Beadle's Dime Library No. 412 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

v . ™ _ = - —. — " —— eT —T : ~~ ’ »* 3 < ‘ > oe . > 4 . » ’ MD , Larry Locke, the Man of Iron. 25 a word from the official, and went down below the bench, where he stood beside his lawyer, Van Slack, who looked foxy and sedate as usual, as if he had a sure case. The policeman in charge of the Man of Iron left him and Paul as soon as he got to Scriven, who motioned the young man to a seat by him, while Mr, Van Slack instantly rose to his feet, cleared his throat, and looked expectantly at the judge, as if about to make an address of some sort. Paul, a little puzzled at what he could possibly have to say in the face of such a plain case on conspiracy as that by which Larry had been trepanned, waited for the judge to open court. Presently the magistrate—a solemn-looking personage—said: ‘‘ Now, brother Van Slack, we are ready to hear your complaint.” ‘‘Mr. Van Slack pointed to Larry Locke, who had just taken his seat, and began at once: ‘‘ May it please your Honor, my client, a well- known and highly respected citizen of this town carries on the business of steel-making accord- ing to the Bessemer process. He employs a large number of poor men who depend on him for their wages. These men have, until lately, been contented and happy, till tbe prisoner, Locke, came to this place and conspired, with some other people, to us unknown, to injure the business of my client. He entered the mill not three weeks ago with a mob of ruffians, and told Mr. Skinner tbat be must pay his men higher wages. On Mr. Skinner informing him that he was not in his employment, and there- fore that he could not treat with him, this man Locke made a signal to the employees of Mr. Skinner, previously concerted with them, at which they all left the works, and when Mr. Skinner attempted to stop them, set on him and treated him with the ones? indignity at the instigation of this man ke. Since that time, as we all know, the men of this town have been on strike, and parce many of them are anx- ious to return to work, and have so stated, this man Locke bas managed to deter them from so doing, and bas incited them to violence, There- fore, your Honor, I move for his commitment on a charge of conspiracy to injure the business of my client, Mr. Skinner. That is to say, I ive notice that 1 shall so move as soon as I ery: proved my charge by the proper wit- nesses.” The judge turned a sour countenance on Larry and asked him: ‘* Well, what have you got to say to all this?” Larry was about to answer, when old Scriven pinched his arm, rose and said quietly: ‘‘T appear for Mr. Locke, and demand an ex- amination. We might waive it and elect to go before the Grand Jury on bail, but we prefer to meet the charge at once.” . The judge leaned back in his chair with a weary air, saying: ‘Bring on your witnesses, Mr. Van Slack. What do you wish to prove first?” ‘* First we intend to prove that the prisoner is one of the notorious ruffians called Knights of Labor, who have done so much mischief in the West, your Honor. Possibly brother Scriven is willing to admit that to save time.” He spoke sneeringly, but Scriven said: ‘‘T'm not pressed for time. Call your wit- nesses. How are you going *9 rove that he is a Knight of Labor, and that the Knights are the ruftians you mention.” Van Slack smiled derisively, and then called: ‘‘ John Sloman, come into court.” Larry started slightly, and ground his teeth as one of the men he had sworn into the Order since the strike had begun slouched into court, his head hanging down, and looking very much ashamed of himself, but still coming forward to the bench. He was properly sworn, and testified that he had been admitted as a Knight of Labor on a certain night that week, and that the man who had occupied the master’s chair and administer- ed the oUligation to him had been Larry Locke, Van Slack was going to question him as to the tenets of the Order, when Scriven interposed an objection by saying: m Your Honor, t have not wanted to make any litigious opposition in this case, but we really are going too fast. We are putting the cart, colons the horse. They must, before they ean do anything else, show that my client has injured their business. As for his affiliations ‘with private societies, they have nothing to do witb his case. I object to the further examina- ‘tion of this witness, Mr. Van Slack rose to reply, with the usual sneer on his face. **T expected this, your Honor, and have come prepared for it. I have proved by the witness that Locke is a member of this ob- noxious—” ‘* 1] object to the counsel applying epithets not justified by the evidence,” interruped Scriven. ‘‘There is no proof that the ae ts of Labor are anything more than a perfectly lawful and proper organization.” an Slack smiled again, still more derisively. “Exactly. They are angels of goodness, of course. How comes it, then, that the governor bas had to call out troops to protect the peace of a nnn nn this town on account of the menacing attitude of these same men, I submit, your Honor, that if I arm not allowed to examine my own witn we might as well surrender to these ruffians a once. The judge had been listening to the colloquy an) Bi but his face showed which side he was on, as he said shortly: ” Objection disallowed. Go on, Mr. Van Slack.’ ‘*l except, your Honor,” said Scriven; and then Van Slack pursued: ‘*Now, Mr. Sloman, please tell us, what arc the objects of the Knights of Labor, - a as you know! What are they organized or Sloman hesitated. ‘* Dunno as I oughter say, boss,” hesaid. * We was sworn—” ‘* Ah, yes, a secret society,” said the lawyer, quietly. ‘ Then, if you were obliged to commit murder at the bidding of the Master Workman, you would not dare tell the court?” ‘* But we warn’t sworn to do no sich thing, sir,” said Sloman. Here Larry whispored to Scriven, who rose, sa OB ‘There is no objection to the witness telling what he knows of the objects of the Knights, your Honor. There is no secrecy about them. Ve are ready to admit that their objects are to raise the condition of the workingmen of this country in the scale of civilization, and to ena- ble them to live in greater comfort.” ‘* And to foment strikes, I presume,” said Van Slack, sneeringly. Here the witness broke in: ‘** No sich thing, sir. We was warned to have nothing to do with a strike, unless it was or- dered Ae the General Executive Board. The Order is dead ag’in’ strikes, sir, as fur as I know, and Mr. Locke knows that better’n I do.” Larry whispered again to Scriven, who said, shortly: ‘*Go ahead. It isn’t legal; but you can’t make anything of it.” Then Van Slack went on with his questioning, and managed to confuse the witness so that he admitted that Larry Locke, when the men were willing to give in, and go back on the old scale of wages, bad been the one person who encour- age them to stand fast. ith this admission Van Slack closed, and Scriven began to cross-examine the reluctant Sloman. ‘* Who induced you to come here?” he asked, sternly. Sloman looked puzzled, and the lawyer re- peated the question in a different form, as he went on: ‘*] mean, who got you to come here to swear against Larry Locke? Did any one pay you for your trouble, and how much?” He asked the question at random, but was sur- prised to see the confusion of the witness, who stammered: ‘“T don’t want to swear ag’in’ nobody. Mr. Skinner told me that—” ‘* T object,” broke in Van Slack. ‘* That’s not evidence. We don’t want to hear what any one told him.” ‘* Well, then, how much did Mr, Skinner pay ee asked Scriven, boldly, convinced, from she man’s blunder, that there was something be- hind his confusion. Sloman hesitated, but finally answered: ‘* He didn’t pay me notben, but he promised to make me a foreman if I'd tell the secrets of the Order; but I ain’t done it yet.” This time it was Scriven’s turn to smile, as he said softly: ‘**In-deed? So he promised to make you a foreman if you would sell out Larry Locke. I believe that you have taken an oath to keep sa- cred the secrets of the society to which you be- long. How do you reconcile with your con- science your coming here to reveal things which you swore never to tell?’ The witness trembled violently and cast a Pe shar glance at Larry, who shook his head at Scriven, as if to warn him from going any further in that line. ing: "Wen, never mind that. You admit you took the oath of secrecy, do you not? Did you, or did you not?” Sloman shivered, as he said in a low voice: *T did, but I ain’t broke it yet.” _ “And so all you have told the court of the inside workings of the society you represent is not true?” asl-ed Scriven, eying him closely. “*T hain’t told no lies,” said Slocum, dogged- ly; ‘‘but I hain’t told no secrets I oughter to keep. Have I, Mr. Locke?” In his innocence he appealed to Locke, who shook his head with a look of some scorn, as he answered, in defiance of all rules: ‘* No, no; you’ve told nothing.” “That will do for you, then,” said Scriven, Scriven took the hint, say- as he stepped down. CHAPTER XXXVIL. A LEGAL TILT. Mr. VAN SLACK consulted with his client a moment before he called another witness, while Scriven said to Paul in a whisper: ‘* Van Slack is getting bothered; but he knows he has the judge with him, and that is a good deal. He wants to discredit us before we