Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-10


the crash came and tho river claimed
a LOT of refuse not its own.
That portion Of the city Warde and
Fcnton entered knew no such Iuxu-
rics as lamplghts. and depended en-
tirclA upon such Examinations as a
complacent moon would furnish. On
this particular night the moon was
contcndnm internationally with a sea
Of crested clouds. TO the right as
they traversed the rounded street
oending with the river bank, several
cotton sheds spread their huge di-
mansions in solid blackness. The
| houses were mostly old and dila pida-
ted and peopled with the city's dregs.
1 it was here that thieves. rough boat
men. idle plantation hands, and
that great herald OF the transient
and the shifting known as the
tramp. were fond of congregating.
And it was apparent that the &C.
Communications were ample for this
! kind Of population. There were dcns
OF various shades of iniqnity; ram
shackle sheds Svhcre the tramp could
readily find free accommodation for
the night: greasy corner groceries
whore stale vegetables and riot-brced
ing liquors were sold. together with
/ the certainty that one would take up
the trail Of death where the other
left OF: boarding houses where river
and plantation hands were packed
Chinese fashion. In short, one could
see here every sort Of building, ex-
cept the church and the school house.
As the two pen continued their
walk the houses became less uumcr-
Gus. and they passed vacant lots, be-
yond which they could sec the sill
very CLEAN Of the river.
~ last they came 10 Pctcr'r Rest.
II was q tWo-storicd house. which
Nv it's day had been considered ono
Of the handSumeSt residences in the
city: for, in the carly days of Nilus,
this congcrrs of filth. crime and deg
relation had been iii" most eligible
part Il the town. Yet nobody ever
dreamed at the time of this story
that Hell's Half Acre, which lay
banked in shadows to the north,
would one day be reclaimcd again
and traversed by railroads and re-
sound with the hum OF business: for
now the desperate aud the rough
were omniprcocnt in that locality.
The eNecncieS of the time had con
tro,e r'ed this old mausiou into TIN"
very worst resort Of it's kind in the
city 1t was become the rendezvous
of all sorts Of di>rcputablc men and
women. 1t WAS here that under the
influence Of liquor. which was nm
equaled in vilcn1ss. all sorts of OWL
pnctS were struck. crimes were
planned and n"v lessons Of dcrraN-
" were learned. Just this side Of he
Rest was a vacant lot. stretching
down to the river. Ilerc Frutur said
he would stop while Wardc went ia.
Before they separated fentou handed
him police whi,,i". AM il was
agreed between them that If Wardr
should blow il. the detectNc world
know that he was in danger and
would hasten to hi, assistance. Fen
ton was not al all satisfied with this
adj, cnture Of Wardc'S. but he did MOI
communicate any Of bis uuaa,iness.
lie merely cautioned him to he on his
guard. as tho crowd he va going
among was not very particular about
taking either property or life.
The atmosphere in the saloon was
so heavy and malodorous that the
lights burned dimly and reluctant ~.
Behind the bar was a Stoid rulliHn
who looked rs il he NIGH, have taken
all the degrees OF crime. \ low brow,
heavy black muStache. small animal
eyes and profusion Of cheap jewell
ry admirably fitted Billy McGee TO
be the hero Of a nloody meIodrama
or prominent character in a Lon
don chap-bouk \ couple Of diSsipatcd
Young men were throwing dice be
fore Billy. who watched the result
with the interest of Il di.pa SiOnate
referee. \ number of persons en-
bodying various degrees of disr"puta-
bilitv were concrc"ated about the
tables. some handling greasy decks of
cards, some "shOoting craps. some
drinking whisky and other congcnial
liquors and some talking apart in
whispers ON uhipctS not TO he re-
NraIed even in that Favorable atmoS-
phcre. There were also un hand a
few faded pnrodirS ~ womaukind
whose efforts to ne gay and nirthful
were of a piece With their glIastIy
surroundings.
II was not often that wc'l-drcsSed
CONDITIONING young man was seen in
Peters Rest, and his advent ought ia
have occasiuned some surprise. ont il
did moi. The Rest pursued lis dark
and devious occupations rs rrposr-
fully as though Nardr had been u
regular feature of tn" establishment
Billy McGee did not even look az
from the important business that MAS
transactinP before him.
Warde AT once STROBE up TO the bar
and asked if there was present q mar
ly the name of William jackson.
-Four deuces," said Mr.. McGec. "I'
will be hard 10 beat that. William
Oh. yes. Fill was here about half ar
hour ago. Are you the gent he wa.
CNpectin'?'
"NeS."
"lle said If you come TO tell YOU to
wait for him. He'll be back drec'i y
You'll have to throw again. Dock
Take n seat in the parlor," coutnuc'
MIR. Mruec to Wardr, waving his han'
toward the door of an al ibi nj me