Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-07-26


faintest vibration, TO the agonized, and
perhaps now cold heart, which gsyo 1t
birth. Second thought brought the
realization that it would be less desper-
ate and idle to seek for the solution OF
this horrid mystery In the wilds OF
jungle or the depths of an African
forest than in the bowels of that black
tenement block, at that hour OF the
night. So sped on, as softly as pos
sible, until reached the first police
station, where l called aside the Cap
tain, surprisingly intelligent ohcer,
and gave him every detail of the affair
which, indeed, was nothing more
than history of my own emolon on
hearing the importunate accents OF tnat
awful word Help"
After satisfying himself that was not
acting under the influence of any slim
ulant or intoxicant, he quietly detailed
subordinates to watch the premises un-
til thew should be relieved In the
morning.
With the aid of a mild opiate, 1
passed restful night. Breakfast over.
fastened to the police station, and
there learned that it had been decided
to raid the building. urged the folly
of this and easily persuaded Captain
B to detail a subordinate, compe-
| tent to watch the premises. Accord
ingly, Patrick Mulhooly was dispatched
to that portion of the city. I detailed
myself to watch the said Mulhooly, and
was satisfied of his excellent qualifica-
tions for place on the police force
when I saw his brass buttons disappear
into a saloon. in the block next nearer
the station than the one which he was
sent to watch.
1 hurried to my room and began to lay
plans. As basis, had only that one
word: Help" uttered in the black
ness of midnight, from a certain tene-
ment in the heart of the BLACK Hole"
of Chicago.
1t took me but a moment to decide
that l must first gain a knowledge of
who inhabited the tenement. An in
quiry gained me, from my host,
the information that the te1e-
ment was owned by a certain
wealthy Italian, who had, at the time
of the great fire, been common street
fruit vender, but who had become one
of the largest wholesale dealers in fruits
on South Water street.
lost no time in presenting
myself at the distinguished Da-
COS Office and informed him
that I contemplated purchasing
tenement property. He was extremely
cordial, and seemed DESTROYS of selling
the particular block wherein centers
our tale. He would, he said, instruct
his attorney to call at my hotel for me,
that afternoon, show me the property
and rent roll, and negotiate a sale.
His attorney called, and proved thor
oughly familiar with the property and
the rent roll, inasmuch as he had the
rents to collect each month. He ex-
planned that the rents were not hard to
collect; that most of the tenants were
Italians. and that Italians always had
money to pay cheap rent with, and never
demanded improvements. He was
especially profuse in his praises of GER
tain Calisteo, who occupied one entire
"end" of the basement foor,-Calisteo's
virtues being that he always called at
the attorneys Office, promptly on the
first dav of each month, and paid his
rent; moreover, he had never asked for
the expenditure of a cent in improve
ments, and maintained strict peace with
his fellows. In the eyes of this collect
or of rents, Mr.. CaIisteo evidently came
but little short of being included in the
catalogue of Worshipful Saints. An
examination of the building revealed
the probable reason why the owner de-
sired to sell. It was not that it did not
pay, cash in hand, large interest upon
the investment; but that Mr.. Calisteo's
! indifference to repairs had been made
to apply to the whole block, which had
deteriorated into veritable rat-hole,
which could scarcely hold its rotten
timbers together for another twelve
months, at best. It was not, however,
the miserable trap, but its dark skinny
inhabitants, (who resemble those evil
eyed vermin more closely, if possible,
that the building resembled the tradi-
tional rat-hole), which claimed my
closest scrutiny. I felt particularly
anxious to see the virtuous Calisteo. He
opened mis- door Just far enough to pro-
trude his greasy black head and volun-
teered the information that his rent was
paid and that he was in need of no re-
pairs or internal improvements. He
spoke in italian, doubtless presuming
me unacquainted with that tongue. In
response the attorney inquired after the
new baby, at which Calisteo grinned
in a simple way and replied that the
baby was all right. Turning to me,
the attorney explained that Calisteo
and wife had just been blessed with a
late reinforcement to their already nu-
merous line of dusky heirs.
suggested that we would better not
awaken the latest, who, from the silence
which reigned, was presumed to be
sleeping, -thereby avoiding drawing
down upon ourselves the anger of the
Signora On returning to
my hotel the purchase OF
the property was quickly
consummated. The next morning
repaired to distant part of the city,
also peopled by Italians, and employed
o carpenter and mason, taking them
with me to the tenement. 1 told them
that wanted them to make thorough
examination of the building, in every
room, from basement to garnet, for the
purpose of estimating the cost OF