Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-27

winded statement that states nothing and
lodges everything. the excitement Will die
down after few days TO the newspapers
daily recapitulatien of the names of new
victims found in the search OF the ruins
and the old conditions will go on prevail
ing.
And this is really one of the minor items
In the general misgovernment of Greater
New York OF course, this dominant and
domineering New York politician who
dubbed New York Chis pocket borough the
best-governed city in the world must have
been only fooling. And yet he may not
have been. TINS politician was asked by q
newspaper man the other evening at tho
Hoffman House to set forth in phrase the
actual secret of his tremendous success.
We'll" replid the politician. ''Ill tea you.
seeing that it's you: l always got mine.
whether IT was coming to me or not. See?'
The politician endeavored to convey by his
manner the idea that he said this testfully.
but 1t was and is too true to be jestful. and
a man who could say a thing like that is
surely almost capable of himself believing
that New York is a well-governed city.
An Interesting EmbezzIer.
There is something almost fascinating in
the details of this last huge embezzlemeut
in New York. Alvord the man who got
away with the bagatelle of 100000 of the
funds of one of the leading banks of the
United States and of the world. would
surely make a superb subject for analysts
by competent novelist with turn for
quently seen 4>.vord in the act of RECALLING
himself at table-generaly at Shanley's
place near Longacre Square-during the
past four or five months 4
If ever a man looked like the incarnation
and quinteSsence of responsibility and con-
ventionality then this defaulter on a colos-
sal scale did He looked particularly So in
the act of partaking of food and drink
amid the surroundings of a Longacra
Square restaurant. Simply a big-jowled.
half-somber, half-genial man. not well
dressed no more snowy than the excellent
mutual friend of us all. Mr.. Andrew CiIaa-
son. and distinctly and decidedly not IN be
catalogued with the fiashy. bejeweled and
OFTEN shady crowd that takes late refec-
tions at the uptown Broadway restaurant.
he was always accompanied by his VIE.
VINO is and was the big blonde upon
whom the saffron newspapers at tirsr
claimed Alvord had wasted his stolen slIb
stance Mrs. Alvord is truly enough d big
blonde, but not of the type most generally
indicated by that overworked phrase She
Is a superb-looking woman, with light hair,
a Diana figure and manner of wearing
non-showy clothes that the big blondes
OF the phrase never even dream of ATTAIN
ing. She was always in complete black at
these restaurant reflections with her nus
pand, and she never appeared to form a
part OF the general surroundings either
The couple, in fact looked like a par of
prosperous Philadephians over in New
York for the shops and the theaters and
although they dined upon everything fit TO
eat as the phrase for expensive foods and
their liquid accomplishments goes over
here, they We're never ostentatious about it.
and nobody but the waiter and the man at
the desk would have known whether their
meal cost them 81 800. although it was
generally well around the latter figure.
Always Free From Care.
Alvord never looked as if he had a care
on his soul, Melowed with good food and
wine. he would lean back in his chair, beam
amiably upon his wife. and then glance
ar md ,,,rin
other tables. One could no more conceive.
looking at the man casually amid such sur
roundings, that his conscience was weighted
with the burden OF continuous perform
ance thievery approXimating a million dol
lars than he could conceive of one of the
board of directors of the Tank of England
piifering coppers from a blinds man cup.
Mr.. AlVord just looked easy.
On the night that the tremendous defal-
cation of young Schneider of Elizabeth, who
got away with S1o6,0o0 from the bank that
paid him SO week wages was made
known by the newspapers Alvord sat at a
table near one of the front windows of the
uptown ShanleNs with his wife. A whining
little newsboy sneaked around among the
tables, with his cap in his hand and an
armful of red-lettered evening papers. cali
ing out 'WuXtra papes, all bout de big
swipe." The iron-nerved Alvord took one
of the papers from the boy, whom he hand
ed a dollar and told to keep the change, and
glanced at the first page, which was fres-
coed with red letters two inches high.
shreking of Schreibers vast haul and the
manner he had employed to spend the
money. Now, there a thing to get
square at the nerve cells of man who had
a little matter of 100000 500 600 on his
own conscience. Mr.. Alvord read few OF
the details beamed cheerfully upon his
lovely wife at the other side of the table,
passed her the paper and resumed the con-
sideration of his repast.
In the light of what has come out with
reference to Alvord, his stolidity on that
occasion seems little less than startling.
Why Criminals Get Away.
The time used to be, even when this coun-
try had very few extradition treaties with
other countries, that when the announce
ment was made that 1.-The Pinkertons' or
1.-The detectives of the American Bankers
Association were after such-and-such a
thief on large scale, the people who in
terested themselves in the matter pretty
generally declared to themselves or TO
others that that particular thief was about
as good collared. This Elizabeth boy
Schneider. who covered up his trail during
two years while he was absorbing S106,00O
of his banks funds, has now been absent
without leave so to speak, since August II.
the day on which he decided that the at
mosphere of Elizabeth was no longer the
best in the world for his general health and
well-being. Since the announcement Of his
defalcation, more. than three weeks ago,
the police and private detective resources
OF no less an area than that of the whole
world have been strained to the utmost to
bring the flight of the youth to an enforced
pause, and yet little Mr.. Schneider is still
despitefuly missing. And this in spite Of
the fact that he is a weakened little chap
of quite unusual appearance and with an
impeachment in his speech that makes 1t out
of the question for him to utter three
words without twisting his countenance in-
to the most pitiable distortions. And yet
there would appear to be some reason for
the reduced measure of success of the
sleuths in apprehending criminals on
large plan. Bob Pnkerton was asked
about this matter not long ago.
why is it that you Pinkerton people
don't make the Immediate and profitable
hauls that they used to?" was the query.
Because" he replied briefly, 1.-The news
papers find out and publish too much about
the big cases, and their detailed stories tip
off the fugitives as to what's being done
to apprehend them" c. l.. c.
A reduction Of postage In Egypt from one
plaster to a quarter of plaster resulted in
doubling the number of letters posted.