The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-08
By CHARLES NJ. SHELDON,
zAr q - Us Stpx' -ROAat Hardy Sesu Day. q


Its easy to say, told you sor' Miss
Andrews calmly spoke as the little COM
pany slowly went back to the house.
"Of course, pending the decision of the
case in the court of appeals, Tommy
will go on with the building, because he
feels sure the decision there will re-
verse Chambers decision"
"Then don't see as we can do any
thing" said Gordon dejectedly.
Eyes, you've done something to get
Tommy Randall convicted in any court
at ALL"
But l don't see that the conviction
hurts him any. He ought to be in Jail
Instead of that, he's going right on
with his lawlessness just the same as
If he hadn't been found guilty at ALL
said one of the young women.
Gordon looked at Miss Andrews. She
smiled sadly.
"Yes," she replied in answer to his
question, unless Judge julius Cham
bers can scotch this viper more seri-
ously than this 1 anticipate nothing ex-
cept endless delay of the case in the
court of appeals. There is case there
now that was appealed by Tommy
three years ago. 1t is a case of laws
delay, and we seem powerless to do
anything"
Somehow 1 have hope in Chambers.
Did you see the account in the Index
this morning? That sounded like him."
Il saw that" Ford spoke up brightly.
at gave Tommy great roast, i tell
you"
The article referred to in the morning
Index was a conspicuous column ac-
count of the conviction of Tommy Ran
dali in public court on a charge sworn
out by the Hope House people. 1t was
a scathing article. written by some one
who had dipped his pen in something
more than hired reporters ink bottle.
There was a scorching vigor to it that
drove the fact deep home to the reader
that Tommy Randall was numbering
little children in Ward Is by his con-
structiOn contrary to law of tenements
like the one that made possible the re-
cent tenement house tragedy. The arti-
Gle concluded with these words:
Will the people endure this sort of thing
much longer? Tommy Randall is not an
abstraction. He is 200 pounds of coarse
flesh and bad blood. which spits on the
law and says to the people You mind
your own business" For thirty years
Tommy Randall has ruled Waterside dis
trict like a tyrant. He has no office in
the service of the people. He works at no
trade. He is not elected to any position
in the city. Yet he has grown rich from
his blackmail of saloons, gambling dens,
houses of vice and business firms in the
district. His trade is in flesh and blood.
No slave driver ever employed more art
full means to trap his victims or more
brutality in riveting on their manacles,
and the horror of the whole affair is in
tensifed by the fact that this creature
who is after all the tool of the machine
that created him has actually persuaded
the miserable wretches who notlrish him
that he is their best friend. There will
be no release from this slavery until the
machine that made Tommy randall what
he is has been broken in pieces by the
people so that it can neither turn out any
more product like him or keep in power
what has already been brought into ex-
istence. We say, Smash the machine.
The people are able to do it. Will they
do il?
The Review also contained a good
account of Tommys case in the police
court and in addition cited in full the
blue print incident and boldly de-
nounced the lawyer and the boss for
attempt at conspiracy to deceive the
court. Three other papers had more or
less extended notice of the event, and
all of them were unfavorable to Tom
nv. This was the more significant as
~ nc rln a. 10 or
ministration.
There's hope here" Miss Andrews
said that evening as the little settle
ment family was gathered in the fami-
~ library and the accounts in the diff
ferent papers were being reviewed.
maybe this is the first murmuring Of
the people. God grant
The bell rang, and a visitor was an
nounced.
Mr.. julius Chambers came in, and
the little company around the table
rose to greet him. The slight, pale faced
figure with the gold trimmed specta-
Giles was at that moment the most in
teresting personality, next to their own
head, in all the city. 1--WE had in mind
to come here for some time" he said
to Miss Andrews when they were all
seated again. 81 want to know you and
your work at first hand. Unless l am
mistaken the storm center of the next
campaign will be somewhere in this
vicinity"
'Will you be anywhere near the cen
ter of thnt eenterT' asked Gordon. lean,