The sun., 1903-09-27

the death Of their father, had had a linger-
ing belief in the possibility of their reform,
now quite gave them up az utterly hopeless
1t was only question Of time when their
career Of crime would land them behind
iron bars
VAN woRMERs LOSE THEIR HOME.
And things now were moving on very
swiftly to that end. By the middle OF
the summer Of 1901 things had came to q
pass when even Peter Hallenbeck could
tolerate his graceless relatives no longer,
He held mortgage for a considerable
sum on the place where the widow Van
Wormer and her stepsons lived. No in
terest had been paid on the debt for years,
and had the Van Wormers been even ap-
proximately decent in their lives none
need have been paid and they could have
gone on living there as long as they chose.
When they became such a plague upon
the community that they could no longer
be endured, Hallenbeck took the one eflec-
tive way Of getting rid Of them. He FORE
closed the mortgage.
That when he did this he was signing his
own death warrant of course he did not
know. but that he did know that his life
was in danger from nephews whom he had
80 long befriended is quite certain. They
openly threatened his life
Even his wife's sister. the stepmother
Of the Van Wormers, expressed herself
with bitterness toward him which startled
his friends. She furthermore began a
curious lawsuit against him.
few months before the foreclosure.
her sister. Mrs. Hallenbeck. had fallen i'll
and Mrs. Van Wormer went to the Hallen-
beck house and helped to look after her a
little. For this service, when Mr.. Hallen-
beck forecosed the mortgage. she rendered
bill Of some $500. This bill Hallenbeck
refused to pay. and Mrs. Van Wormer
brought suit against him to recover the
amount.
HALLENBEcK FoREsAw HIS FATE.
She and her three sons, meantime, ha d
moved to Kinderhook some sixteen miles
away, and H.!!enbeck and his wife drove
over there one day to see II they could not
in some way compromise the lawsuit
On this day Hallenbeok openly expressed
fear Of the Van Wormer boys. He would
not 70 with his wife to the house, saying
that he was afraid the boys would xii
him II he appeared there. no matter OF
how peaceful an errand.
At this time and up to the time Of hil
assassination he kept In handy reach In
his kitchen his double barrelled shotgun
| heavily loaded with buckshot, for Petel
Hallenbeck, better than anybody else
knew that those three good looking, gentle
manly appearing young men. who had beer
| reared in the wholesome, peaceful atmos
phere Of that quiet little farming vllag,
| OF Greendale had been transformed by
some process OF evolution. which Is still
more or less wrapped in mystery. from
mere bad country boys into black hearted
desperadoes who would not hesitate at cold
blooded, remorseless murder; and that he
more than all others, was in peril o
assassination at their hands.
The i'll repute Of the Van Worner boy
! did not Immediately follow them TO Kinder
hook and they took advantage Of the fact
Although they continued their thievinI
with unabated ardor, they did not com
nit their depredations in the vicinity %
| their new home.
They had rented at a bargain there aboI
| AZ fine house as there WAS IN the village
and they sspred somewhat 10 social recpg
milton Kndrrhook II rather an aristo
cratic little place, with old families anc
wealth and traditions II the courtly MARTIN
Van Bren, who lived, died and was buriec
| there
Into thls inner circle the prepDrs"s In s
Van Wormer boys did no, psnetrsts. Int
| other and quits respectable homes tbeJ