make our complaint.” peer 16 Van Slack cleared his throat, and said: ‘““'‘We have proved that the prisoner is a Knight of Labor, and that he has prevented men from poing to work, who were quite willing todoso. The men he prevented from working were in the employment of my client, Mr. Skinner. I shall now call Mr. Skinner himself to the stand, to prove the damage he has sus- tained. Mr. Skinner, please take the witness- chair.” Skinner stepped up; stout and pompous, hav- ing quite recovered from the confusion and alarm he had felt when Snoopey had first been brought before the coroner. One reason of this was that the virtuous Snoopey had disap and though Skinner feltsomewhat uneasy about him, Van Slack had bolstered up his courage by telling him that the evidence of such a charac- ter would need a good deal of corroboration, be- fore it could be received as credible, So the ironmaster stepped into the chair, held up his hand and kissed the Bible, with a solemnity that was quite imposing, when his lawyer began to examine him. He drew from him his name and age, and the position he bad occupied in the mill since his father’s death; found, for the benefit of the judge, that he was a church-warden of therich- est church in the town, and showed, in bis first — questions, that MarcellusSkinner was a member of society who was universally respected. | Larry listened to the testimony with a bitter smile; but he was surprised that his lawyer made no objection to the lovely record Skinner , was making for himself. At last he whispered: g ‘‘ Why don’t ye stop him telling those lies?” — Scriven smiled slightly, and returned, , Eas ‘‘ Tf you want to manage the case, tryit. If — ¢ not, let me alone.” c' gee And Larry had to sink back in bis chair, and listen to the R yores of Mr. Skinner, while the judge beamed on the rich man, and every now y and then scowled at the poor one. : ns Presently Van Slack began to come to the history of the strike, and asked Skinner in his most insinuating manner: cd ** ‘You know the prisoner, Locke?” grt “I do. Ihave known him froma boy, tothe — time be left my works, after failing tomakethe — nen go on strike.” Ly Seriven looked up, as if inclined toobject, © but thought better of it, and Skinner pursued, __ under the questions of his counsel: | ‘“*T discharged him from the works then,and, he assaulted me and broke two of my ribs. By dint of bringing in a number of witnesses, Who swore falsely that I struck him first, he got off the punishment he deserved for that; butwhen he came back and succeeded in getting my men to strike again, it was too much. roughout. Fg) the strike he has been the leaderof the men, — and when they set on me and nearly killed me, the day they went on strike, I saw Locke en- couraging them to do their worst. To-day he la came into the hotel, and got into afight with | some men, without any cause, and we all thought that be had been killed by them. It seems, however, that be got off. Heis theman who has made all the trouble in this town; who set on the mob to destroy Kelly & Barr’s mill, — wig and who has done all he can to hurtthe business on which our men live.” rare) Then Van Siack gave up his witness, and Mr. Scriven rose, with his sweetest smile, to cross- > examine, saying: ia ‘Ah, Mr.—ah—Skinner—ah—I believe you are the son of the late Mr. Ski: ner, whofounded _ the Eureka Mills. Are you not?” “Tom, sir,” was the gruff reply, as Marcellus stared at him fixedly. Bed 2} ‘** Ah, yes. Well, will you be kindenoughto tell us whether Zra are the sole owner of the mills at present?” ae, - Nal pai pricked up his ears, and Skinner colo ‘a deeply as he replied, in his stiffest BE 5 ‘*T am the sole owner, sir. Do you doubt it? oe Scriven smiled, and dangled his glassestoand fro, as he said: +S oe ‘** You must not ask me questions. It is for me to ask, and you to answer. You say you are the sole owner. Do you mean absoletae Pd Are the miils yours, to buy or sellas you please ?” oy Skinner hesitated a moment, and then said: = ‘‘T don’t want to sell them. As longasI _ live, they are mine.” io 20 ‘* Answer my question, sir, and no more i sion!” thundered the lawyer, changing hisman- ner entirely. ‘‘ Are the mills yours to sell,if you please, or not? Remember, you are on ~— oath.” ete Skinner turned purple, but remembering the facts in the possession of the old lawyer, he did not dare to lie, and said slowly: a ‘‘ They are not, under the termsofmyfather’s will. You know that.” “ag **'You mean to say, then, that you are what? A tenant for life of the mills,er what?” DA cee ‘You might call it a tenant for life,” wasthe reluctant admission of Skinner, at which the — Gomicbooks.com ~ a _ a % * ,