The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-02-15
THE KILLING ~
OF ARAD FILES.


And as for this man Files, we. sbss}
have something TO say about him to-
morrow which will be an eye-Op1nel
to the citizens whom he il hood " ink
ing.
This was the closing sentence Of the
editorial, and as Malcolm penned II
the lines about his lips grew more de-
termtned, and there was u light In hit
gray eyes which BODIED ill for the
aforesaid Files. The Hapsbnrg Argus
was for reform, aid the young editor
had thrown himself, heart and soal
into the political arena.
Hausburg-that IL, the better ele'
mont, which, as Is Tue case 10 macy
communities, had baen u lethargic
ma ajority-was slowly awaking. Cor
ruption was fostering sore upon the
body polite (; decent tncn kept away
from the primaries and almost from
the polls on election day. Tho city
was in the hands OF u gang who not
only robbed taxpayers, but gave moth
ing in return. Toe average property
owner will staLd being robbed in taxes,
If he can only see some return for the
money in public improvements.
Finally few OF the most progress.
sive business men had joined forces
bought out the local pupIr, and looked
about for young n.an to run it for
them, believing tho paper to be the
entering wedge for the lever which
was to overturn the old regime. They
came upon Malcoln, and he was in
stalled at the head Of the Argus staff
Arad Files was the political boss OF
the lowest section Of the CITY. He had
been a bar-tender, a real estate agent
a otrh hnff fDn
several public "improvements" which
had made him comfortably well-to do,
and he WAS something OF q lawyer.
For ten years he had been leader in
the politics of the city. Nobody
seemed to know much about his ante
cedents. His life previous to his ap.
pearance in Hapsburg w,,s a closed
book.
But Malcolm, when be first saw the
fellow, felt that his facc ';as familiar.
tiles's was striking countenance !;
one would not easily forget the droop-
ing yellow m0ustache, full, ruddy
cheeks, and the long aair whicn almost
curled upon his coat collar. He always
wore broad-rimmel / hat which + Gig ht-
ened the cowboy effect Of his ap-
pearance. Aud when Malcelm co n.
pared him with the cow-punchers he
had seen, he suddenly discovered the
niche Ia his mamory into which Mr..
Arad Files fitted.
A dozen years before, Malcolm, then
nero lad, had visited his uncle's
ranch in Montana, and while there Cne
Of the ber> smen had killed another.
There was some pfOvOcation for the
deed, but the township just then was
having spasm Of morality, and The
coroner's jury brought in verdict of
manslaughter; but tho cri nlnal escap-
ed. 1t appeared that the murderer
had already served q term in prison
somewhere in the east, and bore bad
reputation generally.
When Malcolm found that Files was
one of the hardest fighting opponents
of the new movement for reform. he
began to trace his back record. He
sent photograph Of the man to Mon.
tana, and several witnesses recognized
the face, Malcolm waited until he had
the affi1avits and facts ranged in their
proper sequence, and then prepared to
spring his mine.
The election OF city ofiicers was at
hand. The party in power was dying
hard, and Arad Files was making su.
perhuman efforts to counteract the ef-
feet Of the articles which appeared
day by day in the ARGUS" When
Malcolm wrote the editorial of which
the sentence quoted above was the
close, the article dealing with Files,
past record was already in type In
readiness for the next afternoons
paper. Coming az 1t would so rear
election day, the ,oPposers of the new
reform wave could do nothing to coun-
teract It's effect. Malcolm had laid his
plans carefully, and as he left the
" Argus Office that afternoon, he felt
that the success Of his party in the
coming election was assured.
He had to run over to Duquesne
that night on business, and, being de-
layed, was obliged TO wait until MORN
ing before coming back. The first
train was through express from
Chicago. The coaches were we'll filed,
but he finally found scat beside a
little, .quiet-faced old lady with an
ample lunch basket and several bulky
packages.
Malcolm had been O motherless-al-
moot homeless man for years, but
the kind old face under the gray hair
and the old fashioned bonnet was more
would have been. He always onvied
men their mothers. His boyish fea.
lures must have attracted her, for che
turned to him after the train had left
Duqucsne and asked:
Young man, are you going far on
this train? Pm goin' to get off pretty
soon, and I've got enough sandwiches
an doughnuts an cookies left here for
an army. They're good, too, for l
made 'em myself"
81 can believe that" responded Nal.
colin with smile, land 1 wish l was
going far enough 80 that 1 might en-.
Joy them; but get out two or three
stations beyond. 1t has been years
since | had real home cooking"
The old lady looked through her
glasses at him commiseratingly. $50
you've had to live at hotels, too, have
you ?" she said. My son SAYS he's
awful hungry for decent vittles. These
here hotel cooks don't know how to
cook fit for anybody's stomach. But
Pm sorry to waste all this food when
it might do some ono some good-an'
save their going to that dinging car.
My son sent mo with my ticket O
plenty OF money to pay for my meals
on the train; but I learned they serve
liquors there, so | was bound not to
patronize 'em. II thought maybe If
you was going through you could
I'll