now please let us go: on quietly, so that no one can say that Amer- ican Knights of Labor behave badly. Good-lay to you all,” The short address had an instant effect, and the men dispersed, cheering vigorously, while Larry and the policeman, with Paul by the side of the prisoner, walked away toward the court, followed by a crowd of men who seemed actu- ated by curiosity alone, for they kept at a little distance and behaved with perfect propriety. In this way they arrived at the court-room, where Justice Roberts had been holding court ever since the strike kad assumed an aspect that foreboded danger to the town. They found the doors strongly guarded, and as soon as Larry and Paul had entered the building the police stopped any one from follow- ing them, handling their clubs in a menaci manner, that plainly showed they only wan a chrnce to use them. There was considerable grumbling at this; but: the guardians of the gate were inexorable, and as Larry went u he observed to Paul, with some bitterness: _ “That's about the justice a laboring man gets from the world in general. Here am I, half- killed by the men they hired to slug me, and they won’t let my friends in, while you can bet the court-room will be full of old Skinner’s people. Workingmen won’t have their rights till they have a woud to say to the courts as well as the richest boss in the land.” *“ But they have that now,” said Paul gently, for the implied censure of Larry struck bis sen- sibility as a lawyer, who believed in the supre- macy of the law over every one. ‘The law knows no difference of persons, and you'll find that, you know, when we get into court.” Larry shook his head a little incredulously, but followed his friend into the court-room where Paul was surprised to find, as Larry had redicted, quite a number of people whom he new to be friends of the ironmaster, while Skinner himself was talking to the judge at the other end of the room. Old Scriven was seated by a table looking over some law books, and as soon as Larry en- tered the court-room , Skinner left the judge, at | com ‘ “ ~ 4 ~ a ' *. ’ 4 < = tS -* a + ts fi Ebooks iw P :